Billabong Pro Junior presented by Bos - Durban

Dylan Lightfoot soars to victory in both the /18 and /20 Finals.

What a great event and weekend in Durban with Wok and the Groms! Warm water, super fun little waves and some incredible surfing from the SA juniors. Big ups to Bos for supporting SA surfing. I got to spend some quality time with the Billabong team and all I can say is that the future for South African surfing is bright!

Billabong Junior Series (Event #1 of 4)

New Pier, Durban

Results

U20 Boys

1. Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay) R10 000

2. Michael February (Kommetjie)

3. Mickey Venter (Durban)

4. Dane Staples (St Francis Bay)

U20 Girls

1. Heidi Palmboom (Bluff)  R10 000

2. Emma Smith (Jeffreys Bay)

3. Nicole Pallet (Durban)

4. Chanelle Botha (Warner Beach)

U18 Boys

1. Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay)  R5 000

2. Max Armstrong (Scarborough)  R900

3. Ethan Pentz (Kalk Bay)  R600

4. Justin Sykes (Salt Rock)  R500

U18 Girls

1. Chanelle Botha (Warner Beach)  R5 000

2. Nicole Pallet (Durban)  R900

3. Tahra Uren (Jeffreys Bay)  R600

4. Caryn McNicol (Scottburgh)  R500

U16 Boys

1. Jordan Maree (Kalk Bay)  R5 000

2. Tim Baard (Jeffreys Bay)  R900

3. Jerry van Wyk (Jeffreys Bay)  R600

4. Donovan Wichmann (Marina da Gama)  R500

U14 Boys

1. Koby Oberholzer (Durban)  R2 500

2. Adin Masencamp (Strand)  R450

3. Ethan Fletcher (Kommetjie)  R300

4. Rewaldo Abersalie (Jeffreys Bay)  R250

U14 Girls

1. Kai Woolf (Jeffreys Bay)  R2 500

2. Olivia Izzard (Durban)  R450

3. Sophie Bell (Durban)  R300

4. Kirsty McGillivray (Jeffreys Bay)  R250

U12 Boys

1. Max Elkington (Hout Bay)  R2 500

2. Saxton Randall (Durban)  R450

3. Tide Lee Ireland (Durban)  R300

4. Angelo Faulkner (Jeffreys Bay)  R250

VonZipper Flair Up Award – Best Aerial manoeuvre

Diran Zakarian (Melkbosstrand)  R10 000

DaKine Youthful Movement Award – Most progressive surfing

Shane Sykes (Salt Rock)  R10 000

Nixon Winner Takes All (WTA) – Highest heat total

Kai Woolf (Jeffreys Bay) – 19.40 (10.0 + 9.40) out of 20 – Custom engraved Nixon Watch

Captain Kai's World Podcast - Billabong Pro Jnr Groms, Chris Cab and Haezer

Holy goodness you guys get an epic Podcast this week! First up I had the gremlins on the show in the form of Jake and Max Elkington and Adin Masencamp - all surfing in the Billabong Pro Junior, presented by Bos, over the weekend in Durban. We got inside the minds of the kid brigade. After the kids left, Chris Cab and DJ Legend Haezer pulled in to talk Cab's home area in Austria, Haezer and his tours there, music by the White Miles and WasteBoys Inc, skating, surfing, snowboarding, bid Cabby good bye and finished with an epic 20 minute set by Haezer! Plug in and listen...

Daze at Sea - Free Billabong Surf Film

Always love a free movie and this one does not disappoint either. Think of it as a late Xmas gift from our mates at Billabong.

Billabong releases a new surf film, Daze At Sea. A year traveling to destinations like France, Indonesia, Australia, California and Hawaii with guys like Jack Freestone, Ryan Callinan, and Granger Larson.

Meet Pro Surfer Ellie Jean Coffey

This week I introduce you to rising Australian surfer, Ellie Jean Coffey. I have been following her rise up the ranks the last year or so and she is fast making a big name for herself. Outside being a really talented surfer, she is also beautiful, being part of Billabong's Bikini campaigns, and looks like she has a fiery sense of humor! Her younger sister rips to, so keep an eye out for this future World Tour campaigner...

A Jaunt at Jaws with Ian Walsh and Shane Dorian

The 8 and 9th of October started the Northern hemisphere big wave season with a bang at Jaws on Maui. Amongst the crew of big wave surfers charging gaping tubes and 50ft faces, were Ian Walsh and Shane Dorian. Check out their video from the mammoth day and let your jaw drop to the floor when you see the tubes that were made and the wipe outs that could kill a man!

Seared Peahi from ACL Digital Cinema on Vimeo.

The Friday Mix - Portugal freesurf, Red Bull Stratos & Greg Long at Jaws

Greg Long getting a serious shack at early season Jaws. (Photo: Billabong XXL)

Its Friday and that means peeps everywhere are stoked! So to make you even happier here are three videos from the world of action sports to amp you for your weekend.

First off is Greg Long, getting an early entry into the Billabong XXL awards with this massive tube at early season Jaws. The world was going crazy for Shane Dorian's wave, but then this one came along and blew it out of the water.

Red Bull Stratos was called off during the week due to wind conditions, but has been rescheduled for this Sunday, so watch this space.

The Rip Curl Pro in Portugal has had 2 lay days already, but may go live at 1pm today. Check out all the best surfers having a warm up session on Day 1.

The Perfect Storm - Billabong Pro Jbay 2012

Wok and I hard at work! (Photo: AVG)

First things first, I arrived in Jbay on the back of a 41 hour trip from LA. To say I am broken would have been an understatement. Never the less, I woke to perfect waves at the best point in the world and a contest site frothing for what was going to be one of the best 6 Star events of all time. The biggest storm of all time was on the horizon and contest director, Luke Egan, wanted the event done before it arrived. Enter 3 days of 24 heats per day and a crew of workers and surfers who went full tilt to the finals, where the most full tilt surfer of them all was awarded victory in the form of Brazilian, Adriano da Souza. While this was all going on I found myself in the holy grail of seats for a person dedicated to talking about surfing, the Billabong Pro webcast booth, along with my main man Wok. We were given an opportunity and we both grasped it with open arms. My feeling is that we brought something fresh to the webcast and hopefully that will be rewarded with more time in the booth at big contests. We snuck the event under the storm radar and then got thoroughly bolted by what must be the most insane storm I have ever seen at Jbay. It was ok though, we were happy to chill indoors with a glass of Red wine after the best contest in a very long time!

Here is my radio show with fellow commentator, Greg Long, contest director, Luke Egan, Billabong SA main skiet, Chad da Arcy and Billabong Events manager, The Heff! Have a listen and understand fully what went down at this momentous event!

SoundCloud Link: Listen Here

If for some reason you were living under a rock, check out the video highlights.

Captain Kai's World on www.2ov.fm - Podcast Show 34

Commentating Billabong SA Champs over the weekend.

The show this week was all about surfing and the Billabong SA Champs that went down over the weekend in Cape Town. I was joined by finalists Dan Redman, Open Mens and Tarryn Chudleigh, Open Woman, as well as Under 20 Boys Winner, Mikey February. Big Wave surfer, Frank Solomon, joined us just to add some "drama", in the form of his chirping with Dan. Great music, good talk and awesome times...

Download Captain Kai's World - Podcast Show 34
(Right Click and save as.)

Next week we will chat about the Volcom Fiji Pro and much, much more.

Captain Kai :)

Billabong SA Champs 2012 - Wrap Up

Max Armstrong with a big Slob Air, winning the Zigzag Blowing Up Award (Photo:AVG)

Lets get one thing straight off of the bat, South Africa has plenty of surf talent. Over the 4 days of the SA Champs in Cape Town I saw plenty to make us positive about the future of this countries surfing. From gale force onshore and rainy Long Beach, to shifty and difficult Misty Cliffs, the surfers in this contest were ripping. I know, because I was there for every minute of every heat - I was commentating.

In the Girls it was Tanika Hoffman who really impressed me the whole event. She ran out of steam in the finals, but that's ok. A bit more international experience and a little more killer instinct and she can go far. (She is a super nice, maybe to nice. She needs some aggro out in the water.) In the Woman's competition Nikita Robb was in a league of her own. Even in the free surf before Day 4 got under way, she was the only woman out in the line up at Misty Cliffs mixing it with the guys. She won hands down and I hope she takes that win on the road to France with her and back to the WCT.

In the boys division one guy stood way above the others. Mikey February is looking the full picture. Big power turns, the full air repertoire on demand and he simply makes surfing a heat look casual and easy. Like a mix between Parko and Jordy. The kid has a big future ahead of him. Max Armstrong is also worth looking out for. The kid was swinging with guys 2-3 years older and holding his own. I also enjoyed watching Jared Veldhuis surf and will be worth keeping an eye on him.

In the men it is hard to start. The old guard of Greg Emslie and Shane Thorne, still ripping and giving it hard to the younger guys. Ryan Payne called it when named Greg, "The Wave Whisperer". Dan Redman was on fire. He kept it simple, by which I mean he treated waves with disdain, power carving and snapping their lips into annihilation. Beyrick de Vries is the complete package. He busted some of the biggest and cleanest airs I have seen in competition and backed this up with solid turns and tube riding. Casey Grant flew a little under the radar, but he certainly made it count when it mattered. Casey is awesome to watch surf!

So have no fear - we have the surfers, now we just need them to get the right support to go out there and take over the world.

Results:
In the team awards it was Western Province continuing their undefeated series of victories on home soil. WP have yet to be beaten whenever the SA Champs are held in Cape Town.

In the U20 Girls Heidi Palmboom from KZNC is the new champion. She beat Tanika Hoffman (WP), Emma Smith (EP) and Nikita Kekana (SKZN) into second, third and fourth place respectively.

The U20 Boys was an air-off between Mikey February (WP) and Dylan Lightfoot (EP), with local boy February getting the nod and beating Lightfoot into second. Jarred Veldhuis (EP) was third and Steven Sawyer (EP) came in fourth place.

Nikita Robb from Border was the eventual winner in the Open Women’s division, retaining her title in the process. She beat Chantelle Rautenbach (Bol) in second, Tarryn Chudleigh (WP) in third and Krystal Tavenor (Bol) in fourth place.

The 2012 Open Mens Champion is Casey Grant (SKZN). Dan Redman (KZNC) was a close second, ahead of Beyrick De Vries (KZNC) in third and defending champion Greg Emslie (Bor) in fourth.

The VonZipper Air Show was a punt-fest into the cross shore conditions, with Diran Zakarian (Bol) taking it, and the R1000.

One of the new awards, the Kustom Kustomized Maneuver, went to Jared Veldhuis (WP) along with the R1000 prizemoney.

The DaKine Highest Heat Score Award and R1000 went to Dan Redman for the highest heat score of the event with 17 points.

The Zigzag Blowing Up Award and R3000 went to Max Armstrong (WP).

The BuchuLife Performance Award and R2000 went to Nikita Kekana (SKZN)

The final team placings were:
1. WP – 43950
2. KZNC – 38782
3. EP – 37418
4. BOR – 36840
5. BOL – 35528
6. SKZN – 33990
7. SC – 24660
8. Zul – 19736

Billabong SA Champs 2012 - Day 1

Dylan Lightfoot on his way to winning his Round 1 Heat in the /20 Boys on Day 1. (Photo: AVG)

Ok, so Day 1 of the Billabong SA Champs rolled through and after a shaky start the waves and conditions at Long Beach improved throughout the day. I managed to survive the first long day on the mic and there was plenty of good surfing to keep me entertained. My standouts for Day 1 were Greg Emslie, the defending Champion, who scored the highest heat score of the day in Round 1 and Berick de Vries, who launched 2 big airs in his heat, including a really clean Air reverse. In the Juniors, it was Dylan Lightfoot and Mikey February who stood out and ripped to victory in their Round 1 heats. Pretty stoked to be the commentator for this event and we are also doing the daily videos, so check out our first day highlights video...

John John Florence wins the Billabong Pro Rio - Enters the World Title Race

John John gives notice! (Photo: ASP)

I can only chuckle away thinking of the last year of surf media and commentary. No one denied that John John Florence had the talent or the desire to be a world champion. It is just that such a song and dance have been made over Gabriel Medina and Kohole Andino. The entire surf media have been claiming these two young and phenomenal surfers as the future, with little to no similar treatment of John John. They would reply, sure John John is amazing at Pipeline and will be a definite threat at Fiji and Tahiti, but that is really, is it not? Well surf media and the world, John John just gave notice in the beach breaks of Brazil, it does not matter what the waves are doing, he wants to win and he wants a world title! Joel Parkinson swooped to the finals with his usual tube riding and incredible turns, but he had nothing to give against John John in the final, where he found himself in combo land after just 4 minutes. The old guard are starting to show chinks in their armor especially when the waves are asking for massive punts and technical aerials. John John has these on demand along with his phenomenal tube riding skills.

The results in Brazil see Joel Parkinson take the lead in the World Title race, with good mate Mick Fanning right behind him and Josh Kerr rocketing into 3rd place. John John's win takes him into 6th place on the rankings just in front of our own Jordy Smith. Heading to Fiji and the possibility of giant Cloudbreak and endless tubes, John John must be a favorite and no one on tour is going to want him in their heats with his confidence this high! I cannot wait for the event, though it is going to be night owl hours for those of us watching in South Africa.
Congrats John John!

Billabong XXL Awards 2012 - The Winners

The 2012 XXL Awards went down last week (Due to my holiday, I am reporting late on this) and the ultimate prize went to Nathan Fletcher for his mind boggling wave at Teahupoo last year. I am still struggling to figure out how a wave not ridden out won, but hell it was crazy! Fletcher won the "Ride of the Year" and the "Monster Tube" awards with this wave. He also took the overall Men's Performance Award. So a good night for Nathan.

The 2012 "Monster Paddle Award" went to Hawaiian, Dave Wassel, for a huge wave earlier in the year at Jaws in Maui.There were stacks of entries from December and January from Jaws, as the world's big wave surfers descended on the previous Tow Surf Spot.

"Biggest Wave Champion" went to Hawaiian, Garrett MacNamara, for his "90"ft ride off the coast of Portugal in 2011. Many thought this wave looked very soft, but the size judges cleared it as the biggest wave caught. Garrett also took the "Verizon Wipeout of the Year" award for a horrible bail at massive Jaws. He was trying to surf the "JetBoard" and went over the falls backwards on a monster of a wave.

Billabong City Squared 2012 - Epic Street Skate

Billabong hosted the 2012 City Squared Skate event in Melbourne, Australia. Shot on the new Red Camera with frame rates up to 700 Frames, you don't miss a moment of the action. Some really good skating and look out for Durban born skater, Tommy Fynn, coming in second and ripping!

32 Australian street-skateboarding specialists gathered in Melbourne to claim Stop #1 on the SbA (Skateboarding Australia) Pro/Am Invitational Tour -- Billabong's City Squared presented by Xperia Sony Smartphone. The custom built obstacle was daunting to say the least. Riders had to negotiate a purpose-built 'gap to ledge' feature that could be attacked from several approaches, mixing creativity and burly raw street skateboarding. The build was inspired by Melbourne's urban street spots - combining two hubba's either side of the gap to bank with a box in the middle which resembled a sub electrical box at 1.8 meters high. Check out Blake Harris,Tommy Fynn, Reece Warren, Marty Girotto, Sam Winter, Tim Williams, Dennis Durrant, Mitch Robertom, Pat Dandy, Kieran Reilly and all the pros doing their thing in this clip

XXL Biggest Wave Nominees 2012

There are some gnarly entries for this year's XXL Biggest Wave category. The two irish entries are definately super big and heavy waves, but neither of them was ridden out. The entries from Spain are both big, but pretty flat and lumpy kind of waves. My vote goes to the Oz entry from Damien Warr. that is a huge wave and he even gets the cover up at the end. Who do you think should take it?



The five nominees for the XXL Biggest Wave category of the 2012 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are put forth for your analysis: Andrew Cotton at Mullaghmore Head, Garrett McNamara at Nazaré, Axi Muniain at Agiti, Ollie O'Flaherty at Mullaghmore and Damien "Taco" Warr at Cow Bombie. For more details and to view all the still photos see the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

XXL Ride of the year Nominees 2012

Ryan Hipwood on one serious Cloudbreak Nomination!

The 2012 "Ride of the Year" nominations are in for the XXL Awards. My choice for this year is the wave above, Ryan Hipwood, at massive paddle Cloudbreak. That has to be one of the biggest grab rail tubes ever and it had the timer running for a solid amount of time. Greg Long's huge tube at Puerto was also solid and Jeff Rowley's Jaws Bomb was pretty amazing.

Interestingly, the 2 Tow nominations don't really deserve to be there in my opinion. While Nathan Fletcher's massive tube at Teahupoo is simply insane, he did not ride it out. Surely the "Ride of the Year" winner needs to be a made wave? Garret McNamara's giant wave in Portugal, while huge, looks pretty slow and flat. (This is the opinion of a couple of big wave chargers I have questioned on the subject.) It may have had the wave height, but it was not a great wave.

Have a look and let me know your thoughts!

Giant Jaws Paddle Session - with Grant "Twiggy" Baker

The recent paddle session at Jaws, Maui, has the whole world fascinated. The videos have been doing the rounds and the youtube views multiplying. Our very own Twig and Kate were there for the action and while Kate filmed from the safety of the cliffs - no doubt holding her breath anyway, every time Twig got hammered - Twig was out there with the boys charging.

I caught up with him online and got his feedback on this historic session...

Cpt Kai: How big was it out there?
Twig: Pretty dam big to be paddling, but what made it worse was how strong the offshore was and this is the most difficult wind to deal with in big waves.

Cpt Kai: It looked pretty crowded - is this common in surf this size?
Twig: It's becoming more and more common and that's why it's been a mission of mine to move out from the more popular big wave spots trying to find something new and less crowded. Saying that only, 10 real waves where ridden that day and only 3-5 of them where completed so the crowd wasn't the issue, the wave was!!

Cpt Kai: How bad were the beatings?
Very bad, I saw so many guys tombstoning for what seemed like an eternity, but because it was my first time out there paddling I was pretty conservative and didn't get beaten to badly.

Cpt Kai: How were your waves?
Twig: I had three waves in 6 hours, one I shared with another surfer, one I wiped out on the takeoff and one I took off behind the bowl and made it so all in all it was a good day.

Cpt Kai: Is this a sign of things to come, less tow on the really big days, as more guys start paddling?
Twig: Yes, tow surfing is a dying sport and from here on out there will be guys paddling every big swell at the known spots. We had a day at Dungeons this year that we should have paddled but ended up towing and I can't see that happening again.

Cpt Kai: What was the biggest wave made that day?
Twig: Dave Wassel had the biggest wave and will probably be the new world record holder, but he just went straight and Dorian had a huge one that he made around the corner.

Cpt Kai: Where to next Twig?
Twig:  Just traveling the world surfing and trying to find new uncrowded areas to hang out and get some waves with a few close friends...

We hope you find those waves my man and good luck on your travels (Lucky Bastard, hehe).

Carnage and Mayhem at Day 1 of the Pipe Masters

John John Florence on the first 10 Point ride of the contest. (Photo: ASP)

It has been a long time since Pipeline delivered like this on the first day of competition. Many professional egos were damaged by the 10-12ft death pits on offer. The local Pipe chargers took most of the wins, but our very own Travis Logie managed to sneak past Bruce Irons in round 1 and Tiago Pires in Round 2 to find himself in Round 3 and with a shot of making sure he re-qualifies for the tour next year. The locals were the standouts though, with amazing performances by John John, Evan Valier and Jamie O'Brian. The top ASP surfers still have to enter the line up as they only start in Round 3. Some of them must have been pretty relieved to sit out Day 1.

Almost more impressive than the surfing and waves was the carnage in the lineup. Wide rogue sets, massive free falls and plenty of broken men and boards. This was "Real" Hawaii!



John John Florence was the man to lock down the only 10 of the day. The current Triple Crown leader making the old guard very nervous with his seemingly relaxed approach to these massive tubes.



I am looking forward to Day 2!

The ASP Press release:
BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Thursday, December 8, 2011) – The opening day of the Billabong Pipe Masters witnessed historic 10-to-15 foot (4-5 metre) surf at the iconic Hawaiian barrel of the Banzai Pipeline to complete Rounds 1 and 2 of competition in arguably the biggest surf in the event’s history.

The Billabong Pipe Masters, the final stop on the 2011 ASP World Title Series, not only represents a crucial event for ASP Top 34 surfers looking to requalify for the 2012 season, but also marks the third jewel of the prestigious Vans Triple Crown.

John John Florence (HAW), 19, navigated the massive Pipeline lineup with ease to eliminate Maui native Kai Barger (HAW), 22, in a commanding Round 2 performance while securing the first perfect 10-point ride of Billabong Pipe Masters competition.

“I got that barrel right off of the takeoff and it pinched and I couldn’t see anything,” Florence said. “It was really sketchy and then I pulled in to that other barrel. It was fun. The waves were firing. It’s the best Pipe has been in so long. There are so many waves that people don’t really see. There are ones going underneath and wide ones, they’re just everywhere.”

Florence, current leader on the Vans Triple Crown ratings, furthered his lead over the field by advancing out of Round 2 and was admittedly relieved to get off to a strong start at the Billabong Pipe Masters.

“There is definitely a lot of pressure to do well with all of my friends and family here,” Florence said. “I want to do well. I was pretty nervous before that first heat and I’m glad I got it out of the way.”

Evan Valiere (HAW), 28, who is competing in the Billabong Pipe Masters as a Hawaiian Wildcard, drove through several Pipe barrels on his forehand to deliver the day’s highest heat-total, a remarkable 18.16, out of 20, in his opening heat and eventually went on to solidify a Round 2 victory as well.

“There were only a couple of waves ridden, but the ones I got felt good for sure,” Valiere said. “It’s just so big. There are a lot of waves coming in on the inside, but it’s not like you’re going on those. When you’re out there, it takes a lot longer to get the ones you want. That 9.33 just felt really good. The takeoff always takes longer than you think and once you get to the bottom, you just set your line. Pipeline is the best feeling in the world.”

Valiere was another native to contribute to the Hawaiian giant-killing spree of the opening rounds, eliminating ASP Top 34 members Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), 30, and Brazilian rookie Miguel Pupo (BRA), 19, to secure his position in Round 3.

“It’s unfortunate, I really think Fred’s an incredible surfer,” Valiere said after his Round 1 win. “I definitely did not want him in my heat out here this morning because I knew he was going to be a major threat. I was just fortunate to get my waves. If Freddy wants to get back on tour he’ll get back and do it.”

Ian Walsh (HAW), 28, was impressive in his 2011 Billabong Pipe Masters debut, eliminating ASP World Tour surfers Kai Otton (AUS), 31, and Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28, while threading the needle on a massive barrel of his own for one of the day’s highest scores, 9.70 out of 10, to advance through to Round 3.

“I got pounded and that wave came and it had such a steep tee pee wave on the point that when I took off I was really late,” Walsh said. “I had a similar feeling to the wave I didn’t make before and I got pounded. I let go of my rail and it sucked back before it spit and I almost didn’t make it. When I came out I just had that ecstatic feeling.”

Walsh, who is renowned for his big-wave capabilities, was elated to have big Pipeline conditions on offer for this year’s event.

“You forget you’re even in a heat, you’re just psyched that you’re getting barreled,” Walsh said. “This is the real Pipe Masters. It’s so fun to watch and it’s entertaining for us to surf.”

Adam Melling (AUS), 26, current No. 2 on the Vans Triple Crown ratings, was one international competitor to escape the wrath of the event locals by defeating Mason Ho (HAW), 23, in Round 2 of competition.

“It’s pretty exciting to be in second and have John John just in front of me,” Melling said. “Seeing the way he surfed out there today I’d say it’s not going to be easy to beat him. I’m just excited to be out there and making heats.”

Kieren Perrow (AUS), 34, current No. 25 on the ASP World Ranking and runner-up in last year’s Billabong Pipe Masters, is in need of a result at Pipeline to requalify for the 2012 ASP World Tour and is hungry to finish on the podium again this year.

“I was really nervous before that heat because I need to do well here to stay on tour,” Perrow said. “As the comp goes on it’s going to get harder for sure and the guys out there at the moment are pushing the level. I’m just going to go out there and try and get my waves and see if that puts me in first. Hopefully I can go one better than last year.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am local time for a possible Round 3 start at 8am.

For all of the LIVE Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons action log on to www.vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters2011

For additional information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Marcus Hickman (HAW) 16.50 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 9.30
Heat 2: Evan Valiere (HAW) 16.50 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 3.70
Heat 3: Ian Walsh (HAW) 16.06 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 10.17
Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW) 18.07 def. Kai Barger (HAW) 14.67
Heat 5: Aamion Goodwin (HAW) 2.20 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 2.13
Heat 6: Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 5.33 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 2.83
Heat 7: Shane Dorian (HAW) 10.50 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 1.90
Heat 8: Adam Melling (AUS) 9.64 def. Mason Ho (HAW) 8.84
Heat 9: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 14.50 def. Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 5.90
Heat 10: Dusty Payne (HAW) 9.20 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 6.57
Heat 11: Travis Logie (ZAF) 5.80 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 5.67
Heat 12: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 9.70 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.27

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Marcus Hickman (HAW) 13.67 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 9.46
Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 6.50 def. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 0.60
Heat 3: Evan Valiere (HAW) 18.16 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 6.00
Heat 4: Travis Logie (ZAF) 3.57 def. Bruce Irons (HAW) 2.70
Heat 5: Ian Walsh (HAW) 13.00 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 11.63
Heat 6: Kai Barger (HAW) 9.93 def. Chris Davidson (AUS) 6.33
Heat 7: Aamion Goodwin (HAW) 10.34 def. Daniel Ross (AUS) 2.84
Heat 8: Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 14.77 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 3.24
Heat 9: Kolohe Andino (USA) 5.27 def. Laurie Towner (AUS) 1.17
Heat 10: Shane Dorian (HAW) 6.40 def. Willian Cardoso (BRA) 1.94
Heat 11: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 4.76 def. Jack Freestone (AUS) 2.63
Heat 12: Mason Ho (HAW) 9.00 def. Hank Gaskell (AUS) 3.93

Upcoming Billabong Pipe Masters Round 3 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Aamion Goodwin (HAW)
Heat 2: Kalani Chapman (HAW) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Jamie O’Brien (HAW)
Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Heat 5: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. John John Florence (HAW)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Marcus Hickman (HAW)
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (USA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 9: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Evan Valiere (HAW)
Heat 10: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Shane Dorian (HAW)
Heat 11: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 12: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Ian Walsh (HAW)

The Pipe Masters should start with a Bang!

The Emperor of all Surf contest starts today and it looks like it could be the best start in a decade. The Pipeline Masters on the North Shore of Oahu is the most prestigious trophy in surfing, the past winners a group of surfing's legends. When Pipeline is 15ft and out of the West, its scary, awe inspiring and the proving ground of real men. For the last few years, the swell has been smaller and the focus more on backdoor, where Kelly Slater and Andy Irons held a yoke on the competition for a number of years. Last year in average to good Backdoor, the Frenchman Jeremy Flores won the competition and joined the Pipe Club. Today the swell is looking a solid 12-15ft and out of the West meaning the contest should start in massive Pipeline breaking from at least 2nd Reef. (Some of the World Tour campaigners must be shitting themselves!)



Pipeline runs a little different to the other contests on the Tour as a huge field of Pipe Specialists are included in the draw. Thus the multiple wild cards are put into Round 1 with the bottom ranked Tour surfers, the winners getting to move into Round 2 to surf against the medium ranked Tour surfers and then eventually the top surfers on tour in round 3. The pick of the Round 1 Heats for me is going to be Jamie O"Brian versus Dane Reynolds. Both of these guys can charge big tubes and thats what they going to get in Round 1. This will be a pigdog backhand tube fest at Pipeline.



Here is the ASP Press release:
BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Tuesday, December 6, 2011) – The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons is set to unfold from December 8 through 20, 2011 and with a big swell looming on the horizon, the world’s best surfers could be battling massive Pipeline on the opening day of the waiting period.

The final stop on the 2011 ASP World Title Series and the third jewel of the Vans Triple Crown, the Billabong Pipe Masters utilizes a unique overlapping format which hosts an expanded field to accommodate the talented list of Hawaiian Pipeline specialists.

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, freshly crowned 11-time ASP World Champion, was admittedly more relaxed entering the upcoming Billabong Pipe Masters after securing the 2011 ASP World Title in San Francisco, but is still anxious to tackle the dangerous barrel after nearly a year out of the North Shore lineup.

“In theory, having won the title in San Francisco takes the pressure off a lot, but there’s a big swell coming,” Slater said. “There’s been nothing to prepare on and I haven’t been there even if there was. It’s going to go from zero to 10 here pretty quick in the next few days and there’s not going to be a whole lot of waves to free-surf beforehand. The pressure is off, so I don’t have to worry about that, but the anxiety building up to surfing the Pipe contest is a lot. I haven’t felt it until sitting here today thinking about it, but it’s exciting and I can’t wait to get in the water. The pressure’s not there (for the ASP World Title), but there is the excitement, the anxiety and getting rid of the nerves after a year of not surfing Pipe.”

Slater, who has won several elite ASP event victories at Pipeline, also explained that the massive swell expected to ignite the infamous reef instantly changes a competitors’ heat strategy in comparison to smaller first-reef Pipeline typically seen in previous years at the Billabong Pipe Masters.

“It’s a whole different deal, you kind of have to make a decision,” Slater said. “Everyone would love to get one of those second-reef bombs in their heat. The truth is, they are heats and you get scored so the chance of getting out there and getting a second reef wave and maximizing your scoring potential at Pipeline probably isn’t going to happen. It’s been a long time since someone’s had a second-reef Pipe wave in a contest, but it’d be nice to see.”

Is this going to be the site at the Contest later today?

Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, 2009 Billabong Pipe Masters Champion, has been putting his time in at Pipeline in preparation for this year’s contest, but feels the smaller swells on offer earlier this year have done little to prepare him for the serious swell expected to deliver on the opening day of the waiting period.

“It looks like the surf is only going to get better, so I’m getting excited,” Burrow said. “I’ve been surfing out there a lot, but it’s mainly only been rippable little turns, so I’m looking forward to getting some barrels. It’ll be fun. Big Pipe is pretty intimidating, it’s scary for sure, but it’s awesome at the same time. I’m excited to surf such an incredible wave with just a few guys out.”

Burrow, who won the first event of the Vans Triple Crown, the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa, stumbled at Sunset Beach, but is hoping for Redemption at the Billabong Pipe Masters to keep his hopes alive for the prestigious Hawaiian title.

“I was definitely thinking about the Triple Crown on route to Hawaii,” Burrow said. “In the past Joel Parkinson won it a lot, and it seemed like he won it with ease and I noticed a few of the guys weren’t doing it this year. Triple Crown was something I really wanted to do and I want to win it. It’s looking like a good race with John John (Florence) and Adam (Melling) getting some good results, so it should prove to be an exciting finish.”

Throaty left pits with high risk factor... Got to love watching big Pipeline.

John John Florence (HAW), 19, winner of the Vans World Cup at Sunset Beach, is currently leading the Vans Triple Crown ratings entering the final stop at his home break and is chomping at the bit to battle the world’s best surfers despite the pressure that comes along with competing in front of the local crowd.

“It should be fun, we haven’t really had a Pipe swell this year and it’s looking like this will be the first real swell, so no one has had the chance to surf it yet,” Florence said. “There’s definitely pressure. I live there and surf there everyday and I don’t want to lose first heat. I want to have fun out there surfing with only three other guys in the water, it’s amazing.”

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, who joined the ASP Top 34 after the midyear rotation, has been in stunning form while scalping two event victories and the young Brazilian is looking at this year’s solid swell as an opportunity to build crucial experience in bigger surf.

“I’ve been to Hawaii five times, but I haven’t surfed Pipe much because it’s always so crowded,” Medina said. “Hopefully I can get some good waves this year with two or three guys in the water. I don’t have a lot of big wave experience, but I’m excited and I’m going to do my best.”

Due to the expanded competition at Pipeline, the ASP has awarded two wildcard spots to surfers next in line on the ASP World Rankings, Kolohe Andino (USA), 17, and Willian Cardoso (BRA), 25. Both surfers will receive ASP World Rankings points for their campaigns at the Billabong Pipeline Masters.

The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons will run from December 8 – 20, 2011 and will be webcast LIVE via http://vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters2011

For additional information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

Upcoming Billabong Pipe Masters Round 1 Match Ups:
Heat 1: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Marcus Hickman (HAW)
Heat 2: CJ Hobgood (USA) vs. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)
Heat 3: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Evan Valiere (HAW)
Heat 4: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Bruce Irons (HAW)
Heat 5: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Ian Walsh (HAW)
Heat 6: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. Kai Barger (HAW)
Heat 7: Daniel Ross (AUS) vs. Aamion Goodwin (HAW)
Heat 8: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Jamie O’Brien (HAW)
Heat 9: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Laurie Towner (AUS)
Heat 10: Willian Cardoso (BRA) vs. Shane Dorian (HAW)
Heat 11: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 12: Mason Ho (HAW) vs. Hank Gaskell (HAW)

Upcoming Billabong Pipe Masters Round 2 Match Ups:
Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 2: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 3: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 4: John Florence (HAW) vs. TBD
Heat 5: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 6: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 7: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 8: Adam Melling (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 9: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 10: Dusty Payne (HAW) vs. TBD
Heat 11: Tiago Pires (PRT) vs. TBD
Heat 12: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. TBD

Upcoming Billabong Pipe Masters Round 3 Match Ups:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 2: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 5: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. TBD
Heat 9: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 10: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. TBD
Heat 11: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 12: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. TBD

VANS TRIPLE CROWN TOP 3 (Heading into Billabong Pipe Masters):
1. John John Florence (HAW) 9,780 pts
2. Adam Melling (AUS) 9,650 pts
3. Michel Bourez (PYF) 8,480 pts

ASP WORLD TITLE TOP 5 (Heading into Billabong Pipe Masters):
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 63,350 pts
2. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 48,600 pts
3. Owen Wright (AUS) 47,900 pts
4. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 43,700 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 42,200 pts

Juniors cane Vic Bay on the first day of the Billabong Pro Jnr

Dale Staples was one of the Stand outs on Day 1.

The Billabong Pro Junior is running at Victoria Bay in the Southern Cape and the groms scored great waves for day 1 of the competition. Check out the highlights video:

Billabong Pro Tahiti - The Captain's Preview

Yes, it's that time of year again when the world's best surfers head to the islands of French Polanesia to surf the most sphincter clenching wave on the planet, Teahupoo. The contest has disappointed the last few years with not much in the way of death defying antics or giant waves and we can only hope that this year will provide a little more size and action. When Teahupoo is on, its one of the Wonders of the natural world, when it's off, it looks like a hundred other little perfect reef passes.

This is the kind of Teahupoo we want to see. Anthony Walsh standing tall. (Courtesy: Robertson/Billabong)

Local Knowledge is Key
You will hear “Teahupo’o” pronounced in a variety of ways, but when we talk to Billabong’s Manoa Drollet, one of the best surfers ever at the break and a Tahitian local, he pronounces it “Chee-yow-po” so we’re running with that.  And what’s “Teahupo’o” translated? Roughly, it means ‘head with no hair’ or ‘place of skulls’. Referring of course to a battle between a couple of tribal groups over the territory pre-European arrival. The area is kind of prized as a really nice piece of farmland with access to excellent fishing -- worth fighting over apparently. The skulls of the losing team were built into a wall to warn off other people who may have been interested in the land value thereabouts.
The freshwater flowing from the mountains inhibits coral growth, thereby creating the reef passes that provide most of the rideable waves in Tahiti. The reef pass at Teahupo’o is known as Passa Hava’e.
If you do get cut by the coral, and it’s kind of inevitable if you’re active in and out of boats and having a surf, the best thing to do in order to prevent infection is rub lime into the cut. Serious! It stings more than hell itself, but sterilizes the wound. The alternative? The bacteria survive inside your body, you get a staph infection (blood poisoning) and the nearest doctor is your new best friend! If you can’t stand the lime treatment, be sure to seek other treatment.
Because most of the surf is off shore in Tahiti, beyond the lagoon that rims the island, ideally you’re accessing the breaks by boat, local-style. Paddling to the breaks is possible, but will often take around 20 minutes one-way. Boats are available for hire to media looking to cover the competition, but booking is required well in advance! Numbers are limited!
There’s normally only one restaurant year-round in Teahupo’o, but roughly 20 when the Billabong Pro is in town! Locals call them ‘Le Snacks’.
Most pros surf something a couple inches longer than their usual shortboards – like a 6’3” - then their quiver moves up in two-to-three inch increments. Eight to ten board quivers are common with the longest board typically around 7’0”. Teahupo’o is a BEAST of a wave so refined, specialised equipment is a must!

Ricrado Dos Santos won the trials. (Photo: ASP)

The Trials
Boasting the second biggest field of Trialists and non-world tour surfers behind Pipeline, the contest has had some big upsets before. This year it was Brazilian surfer, Ricardo Dos Santos who took the win in pretty mediocre conditions to qualify for the main event. He will be joined by local trialist, Heiarri Williams. Expect these two to take some big names down.

Who to Watch
I have a couple of favorites at Teahupoo. These guys have show time and time again that they have what it takes to win at the gnarliest left in the world:
Kelly Slater - he changed how people surf the wave, even downing a beer coming out of a massive tube one year in his final! Never write off Kelly in Tahiti. He missed Jbay and has dropped on thr ratings, he will be very hungry to win.
Bobby Martinez - The man has not had a great year, but if there is one wave he has show time and time again he can win, it's here. Smooth, committed and a consummate forehand tube rider.
Damian & CJ Hobgood - Both brothers have had good results here, in the contest and just free surfing. Neither are intimidated by the big stuff and neither hold back from a possible 10 point ride. They both could use a solid result on the tour, so expect no holds barred action from these guys.
Jordy Smith - What you may say? But yes, I am talking him up. Jordy is the current number 2 and fighting for his first World Title. If he ever wants to achieve this goal, he will need to win at the two big left-handers, Teahupoo and Pipe. He is coming off a win in front of his home crowd at Jbay and has just spent time in Namibia charging the frigid tubes of Skeleton Bay. What better place to hone your backhand tube riding? He has no reputation here yet, expect that to change!

I am super excited for the event, the last before the mid year point and things get real confusing on the World Tour, with some leaving and new faces popping up on the scene at Trestles. If the swell comes, there will be some careers on the line and you can bet your salary some guys pushing themselves well beyond their limits!

Follow all the Live Action at - Billabong Pro Tahiti