HISTORY: Men's Pipeline Champions

HISTORY: Men's Pipeline Champions


  From 1982 to 1994, the Pipeline event served as a stand-alone world championship for the sport of bodyboarding.  The winner would be crowned not only as the Pipeline Champion, but the World Champion as well.  Even as the sport of bodyboarding progressed and evolved into a world tour...first in the form of the GOB (Global Organization of Bodyboarders), then the IBA (International Bodyboarding Association), and its current governing body by way of the APB (Association of Professional Bodyboarders)...Pipeline has remained as one of the crown jewels for our sport.  every bodyboarder dreams of winning at Pipeline.  It is still the benchmark for all of us, a proving ground for each bodyboarder's wave riding abilities.  These are the men whom have written their names into the history books of bodyboarding with their demonstations of skill and courage in taking on "Her Majesty."  Here are the Men's Pipeline Champions!

Bodyboarding's first Pipeline World Champion, Hawaiian Daniel Kaimi.  Photo: Chris Stroh's Bodyboard Museum

1982 International Morey Boogie Bodyboard Pro Championships
(held in December 1982)

1.  Daniel Kaimi - Hawaii
2.  Jack Lindholm - Hawaii
3.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
4.  Joe Teipel - Hawaii


1983 International Morey Boogie Bodyboard Pro Championships
(held in December 1983)

1.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
2.  Pat Caldwell - Hawaii
3.  Ben Severson - Hawaii
4.  Jack Lindholm - Hawaii


1984 International Morey Boogie Bodyboard Pro Championships
(originally scheduled for December 1984, it was rescheduled and run in January 1985)

1.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
2.  Pat Caldwell - Hawaii
3.  Jack Lindholm - Hawaii
4.  Tom Boyle - Hawaii

1986 Pipe contest. (From Left to Right) Jack Linholm (6th place), Mike Stewart (2nd place), Keith Sasaki (4th place), JP Patterson (5th place), Pat Caldwell (3rd place), and Ben Severson (Champion). Photo: Bodyboard Museum.

1986 Morey Boogie International Professional Championships
(held in January 1986)

1.  Ben Severson - Hawaii
2.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
3.  Pat Caldwell - Hawaii
4.  Keith Sasaki - Hawaii


1987 Morey Boogie Bodyboard Championships
(held in January 1987)

1.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
2.  Ben Severson - Hawaii
3.  Tom Boyle - Hawaii
4.  JP Patterson - California


1988 Crush International Bodyboard Championships
(held in January 1988)

1.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
2.  Dean Marzol - Hawaii
3.  Pat Caldwell - Hawaii
4.  Alexandre de Pontes - Brasil


1989 Crush International Bodyboard Championships
(held in January 1989)

1.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
2.  Ben Severson - Hawaii
3.  Keith Sasaki - Hawaii
4.  Jay Reale - USA

11x Pipeline Champion Mike Stewart has experienced a level of consistency and success  that  will most likely never be witnessed again in the sport of bodyboarding!

1990 Morey Boogie International Bodyboard Championships
(held in January 1990)

1.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
2.  Ben Severson - Hawaii
3.  Alexandre de Pontes - Brasil
4.  Chris Burkart - Hawaii


1991 Morey Boogie World Championships
(held in January 1991)

1.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
2.  Kainoa McGee - Hawaii
3.  Ben Severson - Hawaii
4.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil


1992 Morey Boogie Pro Championships
(held in January 1992)

1.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
2.  Kainoa McGee - Hawaii
3.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil
4.  Alexandre de Pontes - Brasil

With his 1993 win at Pipeline, "Eppo" became the first Australian/ non-Hawaiian to win the event and become world champion.

1993 Morey Boogie Pro Championships
(held in January 1993)

1.  Mike "Eppo" Eppelstun - Australia
2.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil
3.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
4.  Aka Lyman - Hawaii


1994 Morey Boogie Pro Championships
(held in January 1994)

1.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
2.  Ben Severson - Hawaii
3.  Ben Holland - Australia
4.  Brian Wise - USA

2x Pipeline Champion Guilherme Tamega's 10-point ride at the 1994 Pipeline Pro helped propel him to his first Pipe victory.  Photo: Chris Stroh's Bodyboarding Museum.

1995 Morey Bodyboards World Championships
(1994 GOB World Tour finale, held in January 1995)

1.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil
2.  Kainoa McGee - Hawaii
3.  Paul Tarpley - Hawaii
4.  Matt Walbrou - Tahiti



1996 Morey Bodyboards World Championships
(1995 GOB World Tour finale, held in January 1996)

1.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
2.  Spencer Skipper - Hawaii
3.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil
4.  Alistair Taylor - South Africa

1993 Pipeline Champion Mike "Eppo" Eppelstun and 1997 Pipeline Champion Steve "Bullet" Mackenzie on the beach during the 2011 Pipeline Pro. Photo: Bodyboarding 101.

1997 Morey Bodyboards World Championships
(1996 GOB World Tour finale, held in January 1997)

1.  Steve "Bullet" Mackenzie - Australia
2.  Kainoa McGee - Hawaii
3.  Daniel Rocha - Brasil
4.  Alistair Taylor - South Africa


1998 Morey Bodyboards World Championships
(1997 GOB World Tour finale, held in January 1998)

1.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
2.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil
3.  Kainoa McGee - Hawaii
4.  Alistair Taylor - South Africa


1999 Morey Bodyboards World Championships
(1998 GOB World Tour finale, held in January 1999)

1.  Andre Botha -South Africa
2.  Steve Mackenzie - Australia
3.  Ben Holland - Australia
4.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil

Andre Botha's back-to-back wins at Pipeline helped him make history in several ways.  He  is the first and only South African bodyboarder to win Pipeline, the first South African to win a world title (1998 and 1999), and in doing so became the youngest Men's Champion (17) in bodyboarding history.  Photo: Chris Stroh's Bodyboard Museum

2000 Morey Bodyboards World Championships
(1999 GOB World Tour, held in January 2000)

1.  Andre Botha - South Africa
2.  Ruben "Babby" Quinones - Puerto Rico
3.  Lanson Ronquilio - Hawaii
4.  Nicolas Capdeville - France


2001 Mike Stewart Science Pipeline Pro
(2000 GOB World Tour finale, held in January 2001)

1.  Andrew Lester - Australia
2.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil
3.  Jesse Cooper - Hawaii
4.  David Perez - Spain


2002 Mike Stewart Science Pipeline Pro
(2001 GOB World Super Tour finale, held in January 2002)

1.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil
2.  Ben Player - Australia
3.  Ryan Hardy - Australia
4.  Rui Ferreira - Portugal


2003 Rockstar Games Pipeline Pro
(2002 GOB World Super Tour, held Jan. 30- Feb. 7 2003)

1.  Jeff Hubbard - Hawaii
2.  Andre Botha - South Africa
3.  Ben Player - Australia
4.  Alistair Taylor - South Africa

2x Pipeline Champion Damian King. Photo: IBA

2004 Rockstar Games Pipeline Pro
(2003 IBA World Super Tour, held in January 2004)

1.  Damian King - Australia
2.  Spencer Skipper - Hawaii
3.  Rui Ferreira - Portugal
4.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil


2005- No Pipeline Event
(2004 IBA World Super Tour finale was held at Honolua, Maui)


2006 Rockstar Games Pipeline Pro
(2005 IBA World Tour finale, held in January 2006)

1.  Damian King - Australia
2.  Ben Player - Australia
3.  Ryan Hardy - Australia
4.  Cedric Defaure - France


2007 Rockstar Games Pipeline Pro
(2006 IBA World Tour finale, held in January 2007)

1.  Jeff Hubbard - Hawaii
2.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil
3.  Amaury Lavernhe - Reunion Island
4.  Andre Botha - South Africa


2008 IBA Pipeline Pro
(IBA World Tour, held in February 2008)

1.  Paulo Barcellos - Brasil
2.  Jeff Hubbard - Hawaii
3.  Uri Valadão - Brasil
4.  Hugo Pinheiro - Portugal


2009 IBA Turbo Pipeline Pro
(IBA World Tour, held in February 2009)

1.  Ryan Hardy - Australia
2.  Pierre Louis Costes - France
3.  Guilherme Tâmega - Brasil
4.  Dave Winchester - Australia


2010 IBA Turbo Pipeline Pro
(IBA World Tour, held in February 2010)

1.  Amaury Lavernhe - Reunion Island
2.  Diego Cabrera - Canary Islands
3.  Jared Houston - South Africa
4.  Damian King - Australia

Commentators Steve "Action" Jackson (left) and Manny Vargas (right) congratulating  Jeff Hubbard after his win at the 2011 Pipeline Pro.  Photo: Beeg Todd.

2011 IBA Pipeline Pro
(IBA World Tour, held in February 2011)

1.  Jeff Hubbard - Hawaii
2.  Tom Rigby - Australia
3.  Jared Houston - South Africa
4.  Dallas Singer - Australia


2012 IBA Pipe Challenge
(IBA Grand Slam Series World Tour, held in February 2012)

1.  Jeff Hubbard - Hawaii
2.  Mike Stewart - Hawaii
3.  Dave Winchester - Australia
4. Sam Bennett - Australia


2013 IBA GoPro Pipe Challenge
(IBA GSS World Tour, February 16th - March 1st))

1.  Ben Player - Australia
2.  Jeff Hubbard - Hawaii
3.  Pierre Louis Costes - France
4.  Dave Hubbard - Hawaii


2014 APB Pipe Challenge
(APB World Tour, February 18th-28th)

1. Ben Player - Australia
2. Uri Valadão - Brasil
3. Spencer Skipper - Hawaii
4. Jared Houston - South Africa

2x Pipeline Champion Ben Player. Photo: Riptide

2015 - No Pipeline Contest


2016 Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational
(APB World Bodyboarding Tour, February 18th - March 5th)

1. Pierre Louis Costes - France
2. Jacob Romero - Hawaii
3. Jared Houston - South Africa
4. Lewy Finnegan - Australia

2016 Pipeline Champion and 2x World Champion PLC. Photo: APB.

2017 Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational
(APB World Tour, February 25th - March 10th)

1. Jeff Hubbard - Hawaii
2. Iain Campbell - South Africa
3. Alex Uranga - Basque
4. Ben Player - Australia

2018 - No Pipeline Contest

2019 Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational
(APB World Tour, confirmed for February 24th - March 8th)

The information from 1982-2010 was compiled by Craig Hadden of the Association of Professional Bodyboarders (APB).