On the North Shore, there exists a band of die-hard Pipe specialists who have shunned the life of groveling and layovers in favor of Northwests and the afternoon offshores. It is this motley lot of scarred locals who make a living pushing it in the most respected wave in the world. Pipeline. These committed few form the backbone of the inaugural Volcom Pipe contest. And beginning today, in serene 10-foot Pipeline, this crew let us know that sometimes the best show in town isn't always a stop on the World Tour.

The most notable performance of the day was the always formidable Jamie O'Brien. Jamie and Pipe never get old. We've seen him slotting himself for years, and today was no exception as Jamie dropped one of only two 10s today on a Hail Mary of a left-hander.

"I knew I was deep," said Jamie. "I was late, the wind held me up the top, then it let me down. I just did the biggest bottom turn I could, grabbed a rail and projected up really high. I almost went too high, then I fell down low, hit the foam ball and bounced, then it was like a shock-wave pushed me on. It was killer, stoked!"

Other standouts included Danny Fuller, who posted the other day's 10, Derek Ho, who was the oldest competitor in the event at 45, and Landon McNamara, the youngest competitor at 13. Landon, who sacrificed his forehead and arms to the reef to ensure himself a spot in the next round, was beaming post heat.

And then there was the always nonchalant Rob Machado. Despite the man-eating conditions on tap, Machado managed to soul arch and thread his way through a few heavers, proving that grace--and might--go along way at Pipeline.

"Pipeline is always going to be Pipeline and it's always respected as one of those waves in the world that everybody puts up there on their list."

Stay up to date on the rest of the Volcom Pipeline Pro here at GrindTV.