90% BACKDOOR ON FINALS DAY FOR THE BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS IN MEMORY OF ANDY IRONS

WITNESS THE WORLD’S BEST SURFERS BATTLE TO BECOME THE NEXT PIPE MASTER. SURF’S HOLDING 3-5′ NW WITH SIDE OFF NE TRADES AND LULLY ON MOSTLY BACKDOOR. SNN.

Current World No. 3 Jordy Smith (ZAF) will battle rookie Alex Ribeiro (BRA) in Round 3 Heat 12 to avoid elimination from the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons.
Image: © WSL / Poullenot

Location:	Banzai Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii
Event window:	December 8 – 20, 2016
Today’s call:	Final Day called ON, 8 AM HST Start
Conditions:	4 – 5 foot building surf side offshore

Round 3 Match-Up:

Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF)WINS vs. Alex Ribeiro (BRA) back into the WQS

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 4 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Kolohe Andino (USA) NAILS IT 850AM, Filipe Toledo (BRA), Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW), Michel Bourez (PYF), Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Heat 3: Ryan Callinan (AUS), Josh Kerr (AUS), Nat Young (USA)
Heat 4: Kanoa Igarashi (USA), Kelly Slater (USA), TBD

BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Monday, December 19, 2016) – The Final day of the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons, the final stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), has been called ON in four-to-six foot (1 – 2 metre) waves at the world-renowned Banzai Pipeline. The day will start at 8:00 a.m. local time with Round 3 Heat 12. The event also concludes the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and the final awards ceremony will crown a series winner and event champion.

“We woke up this morning to that swell that did not really show yesterday but that filled in overnight,” said WSL Commissioner Kieren Perrow. “The good news is that the swell is definitely there in the water this morning. We are seeing a new direction and a bit of a more powerful feel to it out there. It is not as consistent, maybe, but there are some great Backdoor waves. It is going to shape up really well for the day so we are on and planning to finish. We will start at 8:00 a.m. and run through the day. Hopefully we will have a really exciting finish.”

Up first this morning will be the final heat of elimination Round 3, where current World No. 3 Jordy Smith (ZAF) will take on rookie Alex Ribeiro (BRA). This heat will determine who joins 11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater (USA) and rookie Kanoa Igarashi (USA) in Round 4 Heat 4.

Non-elimination Round 4 will witness surfers go all out in order to secure their place in the Quarterfinals.

2016 WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW) will battle 2012 Pipe Master Joel Parkinson (AUS) and Michel Bourez (PYF) in Round 4 Heat 2.

2010 Pipe Master Jeremy Flores (FRA) will face Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Kolohe Andino (USA) in the opening heat of Round 4.

The Billabong Pipe Masters will be webcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com

, Oceanic Time Warner Cable 250 & 1250

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 3 Match-Ups:

Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Alex Ribeiro (BRA)

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 4 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Kolohe Andino (USA), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW), Michel Bourez (PYF), Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Heat 3: Ryan Callinan (AUS), Josh Kerr (AUS), Nat Young (USA)
Heat 4: Kanoa Igarashi (USA), Kelly Slater (USA), TBD