backside attack, Pipeline

The notoriously steep, hollow surf at Pipeline has traditionally been more difficult for regularfooters, who take on the left-breaking waves backside—that is, with their backs to the wave. Goofyfooters long held the advantage here as they faced the wave while riding frontside. In the winter of 1975–76, a small group of regularfooters led by Shaun Tomson, Michael Tomson, and Wayne Bartholomew made a sudden leap in progress at Pipeline, and closed the performance gap with the goofyfooters; Surf...