Four Maui surfers take on opening Men’s Championship Tour event at Banzai Pipeline
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The 2025 World Surf League Championship Tour will see 12 stops—two more than last season—packed into a shorter timeframe. So for Maui competitor Imaikalani DeVault, staying centered is key, especially as he heads into this year’s first event: the Lexus Pipe Pro presented by YETI.
“I put my headphones on, listen to music, stretch a bit, do a little warm-up, and watch the waves. That’s kind of always been my routine. I stick to it because it works for me,” the 27-year-old surfer said. “I don’t like to do too much before my heat. I don’t want to overthink it. I just put on music, stretch, and go in calm—not too fired up, not too hyped.”
DeVault is no stranger to the fury of Pipeline on Oʻahu’s North Shore, but in his fifth appearance in the Championship Tour event, he has never felt more comfortable. “I feel 100% ready, probably the most ready I’ve ever been coming into a season,” DeVault said.
Despite dealing with a few nagging injuries toward the end of last season, it was his solid result at Pipe in 2024 (5th place) that helped secure him a spot in this year’s Championship Tour (CT).
Meanwhile, three more Maui surfers — replacements Eli Hanneman, 22, Ian Gentil, 28, and CT rookie Jackson Bunch, 21 — are eager to take on their friend, hānai brother, and rival, “Imai.”
“Jackson [Bunch] and I are close. I’m a few years older than him, so I’ve watched him grow up—since he was maybe 8 years old. I was probably about 12 or 13 when he was 7 or 8,” DeVault said. “I know his family. We were both sponsored by the same brand when we were younger, so we traveled to California together for events and nationals. We’ve known him since he was a baby. To see him here now is insane, but it’s also awesome to have friends like him on tour.”
Bunch clinched the final spot in the World Surf League’s Championship Tour this past October.
CT rookie Jackson Bunch is a very different beast, explained SURFER magazine. The Hawaiian describes his surfing as fast, explosive and smooth. The Maui wind has helped shape his air game, and he’s just as comfortable at Pipeline as he is on backside rights at other points.
“At 21, the grom of the group may talk softly, but his surfing carries a big stick,” said Jim Kempton, author and former editor-in-chief of SURFER magazine, about Bunch. “You’d expect him to beat a few higher-ranked opponents with it this year.”
DeVault and Bunch have shared lineups together in the past, but only in the World Surf League’s Challenger Series, where DeVault holds a heat record of 2-1 against the Pāʻia native.
Maui representation at the Lexus Pipe Pro 2025 goes deeper than CT surfers DeVault and Bunch. While Lahaina’s Eli Hanneman missed the mid-year cut in his rookie campaign and didn’t requalify for the CT via the 2024 Challenger Series, he’s been given Crosby Colapinto’s spot (due to an injury on Sunday) for the Lexus Pipe Pro as the highest-ranked Hawaiian surfer who wasn’t already in the draw.
Also, the former 2023 WSL CT Rookie of the Year, Ian Gentil, will replace surfer Gabriel Medina’s (injured/withdrawn). Although Gentil missed the mid-year cut in 2024 and did not requalify through the Challenger Series, he had enough points to earn him the CT replacement surfer designation. After the Lexus Pipe Pro, he is set to compete in the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro and the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal.
Last season, all four Maui surfers competed in the Lexus Pipe Pro 2024. As a wildcard, Bunch finished 17th, tied with Hanneman. Gentil and DeVault faced off in the Quarterfinals, with Gentil taking the victory. DeVault finished the competition in 5th place, while Gentil placed 3rd. The results marked all four Maui surfers’ best CT finishes (or tied with their best) to date.
Only 34 individuals worldwide are on the 2025 Men’s Championship Tour, and two of them are Maui surfers: DeVault and Jackson Bunch. Two additional Maui surfers, Eli Hanneman and Ian Gentil, are event wildcards for select events.
Representing Maui on the world stage brings an added sense of pride for DeVault, who grew up on Lānaʻi and Maui. This year, he spent more time than usual at home to train and rejuvenate.
“Being home is a recharge,” he said, reflecting on spending about three months on Maui before the 2025 season. “I’m on the road a lot all year, so I’m not seeing people so much. Getting to surf with the local kids at home and getting the energy from them—seeing how excited they are to watch the tour—is always motivating. Knowing you have that support from the local community is so important, and you really feel it when you’re home.”
DeVault and his sisters spent their formative years on the West Side of Maui. He says his Hawaiian heritage has always been central to his surfing. Alongside CTer Seth Moniz, he is one of only two Native Hawaiian surfers on Tour who carry that honor.
“Being Hawaiian is special,” DeVault said. “Hawaiʻi is the birthplace of surfing, and Hawaiians are the creators of the sport. So there’s a special connection. I feel proud to represent Hawaiians on the tour… I’ve been inspired by Hawaiian legends like the Irons brothers and guys like Buttons [Kaluhiokalani]. It’s in our blood to surf, and I guess for me, it comes out as that laid-back island style.”
Event details
The heats for the Opening Round of the WSL Lexus Pipe Pro 2025 have been drawn. A few marquee matchups include:
- HEAT 1: Jordy Smith (SA), Matthew McGillivray (SA), Jackson Bunch (HAW)
- HEAT 3: Ian Gentil (HAW), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Ethan Ewing (AUS)
- HEAT 5: Griffin Colapinto (USA), Ian Gouveia (BRA), Eli Hanneman (HAW)
- HEAT 8: Jake Marshall (USA), Imaikalani DeVault (HAW), George Pittar (AUS)
First call for the WSL Lexus Pipe Pro is on Monday at 7:30 a.m. HST. The event occurs as conditions permit from Jan. 27 through Feb. 8, 2025.