Triple Crown of Surfing

For the professional surfer, the famous Vans Triple Crown of Surfing on the North Shore of Oahu is one of the most sought-after surfing competition titles in the world. Actually it’s not one but a combination of four events. The four events are: the HIC PRO at Sunset Beach (a qualifying event); The Hawaiian Pro at Hale’iwa; The Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach; and the Billabong Pipe Masters at the infamous Banzai Pipeline.

These four contests take place over the course of about seven weeks. Each event has its own special challenges and will take three to four days to complete. The winner of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is crowned champion after all event points are tallied up at the Billabong Pipe Masters.

The Vans Pro has been around since the early ‘80’s. Over 100 professional surfers compete at Sunset Beach at the end of October and beginning of November. The Hawaiian Pro is officially the first event of the Vans Triple Crown. Hosted at Ali’i Beach Park to the west of the boat harbor in Haleiwa, surf breaks vary from punchy waves to epic barrels. Expect to see some unreal turns, tight barrels and an array of professional maneuvers. The event occurs in the third and fourth weeks of November.

The second competition of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing heads back to Sunset Beach. Waves can get enormous and conditions treacherous with big, powerful and often nasty waves to navigate. The third event is at the end of November and beginning of December. The final stop of the Vans Triple Crown is the Billabong Pipe Masters. The event at the world-famous Banzai Pipeline takes place at Ehukai Beach Park. The Banzai Pipeline is famous for its huge barrels that explode onto a shallow and craggy coral reef. The event takes place in the second and third weeks of December.