1240pm: DESOUZA NEW WORLD CHAMP & PIPELINE MASTER! MEDINA NEW TRIPLE CROWN CHAMP.

Dramatic, historical, phenomenal. The full story coming soon.

“Hard Work beats talent that doesn’t work hard” Adriano DeSouza.

Surf’s way down from the NNW now at 3-5+’ local size with left and rights. Trades havent popped yet but they will be fresh paced 15-25 by 9 or 10. It’s a mixed approach today: variety of maneuvers vs purely barrels. SNN.

WEDNESDAY’S STORY

Image: Kelly Slater (USA), 11x WSL Champion, will face 3x WSL Champion and current Jeep Rankings’ Leader Mick Fanning (AUS) in the Quarterfinals of the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons.
WSL / Kirstin

BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Thursday, December 17, 2015) – The final day of the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons has been called ON this morning with the world’s best surfers tackling four-to-six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) waves at the world-renowned Banzai Pipeline.

“Great swell still on tap at Pipeline and we’re calling competition ON for the final time this season,” WSL Commissioner Kieren Perrow said. “We’ll commence at 8am and run all the way through the Finals. Good luck to all our remaining competitors today.”

The final stop on the 2015 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour as well as the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, the Billabong Pipe Masters will determine the 2015 WSL Champion, the 2016 elite tour qualifying class and the Vans Triple Crown winner.

Yesterday’s phenomenal action saw the title contenders whittled from five to three with the eliminations of Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Julian Wilson (AUS). Three-time WSL Champion Mick Fanning (AUS), Adriano de Souza (BRA) and reigning WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) all remain in contention.

Up first this morning will be Josh Kerr (AUS) against Jeremy Flores (FRA) in the final heat of Round 5.

The Billabong Pipe Masters will be webcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and on the WSL app.

The world’s best surfing will also be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports in Australia, MCS Extreme in France, EDGE Sports in China, South Korea, Malaysia and other territories and on Globo TV in Brazil.

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS:

QF 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
QF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Kelly Slater (USA

QF 3: Mason Ho (HAW) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
QF 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. TBD

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 5 RESULTS:

Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.34 def. John John Florence (HAW) 9.76
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.07 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 9.77
Heat 3: Adam Melling (AUS) 5.17 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 4.20

REMAINING BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 5 MATCH-UP

Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA)