Special coverage presented by Crown Uruguay - Cover photo: WSL/Heff

Australian Jordy Lawler, who bought his ticket at the last minute to compete in the Billabong Pro Pipe, confident that he would make it due to Ryan Callinan's injury, was disappointed in Hawaii when that spot went to Ivan Florence.

But, on the morning of the first day of the event, when the sea was pumping in Pipe, his compatriot Liam O'Brien injured himself, presumably his ankle according to Waves.com.br, and this opened the way for Lawler who was the first surfer to be left out of the CT, that is, the first alternate through the challengers.

Coincidentally, Eli Hanneman, who suffered a serious crash at Pipe last week, ended up being his hospital roommate, according to their friend Brodi Sale.

Lawler ended up out of the event, but as reported on the broadcast, he took home what was arguably the best wave of his life at Pipe.