The 2012 IBA Pipe Challenge is on and pumping great waves. The opening stage of the 2012 IBA World Tour saw Australian Lewy Finnegan scoring the best wave of the day.
The 17-year-old bodyboarder took off deep on a six-foot Backdoor wave, pulled in and road behind the curtain, came out long after the spit, and raised his fist as he pulled off the back. Claiming waves is cool.
Ruben Quiñones, Timmy Hamilton, Nick Omerod, JB Hillen, Alex Lincoln and Bud Miymoto won their Round 2 heats and are through in the path of the dream.
Tanner McDaniel, the youngest bodyboarders ever competing in the main event of the Pipe Challenge, listened to Mike Stewart's tips and paddled out against riders ten years older than him.
Although McDaniel wasn't able to advance into the next round, he will surely be winning many heats and contests in the near future. The young Hawaiian has salt in his blood and an incredible passion for bodyboarding in his eyes.
In the Women's event, Japanese rider Aoi Koike and Australian Emma Cobb dominated the first waves at Pipeline and scored +9-point barrels during their heats. The 2012 IBA Pipe Challenge will be pumping 10-foot waves.