Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons
ASP World Title Event No. 11 of 11
Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii, USA
December 8 – 20, 2011

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, 11-time ASP World Champion. Credit: ASP/CESTARI

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, 11-time ASP World Champion. Credit: ASP/CESTARI

The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons ran for the second consecutive day in firing 10-foot (3-4 metre) Pipeline and today’s action saw local talent John John Florence (HAW), 19, post the event’s highest scores while the contest’s Quarterfinalists were decided.

The final stop on the 2011 ASP World Title Series, the Billabong Pipe Masters also marks the final jewel of the prestigious Vans Triple Crown.

John John Florence, current leader on the Vans Triple Crown ratings, further asserted his dominance among the field today, securing both the event’s highest heat-total of a near perfect 19.10, out of 20, in Round 3 and eventually went on to seal his second 10-point ride in Round 4.

The young Hawaiian’s flawless score was earned compliments of a deep no-grab backside barrel, which saw the natural-footer relegate ASP World Champions Kelly Slater (USA), 39, and C.J. Hobgood (USA), 32, to Round 5 while advancing directly to the Quarterfinals.

Kieren Perrow (AUS), 34, kept his ASP Dream Tour campaign alive with another valiant effort at Pipeline today. Perrow, who needed a 5th place result to maintain his position among the elite for next year, charged back to life in his Round 4 heat to overtake Shane Dorian (HAW), 39, with a near-perfect 9.83 barrel-ride, securing both his berth in to the Billabong Pipe Masters Quarterfinals and his position on the ASP Top 34 for 2012.

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, got the best of a low-scoring battle over Hawaiian talent Marcus Hickman (HAW) after taking several ugly wipeouts during the affair in his Round 3 bout and despite falling to Florence in Round 4, returned to form in Round 5 with some amazing Pipe barrels of his own to earn his Quarterfinals berth. Slater, an 18-year veteran of the elite ASP World Tour, is still fired up to compete at the Billabong Pipe Masters after nearly two full decades of competition at the perilous Hawaiian barrel.

Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, current No. 3 on the Vans Triple Crown ratings, kept his hopes of winning the prestigious Hawaiian title alive today when he scalped two heat victories in the firing Pipeline conditions to earn his spot in the Quarterfinals.

Evan Valiere (HAW), 28, continued to dismantle top ranked surfers again today, besting Owen Wright (AUS), 21, and former Billabong Pipe Masters Champion Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, via his immaculate forehand barrel-riding skills.

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, current ASP World Tour rookie, is well-known for pushing the boundaries of high-performance aerial surfing, but proved he can easily adapt in all conditions when he took out two heat victories in barreling Pipeline to advance to the Quarterfinals today.

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 3 Results:
Heat 01: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 7.34 def. Aamion Goodwin (HAW) 5.03
Heat 02: Kalani Chapman (HAW) 10.27 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 6.83
Heat 03: Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 6.46 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 4.10
Heat 04: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 8.40 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 6.83
Heat 05: John John Florence (HAW) 19.10 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.40
Heat 06: Kelly Slater (USA) 9.50 def. Marcus Hickman (HAW) 3.56
Heat 07: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.77 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 2.27
Heat 08: Michel Bourez (PYF) 6.40 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 5.90
Heat 09: Evan Valiere (HAW) 16.14 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 15.67
Heat 10: Shane Dorian (HAW) 11.24 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 5.66
Heat 11: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 18.73 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.60
Heat 12: Taj Burrow (AUS) 8.93 def. Ian Walsh (HAW) 5.36

Billabong Pipe Masters Non-Elimination Round 4 Results:
Heat 1: Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 13.92, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.06, Kalani Chapman (HAW)
Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) 17.67, Kelly Slater (USA) 8.50, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 5.43
Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 13.10, Evan Valiere (HAW) 10.84, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 8.17
Heat 4: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 13.66, Shane Dorian (HAW) 11.87, Taj Burrow (AUS) 7.83

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 5 Results:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.83 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 7.74
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.80 def. Kalani Chapman (HAW) 14.33
Heat 3: Evan Valiere (HAW) 16.03 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 10.87
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 9.23 def. Shane Dorian (HAW) 2.30

Upcoming Billabong Pipe Masters Quarterfinals Heats:
Heat 1: Jamie O’Brien (HAW) vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Evan Valiere (HAW)
Heat 4: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Gabriel Medina (BRA)

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am local time for a possible 8am start and will possibly crown a 2011 Billabong Pipe Masters Champion by day’s end. For all of the LIVE action click here!

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com.

Source: Press release ASP EURO News