Despite decades of admiration, Gra Murdoch is still floored by his first real life Chopes visit.

Rights for lefts, sand for coral.

"Albee Layer was the standout of the swell. He caught the craziest wave of the day right at daylight."

Half of the top ten men are first-timers to the CT, while two of the women's top five are fresh faces.

Pipe locals hit the ground running.

"Should we believe the hype?"

"Albee Layer got a really heavy barrel on his first wave and then backed it up with another clean barrel."

Start your season with a two-wave hold down.

Even if it's not a swell-producer, the current system bodes well for the season ahead.

An ode to a Hawaiian favourite.