This shot was taken at the 1994 Pipeline Masters. Kelly Slater is 22 years old and has just won his second Pipe Masters and second World Title. In the intervening 20 years he has gone on to claim another nine World Titles and five Pipeline Masters Titles, two more in succession in 1995 and 1996. He has hair. He is the best competitive performer at Pipeline in history.
Behind him are two blonde groms, still mates to this day, who have probably had more barrels at Pipeline between them than any other duo of the last decade. Next to Kelly is Kalani Chapman, then aged 12. Born and raised on the North Shore, he is the nephew of legendary shaper Owl Chapman and brother to ‘90s hellman Shawn Briley. He has ridden some of the biggest and best waves in Pipe history.
The other blonde goofy looking kid is Jamie O’Brien, here aged 11. By this stage he was living in front of Pipeline. In a decade he too will become a Pipe Masters Champion, winning from the trials in 2004 and from there go on establish himself as the best Pipe surfer of the last decade.
