Andy would have loved it.

The largest swell of the year rolled in at Pipeline on Thursday, and it was only fitting that it coincided with the biggest contest in surfing — the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons.

Huge 10- to 15-foot west swells exploded onto the reef, with many competitors saying it was "big" and "scary" and claiming it was the biggest pipeline they had ever surfed.

In such conditions, it was all about the giant tricky lefts. Local knowledge came through, with Hawaii surfers claiming nine out of 10 of the best wave scores and nine out of 10 of the best average heat scores.

Recent winner at Sunset and current Triple Crown ratings leader John John Florence, 19, of Sunset Beach, started right where he left off with a heat win (18.07) and the only perfect 10 of the contest so far.

"I knew it was going to have the double up. I just pulled in, kind of got pinched and couldn’t see anything when I came out," Florence said of his perfect ride. "Then I just fell into the next barrel pretty much. (On a scale of 1-10), it’s a 10 in danger, anything could go wrong — the same with any day out here. It’s a gnarly wave."

Evan Valiere of Kauai had the highest heat total of 18.16, pulling into some massive barrels.

"I feel good," said Valiere. "I really like the waves coming through. It’s absolutely the best day of the year. It might possibly even the best day of the Pipe Masters in 10 years."

Jamie O’Brien, who advanced with a 14.77 over Dane Reynolds, praised the conditions as well.

"It’s awesome out there at Pipeline today," said O’Brien. "It’s just classic Pipeline. It’s what we have been waiting years for. It’s really big and dangerous, but that’s what makes these kinds of days so exciting."

Another Hawaii surfer who felt at ease was Sunset Beach’s Marcus Hickman, who posted two of the top 10 average heat scores.

"I was not scared," said Hickman. "You learn to turn your fears and nervousness into excitement. I was really excited out there. I feel great, bring on the champ! (Hickman faces 11-time world champion Kelly Slater in his next heat.)

The wild conditions accounted for lots of carnage as well.

There were numerous wipeouts, broken boards, broken leashes and even a dislocated shoulder. Laurie Towner from Australia dislocated his shoulder after a heavy wipeout. Towner came in to the beach and had it popped back in. He then headed right back out only to hit the reef and have it dislocated again.

Several surfers were asked what the Pipe Masters meant to them.

"This is our Super Bowl," said Hickman. "This contest means everything to me. The whole year I am waiting for this contest. I am already trying to figure out how to get in for next year."

Said Ian Walsh of Maui: "This is the pinnacle event of my surfing career. This and the Eddie Aikau. It’s the biggest thing in the world to me."