The Billabong Pipe Masters is the most anticipated event of the year for a good reason: Nowhere else on the planet can fans get so close to one of Mother Nature's most powerful and awe-inspiring spectacles. The harrowing waves at Pipe break just 40 yards off the sand. And while surf fans are bronzing themselves on the beach as they watch, out in the lineup things couldn't be more tense. The iconic event pits the world's best surfers against each other amid the hauntingly beautiful waves of Pipeline.
This year's event has numerous storylines, which WSL commentator Joe Turpel talks us through in this scene-setter. Enjoy.