It's a safe bet to say that Griffin and Crosby Colapinto have been the best double act on the North Shore this winter. In their series "The Cola Brothers" the pair have been posting a non-stop highlights package of electric surfing from Pipe, Haleiwa, and Sunset.
There are multiple examples of the pair going back-to-back, often with the elder Griff nabbing the first wave of the set, and Crosby looking to upstage his big bro on the one behind. Aged 22 and 19, respectively, it's been a hugely impressive display from the Californians.
The Colapintos' biggest double act rivals this winter are John John and Nathan Florence (with the odd cameo from youngest clan member Ivan) who have also been logging incredible waves and freesurfing sessions. At the time of writing, both were in the top five of the Digital Vans Triple Crown Ratings, with plenty of big scores to drop, such as these incredible waves by John at Sunset.
Seth and Josh Moniz have also been doing power plays at their local spots. The eldest, Josh, won the Pipe International event and has backed that competitive success with his usual standout waves at Pipe. CT surfer Seth has also been busy, scoring the Backdoor bombs that have him made one of Hawaii's leading Gen-Z surfers.
However, these siblings aren't exactly breaking new territory. They are continuing a strong tradition of brothers making big double plays on the North Shore of Hawaii.
Andy and Bruce Irons is probably the gold standard. Their combined talent, love, and intense rivalry produced some of the best performances ever seen on the North Shore throughout the 2000s. It was the platform that launched Andy towards two World Titles and Bruce a Pipe Masters victory.
Andy's "new vibe" connecting with his dominance of the previous years, was felt during his heat-winning 10-point ride at Backdoor that is forever seared into surfing's collective memory.
Their combined efforts, arguably, just shade the Ho Brothers in terms of competitive success and Hawaiian freesurfing performances. Derek Ho, who sadly passed away last year, was the 1989 World Champion and a twice Pipe Master. His brother Mike (the father of another famous sibling act Mason and Coco) won the Pipe Masters in 1982 (with a broken wrist) and has remained a standout Hawaiian performer for an incredible four decades.
Derek Ho's first Pipeline Masters win in 1986 would be defined by one perfect, shimmering tube ride ridden during the semifinals.
To these famous pairs we could add Floridian twins CJ and Damien Hobgood who won a combined 10 CT events, a World Title (CJ in 2001), and reputations as Hawaiian freesurfing legends. The Gudauskas and the Malloy families, with three brothers each, can also be added to the mix.
Now Griff and Crosby are a long way from achieving any of the accolades of the illustrious brothers mentioned above. Yet over the last month on the North Shore they've added their shared DNA into the mix with a series of head-turning displays. The tradition continues.
Good Things Come In Pairs: The Colapinto Bros Are On A Roll On The North Shore
Ben Mondy
It's a safe bet to say that Griffin and Crosby Colapinto have been the best double act on the North Shore this winter. In their series "The Cola Brothers" the pair have been posting a non-stop highlights package of electric surfing from Pipe, Haleiwa, and Sunset.
There are multiple examples of the pair going back-to-back, often with the elder Griff nabbing the first wave of the set, and Crosby looking to upstage his big bro on the one behind. Aged 22 and 19, respectively, it's been a hugely impressive display from the Californians.
The Colapintos' biggest double act rivals this winter are John John and Nathan Florence (with the odd cameo from youngest clan member Ivan) who have also been logging incredible waves and freesurfing sessions. At the time of writing, both were in the top five of the Digital Vans Triple Crown Ratings, with plenty of big scores to drop, such as these incredible waves by John at Sunset.
Seth and Josh Moniz have also been doing power plays at their local spots. The eldest, Josh, won the Pipe International event and has backed that competitive success with his usual standout waves at Pipe. CT surfer Seth has also been busy, scoring the Backdoor bombs that have him made one of Hawaii's leading Gen-Z surfers.
However, these siblings aren't exactly breaking new territory. They are continuing a strong tradition of brothers making big double plays on the North Shore of Hawaii.
Andy and Bruce Irons is probably the gold standard. Their combined talent, love, and intense rivalry produced some of the best performances ever seen on the North Shore throughout the 2000s. It was the platform that launched Andy towards two World Titles and Bruce a Pipe Masters victory.
Their combined efforts, arguably, just shade the Ho Brothers in terms of competitive success and Hawaiian freesurfing performances. Derek Ho, who sadly passed away last year, was the 1989 World Champion and a twice Pipe Master. His brother Mike (the father of another famous sibling act Mason and Coco) won the Pipe Masters in 1982 (with a broken wrist) and has remained a standout Hawaiian performer for an incredible four decades.
To these famous pairs we could add Floridian twins CJ and Damien Hobgood who won a combined 10 CT events, a World Title (CJ in 2001), and reputations as Hawaiian freesurfing legends. The Gudauskas and the Malloy families, with three brothers each, can also be added to the mix.
Now Griff and Crosby are a long way from achieving any of the accolades of the illustrious brothers mentioned above. Yet over the last month on the North Shore they've added their shared DNA into the mix with a series of head-turning displays. The tradition continues.
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