I have a close friend who’s easily my biggest critic. Dr. Seves of the Sea, maybe you remember his writing from former publications I’ve been a part of. I think he means well though. Anyway, over the past week he texted me every single day that the NSSA was no longer on — obviously poking me about the fact that I had not updated the site since, well, the NSSA Nationals were on. The good news is: We’ve been busy, not lazy. We’ve been working on several projects that are finally starting to trickle into the world. The first is a countdown for the 50 Heaviest Moments in Pipeline Masters History which we worked on with our pals at Billabong for the WSL. I encourage you to follow the link here and watch ‘em. It’s must-see Internet and will more than accompany your thoughts until Sunday’s finals day at Pipe.

Here’s a little preamble about how we created the list:

For five decades strong, Pipeline Masters has instilled more fear and excitement than any other event on tour. Situated on center stage of the most famous stretch of coast in the world, the Banzai Pipeline makes and breaks careers, exposes the vulnerable and sets up opportunities for glory unlike any other surf spot. And this year, to celebrate 50 years of the ultimate surfing event, we’re counting down the heaviest moments in Pipe Masters history.

We assembled a panel of judges who account for six Pipe Masters titles between them. These guys have objectively shown a level of mastery of Pipeline that transcends the ages and competition alike. They are the PhD’s of Pipeline: Gerry Lopez, Tom Carroll and Jamie O’Brien.

Once the list was assembled, we narrowed down a list of heavy moments to 50 before power ranking them on a scale of 1-10 in terms of their “heaviness.” We also enlisted a certified group of surf journalists to illuminate the finer details and context of each moment. The following countdown is the result. After watching and reading its lasting impact on our sport, we think you’ll agree: Pipeline has been and will always be The Heaviest. —Travis Ferré