The winter season is quickly descending upon the North Shore of Oahu which signals the return of the recently reimagined VANS Pipe Masters. No matter what you think of the updated format (airs?) you and thousands of other pro-surfing fans will be watching closely as Pipe specialists (and VANS sponsored athletes) face the beast of Ehukai Beach Park. Among this lot are those (yourself included) who plan to lay money on the line now that sportsbooks like DraftKings are expected to post actionable betting lines for the event. But before you do, you need VANS Pipe Masters odds and predictions to help you make your picks for the Men’s and Women’s divisions. Action Sports Betting (ASB) has you covered. Will we see last year’s victors Balaram Stack and Molly Picklum pull off back-to-back wins? Or will it be the usual North Shore suspects who dominate the Pipeline lineup? Could there be a big surprise with underdogs taking the $100K (each) payday? Have a look at which surfers we’ve picked as favorites along with a few sleepers and long shots that may give you more bang for your betting bucks.
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Betting Preview for the VANS Pipe Masters Men’s and Women’s Surfing Competition Running from December 8 to 20 2023
Where: Ehukai Beach Park, Oahu
When: Contest period runs from December 8 to 20, 2023
Betting Lines: View surfing betting odds
Streaming Broadcast: VANS website (pipemasters.vans.com)
VANS Pipe Masters Men’s Picks
FAVORITES
Jamie O’Brien: 4/6 Odds
It’s a bold thing to state who the best surfer to ever ride Banzai Pipeline could be. Historians and purists will claim that it’s Gerry Lopez, Derek Ho, or Michael Ho. Those who grew up with the Momentum Generation will point to Kelly Slater. However, when we collectively dig deep down and look at the performances over the last 15 years or so, it’s hard to argue against Jamie O’Brien. He is more in-tune with this wave than anyone on the planet, whether riding a pointy thruster or inflatable sofa (seriously). Competition wise, this may not be the case, as he only has one Pipe Masters trophy to his name (2004), but if the waves show up it would be ridiculous to not name JOB as the front-running favorite to win the 2023 event.
Mason Ho: 5/1 Odds
Speaking of the Hawaiian “Ho” clan, we feel that it may be time for their current generation’s representative, Mason, to get a major competitive win under this belt. He has all of the legacy, talent, skill, and complete disregard for personal safety to tuck into the heaviest barrels that Pipe and Backdoor can deliver. Remember that Mason was an integral part of Team Snapt4 (along with Barron Mamiya, Benji Brand, and Parker Coffin) when they took the win in prime conditions at the 2022 Da Hui Backdoor Shootout. It’s time to add an individual accolade of significant stature to his resume. A win at the 2023 VANS Pipe Masters will be a great place to start.
SLEEPERS
Nathan Florence: 10/1 Odds
At press, John John Florence hasn’t been named as an invitee for the 2023 VANS Pipe Masters. WSL conflict of interest, perhaps? However, the Florence clan will be well represented in this event, as brothers Nathan and Ivan (see below) will be competing. It may seem odd to name Nathan as a sleeper pick (versus a favorite) given his undeniable skill at Pipeline, but he’s so dedicated to chasing monstrous slabs around the planet that his competitive focus isn’t as sharp as his tenacity for death defying feats in remote places like Northern Scotland. That being said, if Pipe gets big and scary during the event window NF can join sibling JJF (2020 winner) as a Pipe Master.
Ivan Florence: 10/1 Odds
Ivan Florence is the purest definition of a sleeper pick. His eerily calm, quiet, and pleasant demeanor masks his insane talent for riding Banzai Skate Park and Banzai Pipeline alike. He has the ability to make it through each round of the VANS Pipe Masters, going unnoticed yet tallying top scores along the way. He did exactly that when he came in 3rd at the 2023 VANS Triple Crown of Surfing. Ivan had the highest score for the Pipeline portion of the event with a score of 47.5 out of a possible 50. All that he needs to do is carry the momentum and infectious carefree attitude into the VANS Pipe Masters and he’ll come out on top.
LONG SHOT
Noah Beschen: 15/1 Odds
If you’re unfamiliar with Noah Beschen’s surfing, just watch his latest film NOAH. Clips are available here prior to release. We caught the NOAH premiere in San Clemente on the night before the 2023 Rip Curl WSL Finals and were more blown away by what we saw on the screen than what we witnessed at Lower Trestles the morning after. We dare say that this kid’s talent level is unprecedented, although it shouldn’t come as a surprise as he was born and raised on the North Shore of Oahu and is the son of legendary charger Shane Beschen. His best result at a big Pipe contest was a 17th at the Volcom Pipe Pro in 2020. However, with 2023’s NOAH being one of the best surf-porn films we have ever seen, we feel that this may be the year for even bigger things for the young Hawaiian.
2023 VANS PIPE MASTERS MEN’S WINNER PREDICTION
Ivan Florence awakes from his sleepy demeanor with a roar by winning the 2023 VANS Pipe Masters Men’s division.
VANS Pipe Masters Women’s Picks
FAVORITES
Moana Jones Wong: 4/6 Odds
Moana Jones Wong is considered to be the Queen of Pipeline. The title is well earned after a mind-blowing (and viral) barrel at the 2023 Da Hui Backdoor Shootout along with an impressive performance during the 2023 VANS Triple Crown of surfing where she nabbed a score of 48.1 of 50. Moana also won the Billabong Pro Pipeline in 2022. It’s hard to envision a world where she doesn’t win at Pipe, but then again her crown was usurped by Molly Picklum at the 2022 VANS Pipe Masters so we suppose anything can happen at Ehukai during the Holiday season.
Carissa Moore: 8/1 Odds
It’s a very real possibility that 5-time WCT World Champion Carissa Moore will retire from the WSL now that it has been announced that Lower Trestles will once again be the venue for the WSL Finals in 2024. Although, she may hang around the league for another year until the Summer Olympic Games have concluded. Whatever the case may be, expect Carissa to keep her competitive fire burning by competing in specialty events for the foreseeable future, with the VANS Pipe Masters being one of them. Moore won the 2023 Billabong Pro Pipeline along with the 2023 VANS Triple Crown, even though her Pipe score of 37.3 was considerably lower than the 48.1 from Moana Jones Wong.
SLEEPERS
Sierra Kerr: 10/1 Odds
We caught up with Sierra Kerr at the EVOLVE 2023 event at the Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center (SHACC) in San Clemente this past September. She, along side her father Josh Kerr, were promoting a new short film titled GEN-UP, which highlights modern women’s surfing. We can say with certainty that there is no better person to represent the future of women’s surfing than Sierra. She charges with unmatched strength, power, and flow amongst her peers. We can’t yet call her a favorite given that she hasn’t put in enough time at Ehukai, but that will likely change after this year’s edition. Plus, who could forget Kerr’s insanely long Backdoor barrel against Pua DeSoto at the 2022 VANS Pipe Masters? She may have received an interference call and lost the heat, but it showed that this sleeper can go the distance.
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Bettylou Sakura Johnson: 15/1 Odds
While standing tall at 5’7, Hawaiian Bettylou Sakura Johnson is slight at just 127 lbs which can be a challenge for surfing heavy Pipeline. The 18 year old WSL CT surfer did get a 9th at the 2023 Billabong Pro Pipeline (mediocre conditions) and came came in 5th at the 2023 VANS Triple Crown of Surfing but with only 19-points out of a possible 50 at the Pipeline leg (great conditions) of the event. However, Bettylou has been seen putting in time at Ehukai at the slightest hint of autumn/winter swell this year. As a result we expect her to improve upon her performances at Pipeline. If VANS runs heats in less than ideal conditions Bettylou could make it through with a win.
LONG SHOT
Tatiana Weston-Webb: 20/1 Odds
Tatiana Weston-Webb’s career as a professional surfer is waning as she sits at 8th amongst a relatively uninspired roster on the WSL Women’s CT. She does remain in contention as a possible winner of the 2023 VANS Pipe Masters though, as she has been under the tutelage of Ross Williams and has surfed a significant number of events at the world’s most revered wave. Webb received a 5th at the 2023 Billabong Pro Pipeline and a 9th at the same event the year before. Moreover, the no-priority rule for the VANS Pipe Masters suits the flag-waving Brazilian well given her penchant for dropping in on Hawaiians.
2023 VANS PIPE MASTERS WOMEN’S WINNER PREDICTION
Moana Jones Wong officially stamps her name in the history books as the Queen of Pipeline by winning the 2023 VANS Pipe Masters. Bet on it!
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