Every year a huge collection of the world's best surfers gather on Oahu's North Shore the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, pro surfing's most intense pressure cooker. The series, which includes two heavily weighted Qualifying Series contests and the last Championship Tour event of the year -- the Billabong Pipe Masters -- is make-or-break for those trying to qualify for the elite tour, as well as for those trying to put their names on the map. As top CT surfer Jordy Smith explained, during the Triple Crown "The best surfers in the world here, and they're here to prove something."
Catch the second event in the series, the Vans World Cup at Sunset beach, live on the WSL through Dec. 6, followed by the Pipe Masters, with an event window from Dec. 8 - 20.