PIPELINE — Competitors reveled in the gently groomed four-to-six foot barrels of the Banzai Pipeline Friday as the remaining nine Round 2 heats of the Billabong Pipe Masters were completed before competition was called off for the day, states a
PIPELINE — Competitors reveled in the gently groomed four-to-six foot barrels of the Banzai Pipeline Friday as the remaining nine Round 2 heats of the Billabong Pipe Masters were completed before competition was called off for the day, states a release from the Association of Surfing Professionals.
Event No. 10 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pipe Masters marks the third and final stop of the Vans Triple Crown and the Hawaiians ruled the day’s proceedings, taking six wins in nine heats.
Among those who are still competing in the event are Kaua‘i’s Roy Powers, Bruce Irons and older brother Andy, who kept up his expertise at Pipeline with another strong effort Friday.
Andy, 31, a three-time ASP World Champion and four-time Pipe Masters Champion, continued his blitzkrieg on the competitive field, navigating his way through several Backdoor pits to dispatch Australia’s Drew Courtney, 30, in the final heat of the day.
“I’m having a lot of fun in the event,” Irons said. “The waves have been really good the past two days and they look like they’re going to be getting really good tomorrow. I’m really enjoying putting the jersey on again and am excited to get a result here before I start back full-time in 2010.”
Irons faces American Damien Hobgood, 30, in the upcoming Round 3 when the Billabong Pipe Masters resumes.
O‘ahu’s John John Florence, 16, wildcard and youngest the competitor in the Billabong Pipe Masters, was dominant once again, effortlessly threading both the Backdoor rights and the Pipeline lefts to net the day’s highest heat total, an 18.90 out of a possible 20, eliminating ASP World No. 27, Brazil’s Heitor Alves in the process.
“I’m just going crazy out there with only three people out,” Florence said. “There are so many fun waves and I was just trying to catch as many as I could while I had the chance. It’s good to know the lineup out here when it’s smaller because a lot of times they run along the reef faster and those right barrels get really small and can be tough to make it out of.”
Florence will take on American Bobby Martinez, 27, in Round 3 when the Billabong Pipe Masters resumes.
Last year’s event runner-up Chris Ward, 31, is in need of a solid result to vault himself into the qualification cutoff for the 2010 ASP Dream Tour, but if Friday’s inspired approach in the lethal Backdoor barrels was any indication, the combustible Californian knows what it takes to win at the Pipeline.
“It’s going to take good barrel riding and charging because the waves are going to get good here over the next couple of days and I’m really looking forward to it,” Ward said. “I’m looking forward to some big barrels. Finishing runner-up to Kelly (Slater) last year was pretty rad. I would have loved to win the Pipe Masters and the Triple Crown, but this year’s a new year and I’d love to win the Pipe Masters.”
Ward will battle Hawaiian Fredrick Patacchia, 27, in Round 3 of the Billabong Pipe Masters.
Surfline, official forecasters for the Billabong Pipe Masters, are calling for a prime 10-to-12 foot swell to build for today.
Event organizers will reconvene this morning at 6:30 a.m. to assess conditions for a possible 8 a.m. start.
When competition resumes, up first will be current Australian Adrian Buchan, 27, up against fellow countryman Dean Morrison, 28, in Heat 1 of Round 3.
