The beach town of Haleiwa comes alive in December thru January with the excitement of the Vans Crown of Surf hitting Oahu’s North Shore, and bringing with it, big name surfers, their fans and curious crowds. You could very well bump into John John Florence—who recently clinched the title of 2016 World Champion at the Rip Curl Pro held in Portugal—or any other pro surfer aiming for a spot in the Triple Crown.
The Vans Triple Crown annually draws thousands of folks to the North Shore from December 21 to January 17. It consists of three events: the Hawaiian Pro with a holding period of November 12-23 at Haleiwa Alii Beach; the World Cup of Surfing, November 24-December 6, at Sunset Beach; and the Billabong Pipe Masters, December 8-20, at Ehukai Beach Park.
Massive crowds are a given, so if you plan on being in the middle of the action on any given day, head out early to score a parking space. Keep in mind you just may have to walk a bit since the best spots are nearly always taken. Can’t make it in person? Then you can at least tune into the live broadcast of the final, most anticipated event of the season, the Billabong Pipe Masters, with heat analyzers, interviews, surf trivia, post shows and more.
Get the latest updates, plus find out whether the contest is on for each day at www.vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com.
And remember, whether you’re trying to get to the contest site or are stuck in traffic, share the aloha!
Pictured, top to bottom:
2015 Vans Triple Crown champion, Gabriel Medina (BRA). Image by WSL / Cestari.
Julian Wilson (AUS) dwarfed by a set wave at Sunset Beach for the Vans World Cup of Surfing. Image by WSL / Masurel.
