Banzai Pipeline is the world's most spectacular tubular wave found in the North Shore of Oahu. It is the tube that every expert surfer of shooting that when surfers compete for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, they'd patiently wait for days and weeks for the sea to curl into the world's most challenging surf reef break.
To view the waves, locals and tourists have to go to the home of the Banzai Pipeline: the Ehukai Beach Park. Ehukai Beach Park is located on Ke Nui Road off Kamehameha Highway in front of the Sunset Elementary School. Ehukai, which means "reddish tinged water" in Hawaiian, is a white sand beach is fronted by an acre of green grass and shady trees.Because of its world-famous , the 1.2 acre Ehukai Beach Park gets hordes of visitors especially during winter months.
Spectators, journalists, and photographers crowd the beach as well to watch the surfers ride the world's most dangerous waves.
The beach's pounding waves are for experts only; inexperienced surfers and swimmers have to wait for spring and summer waves to enjoy the waves over the sandbar. Even in summer, however, the waves breaking near the shore and the rip currents are something that swimmers have to negotiate.
Services and amenities: lifeguards, restrooms, showers, parking, picnic areas and tables, phones
5 unique things about Ehukai Beach Park
Spectators, journalists, and photographers crowd the beach as well to watch the surfers ride the world's most dangerous waves.
The beach's pounding waves are for experts only; inexperienced surfers and swimmers have to wait for spring and summer waves to enjoy the waves over the sandbar. Even in summer, however, the waves breaking near the shore and the rip currents are something that swimmers have to negotiate.
Services and amenities: lifeguards, restrooms, showers, parking, picnic areas and tables, phones
5 unique things about Ehukai Beach Park
- Banzai Pipeline got its name in 1961 when surfing movie producer Bruce Brown stopped at the yet-unnamed surf site up Ehukai Beach Park. Coincidentally, a pipeline was being constructed on nearby Kamehameha Highway. California surfer Mike Diffenderfer who was with Brown at the time suggested to name the wave Pipeline. The name was first used in Brown's fourth movie, Surfing Hollow Days. Since the beach that fronted the pipeline was then known as Banzai Beach, Banzai was appended to Pipeline; hence the compound name Banzai Pipeline.
- Ehukai Beach Park is the home of the world's hardest and deadliest surf break, the Banzai Pipeline. More people (surfers and even photographers) have higher statistics of death or serious injury than in any other surf spot.
- Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, the world's greatest and most challenging surfing competition, is held here.
- Ehukai Beach Park covers three areas: the Ehukai Beach, Banzai, and Pipeline.
- The sub-plot of the Hollywood film "Blue Crush" starring Kate Bosworth was about shooting the Pipeline.
