Our true love is coming to town. The world tour at Pipeline. While we’ve been flirting with a few side crushes like the ‘Pipeline Masters’ and even the Backdoor Shootout for extra horny surf fans, this is the real deal. The main squeeze. The world’s greatest surfers at the world’s premier arena. No fantasy surfer for those other flings either. We are part of the action now. In the bedroom. Are you giddy with excitement? Filipe isn’t. His heart’s pumping faster than a rabbit about to be released at the greyhound track. Should you have him in your team? Short answer, nooooooooo. More on that below. 

These are your Best Fantasy Surfer Picks for Pipeline 2025. The first event in a HUGE season. Here’s a chance to set the tone and feel like you’re winning already (or that your hope of a title has already gone face first into the lava shelf). The current forecast is for a fun swell during the first few days, so it could be horn blowing right off the starters line. Here we go! 

WOMENSDEFINITES

Erin Brooks

This new dainty hooligan on tour is about to smile her way towards detonating others dreams. Erin won the Vans Pipe Masters as a nice little warm up, threading crystal flutes and packing mean close outs. She’s a competitive beast that will have every dial turned up to 11 come hooter time. This is one event she could easily go all the way at, set her seed higher and start working towards a rookie year world title. Ms Brooks is that good and Pipe is a key venue for her. She’s a streetwalking cheater with a heart full of napalm, ready to search and destroy. I’d pick her if she was in Tier A. In Tier C? Are you crazy? Get her in, powered.

Caity Simmers

Defending event champ. Defending world champ. Still looking as cool as a stoned cucumber. Caity Simmers has to be in your squadron. She’s in fine form, has been surfing plenty in the off season and seems to miraculously be keeping her head on straight after being voted Prom Queen by all comers. The other two women in the top tier have never finalled at Pipe either. Tati isn’t a bad pick, but choosing her over Caity is like ordering a soft serve instead of a McFlurry. Give me all the toppings any day of the week. All of the flavour with some extra whip thrown in too.

DARK HORSE:

Bettylou Sakura Johnson  

Betty Lou is a Hawaiian superstar that is destined to win at Pipeline one day. She’s made the semis the last two years in a row, is incredible in small, large, lefts and rights, but is someone who is often weirdly overlooked. I almost put in Gabriela Bryan instead, until I went back and actually looked at results and heat scores from previous years. She’s a slayer out here. Maybe it’s that her name is TLDR that she doesn’t sit front of mind? Just start calling her BLSJ. Either way, a very worthy pick that others might forget she’s as good as she is.  

AVOID

Moana Jones Wong

Am I crazy? The Queen of Pipeline as avoid?! Here me out. At this stage, the forecast is looking like it’ll be 5ft Pipe at best. Moana really shines out at 8ft+ when she’s a diamond sword slicing through water demons. When it’s smaller it evens the field massively and given she’s lowest seed, she’ll be against the likes of Caity Simmers, Caroline Marks or similar heavy hitters. Those women will not give her an inch at sub par Pipe. If you want the ultra obvious avoid, it’s Nadia Erostarbe, but this isn’t a tell you want you know guide. It’s tell you what you need to know. Moana has warning lights flashing around her. Pick Erin or even Vahine in that tier instead.

MENSDEFINITES

JJF

How can you not have Johnny Jack at the Banzai? Double the name, double the points. The world’s silkiest power surfer should already be your powered pick. If he isn’t already, your name is probably Chris Binns and you bleed Surfing West Oz. Even with taking the year off, John still gets a slot at Pipe this year, as if the biggest tube pig on the planet is ever going to give up a chance of surfing Pipe with one other guy in the water. Not a bad way to finish a stint on the World Tour slash start a year surfing around the world on the Slab Tour

Barron Mamiya

Last year’s event champ is in Tier B. I’ll say that again another way. This is your chance to pick up a brand new Kawasaki Ninja for the price of a Honda Vario. Barron is at his deadliest in his hometown and he’s currently looking revved up and as sharp as a shuriken. The rest of this tier is a mix mash of maybes and could bes. Barron is your surest bet and if you don’t slide him into the line up, you’ll be kicking yourself. The other guy hanging out here at bargain rates is Leo Fiorivanti. There you go, two for the price of one. An accessory for your road bike to the top of the tour.  

DARK HORSE

The Ram

It’s not a horse. It’s a shorn man-sheep with horns the size of antlers. Ramzi has guts, determination, and skill, all wrapped in a solid but unassuming package. He beat the 2023 Pipe Jack Robbo here last year in his Rookie event, then went on to get his career best result at Teahupo’ooooh. The guy can ride a pipe. With a full lap of the circus tent under his jersey, Ram could be even deadlier this time around. Podium finish at the opening event? I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.

AVOID

Filipe Toledo

Will Filipe surf Pipe? I really don’t know, but he’s on the Fantasy list. In other things I don’t know yet, he’s somehow ranking 13th on the seed list and is appearing in Tier B. Is that a glitch? For someone who surfed one heat last year, shouldn’t he be zinging around in the wildcard slots down the bottom? Maybe the joyous scent of multiple world titles lingers for multiple seasons? He should release a cologne – Surf Mugatu. Either way, Filipe’s not going to be stinking up my team as a pick in any tier for Pipeline. The lack of confidence that he’ll compete, combined with his history at this wave has me clicking other options all day. Sure, it could be 6ft backdoor and he wins. Imagine that. Continue the flow in Abu Dhabi, then cement a gigantic tour lead after El Salvador, Bells, Snapper, J-Bay, Trestles and Rio, only to have someone steal the actual title in Fiji. The circle of life is interesting, isn’t it?


That’s the latest and greatest. Remember, set your picks now, but be ready to flip the script a little after round one. If upsets rain down, which definitely happens at Pipeline, then shift gears and make sure you have a full squad for the bracket stage. Popping a zero first thing tastes nowhere near as nice as an eating actual donut. 

And for anyone questioning our talents, here’s Lincoln perfect team below…

THE TEAM LAYOUT