In House at the Volcom Pipe Pro takes an inside look at the two most infamous fortresses on the North Shore, the Volcom houses. Here, the company’s team of surfers navigate the most intense period of the year, the Hawaiian winter, at the end of which looms the Volcom Pipe Pro.
The Volcom Houses get ready for Thanksgiving. Tai Vandyke cooks his 18th annual feast for the team, Mitch Coleborn trains for the Vans World Cup, and a pair of vets and groms share their take on what surfing in Hawaii means to them.
Winter has been late to the game this year, but Fashionably late is always excusable, especially in Winter Storm Jonas’ case! We’ve had a very consistent Fall and Winter of fun waves on the Outer Banks, but hadn’t had a pumping day of waves in a long time, until swell from Jonas showed up.
The first day was howling offshore and really peaky, making it hard to be in the spot, but incredibly rewarding if you were. Not to mention we even had some snow flurries for most of the afternoon session. Day 2 was out of control wind and swell wise, then Day 3 conditions went blue bird and sheet glass. The swell period was still too high with buoy readings 9-10ft @ 14-15seconds, so finding somewhere that wasn’t doubled up was a challenge. We lucked out, even though both sessions we should have ideally been out hours earlier, we managed to find some pretty good waves. Day 4 of the swell was great for leftovers, with fun little tubes and air sections.
THIS is what Winter on the Outer Banks is all about… I don’t know what’s been going on the last few years, but this is the kind of surf I grew up being accustomed to between November and April. Hopefully this El Nino winter keeps kicking us some conditions that continue to allow Hatteras Island to show it’s True Winter Form.