All eyes were on Pipeline's favorite son John John Florence at the Volcom Pipe Pro today, as a perfect pairing of phenomenal waves and supernatural talent unfolded before a highly charged beach crowd. It fast became a 25-minute Florence super session as he clocked up four incredible tube rides in succession: 9.3, 9.53, 9.73, and 9.97. His top two scores delivered the highest heat total of the competition so far - 19.7 points out of 20. But the only Electric Perfect 10 of the day went to Santa Cruz's Nat Young, in his competitive debut at the Banzai Pipeline. Wave face heights were consistently around 15- to 20-feet today, and there were more than a day's worth of horrific wipeouts.
Pipeline was not friendly today with its gray skies, an unusually chilling wind, and a gnarly lineup of shifty waves. There were the occasional flashes of blue, but it was the kind of day that could only appeal to warriors of the $130,000 Volcom Pipe Pro, and they had no hesitation getting things rolling after four days of waiting for a start. The Volcom Pipe Pro is an ASP 5-star event that runs through February 7.
The 2013 ASP World Tour officially begins anew on Sunday, on the very same stretch of surf and sand that the 2012 World Tour wrapped up on six weeks ago: the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.
Organizers of RED BULL JAWS, Paddle at Pe'ahi have announced that they will not hold the event during the forecast December 30/31 swell, primarily due to the overnight peak swell arrival time.
Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, has claimed his maiden ASP World Title today at the final stop of the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) season, by winning the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons. The Billabong Pipe Masters was also the third and final leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing series.
Kauai’s Sebastian Zietz (HAW), 24, has won the 2012 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Title (an ASP Specialty Series) by advancing to Round 3 of the Billabong Pipe Masters in pumping six-to-eight foot (2 metre). Zietz wins a record $100,000 bonus in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the Series, hydrated by vitaminwater, as well as a $30,000 Harley Davidson and a $10,000 custom Nixon watch. Zietz eliminated ASP WCT surfer Travis Logie (ZAF), 33, to move ahead.
The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons kicked off Round 1 of competition today in pumping six-to-eight foot (2 metre) waves at Pipeline, hosting the ASP Top 34 as they battled the notorious local wildcards in an attempt to requalify for the 2013 ASP Top 34. The 2012 Billabong Pipe Masters, the final stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), will see a showdown for this year’s ASP World Title and also represents the final jewel of the Vans Triple Crown.
Invitees and alternates of the RED BULL JAWS, Paddle at Pe'ahi big wave event gathered high upon the Pe'ahi Overlook in a private blessing that officially opened the three-month holding period for this one-day event. A spiritual ceremony, deeply rooted in Maui's history and Polynesian culture, took place under unusually clear and hot skies, with barely a breath of wind.
The final ASP Prime event of the 2012 season, the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach, has been completed but qualifiers for the 2013 ASP Top 34 have yet to be finalized.
With the completion of the VANS World Cup of Surfing last night, second jewel of the Hawaiian Triple Crown, and the victory of Australia's Adam Melling, the ASP World Tour comes to an end with the much anticipated Pipeline Masters starting this Saturday, December 8. The iconic Banzaii and Backdoor Pipeline will play a vital role in deciding the 2013 World Championship Tour lineup of surfers.
