Surf’s 4-6′ and hopefully up to 8′. Sand bars and angle not epic but it’s very contestable with barrels on the rights and lefts. Don’t miss a beat, don’t miss a heat!
BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Friday, December 19, 2014) – The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons has been called on for Finals day. Today will likely see a finish to the event as well as the culmination to this year’s thrilling World Title race. “The swell that we’ve been waiting for filled in late last night and today’s it’s pretty incredible out there,” Kieren Perrow, ASP Commissioner, said. “We’ve got solid waves, Backdoor is firing and there’s even some good Pipe waves, so we are on, and we expect to see some incredible rides today. “We’ve reduced some heat times in the overlapping rounds and extended the overlapping format into Round 5 and the Quarterfinals, which gives us the ability to finish the event today. We’ll see an awesome finish this afternoon and we’re going to crown a World Champ and a Pipe Master.”
The three World Title contenders, Gabriel Medina (BRA), Mick Fanning (AUS), and Kelly Slater (USA), will all take to the water in elimination Round 3. Medina will face Vans Triple Crown of Surfing ratings leader Dusty Payne (HAW) in Heat 6, Fanning will take on Jeremy Flores (FRA) in Heat 9 and Slater will match-up against Alejo Muniz (BRA) in Heat 12.
The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons will be webcast LIVE at ASPWorldTour.com.
Billabong Pipe Masters Round 3 Match-Ups (1st to R4, 2nd = 13th): Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 5: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Heat 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 7: Kolohe Andino (HAW) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Sebastien Zietz (HAW)
Heat 11: Nat Young (USA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 12: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
The final stop of the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP World Championship Tour will determine this year’s world surfing champion as well as those who qualify for the elite tour in 2015. Brazilian phenom Gabriel Medina (BRA), reigning three-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS), and 11-time ASP World Champion and sporting icon Kelly Slater (USA) are the three remaining World Title contenders.
As the third and final stop on the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Series (an ASP Specialty Series in Hawaii), the Billabong Pipe Masters will also determine the winner of the revered three-event leg. Maui’s Dusty Payne (HAW) is the current frontrunner after a dynamic victory at Haleiwa and blistering runner-up finish at Sunset Beach.
The 2014 Title race scenarios are as follows:
– If Medina finishes 2nd or better at the Billabong Pipe Masters, he will clinch the 2014 ASP World Title.
– If Medina finishes 3rd at the Billabong Pipe Masters, Fanning will need to win the event and Slater will be out of contention.
– If Medina finishes 5th at the Billabong Pipe Masters, Fanning will need to win the event and Slater will be out of contention.
– If Medina finishes 9th at the Billabong Pipe Masters, Fanning will need to finish 2nd or better and Slater will be out of contention.
-If Medina finishes 13th or 25th at the Billabong Pipe Masters, Fanning will need to finish 3rd to win or 5th to send the title race into a one-heat “surf-off” between himself and Medina.
– If Medina finishes 13th or 25th at the Billabong Pipe Masters, Slater will need to win the event.
The ASP Heritage Series, which celebrates the rich culture and history of professional surfing, is poised to have its third and final competitive event of the season with a four-man heat between Gary Elkerton (AUS), Tom Carroll (AUS), Derek Ho (HAW) and Sunny Garcia (HAW).
The world’s best female surfers will also compete at Pipeline this year in the Women’s Pipe Masters Invitational with reigning six-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), two-time ASP Women’s World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW), Australian powerhouse Tyler Wright (AUS) and international icon Bethany Hamilton (HAW) battling it out at the world-famous Pipeline.
Taj Burrow (AUS), Adriano de Souza (BRA) and C.J. Hobgood (USA) have all withdrawn from the Billabong Pipe Masters due to injury and have been replaced by Glenn Hall (IRL), Mitch Coleborn (AUS) and Dusty Payne (HAW) respectively.
The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons will be webcast LIVE at ASPWorldTour.com.
Men’s Pipe Masters Invitational Final Match-Up:
Reef McIntosh (HAW), Jamie O’Brien (HAW), Makai McNamara (HAW), Hank Gaskell (HAW)
Billabong Pipe Masters Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Julian Wilson (AUS), Glenn Hall (IRL)
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Mitch Coleborn (AUS)
Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA), Adam Melling (AUS), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS), Aritz Aranburu (ESP), TBD
Heat 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Dion Atkinson (AUS), TBD
Heat 7: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Jadson Andre (BRA), Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 8: Kolohe Andino (USA), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 9: Josh Kerr (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 10: Owen Wright (AUS), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Mitch Crews (AUS)
Heat 11: Nat Young (USA), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 12: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Tiago Pires (PRT)
Women’s Pipe Masters Invitational Heat: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Tyler Wright (AUS), Carissa Moore (HAW), Bethany Hamilton (HAW)
ASP Heritage Series Heat: Gary Elkerton (AUS), Tom Carroll (AUS), Derek Ho (HAW) and Sunny Garcia (HAW)
