BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Thursday, December 11, 2014) - A lay day has been called at the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons and competition is off for the day. Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning to assess conditions and make the next call.
ASP / Kelly Cestari
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Location: |
Banzai Pipeline, Oahu's North Shore, Hawaii |
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Holding period: |
December 8 - 20, 2014 |
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Call: |
Lay Day |
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"Surface conditions are really rough today and it hasn't cleaned up," Kieren Perrow, ASP Commissioner, said. "The swell is too big and still out of the north in the 8-to-12 foot range, so when the big sets come they're just washing through and just pushing a lot of water around on the reef and it's not great at all. We're not going to run any heats and we are OFF for the day. We'll come back tomorrow when we're expecting things to clean up and we're looking at a pretty good day."
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.
When competition resumes Reef McIntosh, Jamie O’Brien, Makai McNamara and Hank Gaskell (all from Hawaii) will battle in the final of the Men's Pipe Masters Invitational for the chance to win one of two coveted wildcards into the Billabong Pipe Masters.
Surfline, official forecaster for the Billabong Pipe Masters, are calling for:
Solid, broad direction NW swell will continue on Thursday, gradually easing through the day. The decreasing trend will continue on Friday. New, long period WNW swell will build through Saturday and continue Sunday as the swell direction shifts more NW to NNW. This will provide similar size surf to what we saw on Wed/Thur, although looks to be better organized/defined for Pipe (especially Saturday). Breezy ENE trades on Thursday temporarily back down Friday. Strong NE/ENE trades return over the weekend.
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)
