They used be be, but some time ago (not sure when), surfers started using the face. Makes sense. The article wave was a mid-ocean rogue wave that probably didn't have much difference between front and back.
The pic above is a surfer riding what was estimated to be 80 feet on the face. Think it was somewhere off Africa or another nation and fairly recent. It was not off an American coast.
However, there is break about 100 miles at sea off San Diego that gets around 60 feet, but only for a few days once a year if conditions are right. Saw it on a Discovery channel. All big wave riders have cojones of steel. They have to be towed in by ski-jet just to catch them.
That said, anyone who surfs the Pipeline on a big day is practically suicidal. It has huge amounts of water/energy for a 15-18 footer and breaks in 3 feet of water just above a sharp coral reef in places. The Pipeline has caused more deaths than any other wave in the World, IIRC. Yes, I used to surf.
To your point, As far as I know, East and West Coasts measure the front face. Hawaiian waves are still measured from the backside.
And yes, I’ve BODYsurfed the Pipeline (and Backyards) for years, and the energy is so intense, you are just along for the ride. Mine primary thoughts are always 1) don’t stop swimming and 2) take a deep breath and 3) don’t go over the falls.
UH Rainbows ‘82
Probably the closest to death I ever came was after going over the falls there on about a 12' wave in the early eighties. I remember coughing up water on the beach and the lacerations from the reef that took a long time to heal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlC3n0VSGOU
*That said,anyone who surfs the Pipeline on a big day is practically suicidal.*
“It has huge amounts of water/energy for a 15-18 footer and breaks in 3 feet of water just above a sharp coral reef in places.”
*** “ It has huge amounts of water/energy for a 15-18 footer and breaks in 3 feet of water just above a sharp coral reef in places. “ ***
When I was young and dumb body surfing and didn’t turn out quick enough wave broke and I was about 12 ft elevation and the place that I was being thrown was about 2 ft deep fo a couple seconds then 12ft deep then 2 ft then 12 ft and the whole time I’m doing about 6 knots over a sharp (and painful) bottom ... finally outran a wave and made it to the beach... I was sliced and diced ... I healed up pretty quick except for my elbow ... Corpsman was picking Coral out of that cut for about 6 months, Coral kept growing back, in my elbow.