Barrel Cam
Monday 31 January 2021 The CT season kicked off with 8-10ft bombs at the Billabong Pro Pipeline. Jordy Smith hooked this spitting barrel to survive elimination on Day 1 of the opening event of the WSL year.
DIVE BOMB: John John's boet Ivan came back to win his elimination round . Photo WSL / Bielmann
Relegated to the Elimination Round (he finished last in his opening heat against Owen Wright (AUS) and Zeke Lau (HAW)), Smith was trailing Miguel Tudela (PER) who had put on a strong performance early to score two rides in the 7-point range. Staying patient, Smith caught one of the biggest set waves of the day, managing a super steep drop to get one of the best waves of the day.
The Durbanite, who has a home on the North Shore in Hawaii, felt confident to let go of his rail and stand tall in the barrel, getting spat out at the end for one of his best waves at Pipeline. Smith secured the win with a total of 15.73 ahead of Tudela and eliminated local favorite Imaikalani deVault (HAW).
"Some of the waves out there are absolutely incredible. It's like the waves you would draw at school as a kid. That was one of the best waves I've had out there. The hardest part is getting the wave, but to get it in a heat is a very special moment. I fractured my toe five days ago and I couldn't believe my luck, 2022 has been pretty rough for me so I'm just glad that it's turning around and to get it going," said Smith.
BARREL BRU: Jordy scored the highest wave of the day with this one (9.73). Photo WSL / Bielmann
As luck would (not) have it, the two South Africans Jordy Smith and Matthew McGillivray will surf against each other in the Round of 32, Heat 16. McGillivray narrowly skipped the Elimination Round after he finished second in his opening heat against Griffin Colapinto (USA) and Jordan Lawler (AUS).
Specialist in heavy tubes, west Australian Jack Robinson lived up to expectations with an unbelievable performance in Round 1. He managed to eclipse 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater's performance. A seven-time winner at Pipeline, each and every Kelly Slater (USA) appearance in the famed Hawaiian lineup is a special event, but this time, two excellent scores and a 16.57 total (out of a possible 20) just weren’t enough to get the win.
“I’m just loving it,” Slater said. “We’re still in a heat out there so you have to work out the situation and in the end, I couldn’t really go for it and get greedy on my barrels I just had to make them. Pipe’s the queen today and we’re just out there amongst it, what a day!”
WELCOME: Rookie Joao Chianca faces in-form Jack Robinson in Round 3. Photo WSL / Heff
“Last year at the 2021 Corona Open Mexico presented by Quiksilver, Robinson proved why he’s portrayed by some of his peers as the best tube-rider on the planet, nailing two near-perfect 9+ scores in his first competitive heat this season: “Watching the conditions, it’s easy to get too excited today so I was just trying to calm down,” Robinson said. “I’m trying to not think too far ahead and just enjoy every moment of competing out there.”
Fresh off a win at the HIC Pipe Pro last month, two-time World Champion and the defending event winner John John Florence (HAW) turned a slow start into a masterful performance with two big scores in the span of a few minutes. Florence weaved through insane closeout barrels and made unmakeable sections look easy to post a 17.13 heat total (out of a possible 20).
Florence’s brother, Ivan could not pass the Brazilian duo Filipe Toledo and Samuel Pupo during Heat 6 of the Opening Round 1, but bounced back and won the first heat of the Elimination Round 2 against Lucca Mesinas (PER) and Morgan Cibilic (AUS).
“It’s the best day ever”, said Ivan Florence (HAW). “It’s so perfect out there, I’m just trying to stay relaxed, focus on the next heat and have fun. I’d love to be in another heat with my brother, though. He is so inspiring, I love it!”
THE GOAT: An 8.00 and a 8.57 were not enough for Kelly to win his Round 1 heat. Photo WSL / Heff
Billabong Pro Pipeline Men’s Opening Round 1 Result
Heat 1: Owen Wright (AUS) 13.34 DEF. Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 7.00, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 6.46
Heat 2: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 10.47 DEF. Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) 7.67, Jordan Lawler (AUS) 5.60
Heat 3: Connor O'Leary (AUS) 15.50 DEF. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 10.07, Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 5.17
Heat 4: Barron Mamiya (HAW) 16.57 DEF. Conner Coffin (USA) 9.63, Jake Marshall (USA) 2.43
Heat 5: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 7.06 DEF. Callum Robson (AUS) 6.17, Miguel Tudela (PER) 4.03
Heat 6: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 7.00 DEF. Samuel Pupo (BRA) 4.57, Ivan Florence (HAW) 0.23
Heat 7: Seth Moniz (HAW) 16.44 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 12.00, Carlos Munoz (CRI) 9.50
Heat 8: Jackson Baker (AUS) 6.43 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 6.20, Frederico Morais (PRT) 5.33
Heat 9: John John Florence (HAW) 17.13 DEF. Joao Chianca (BRA) 15.30, Jadson Andre (BRA) 7.84
Heat 10: Jack Robinson (AUS) 18.67 DEF. Kelly Slater (USA) 16.57, Lucca Mesinas (PER) 12.13
Heat 11: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 12.76 DEF. Kolohe Andino (USA) 4.37, Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 1.50
Heat 12: Nat Young (USA) 12.00 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 8.60, Deivid Silva (BRA) 7.00
Billabong Pro Pipeline Men’s Elimination Round 2 Results
HEAT 1: Ivan Florence (HAW) 12.60 DEF. Lucca Mesinas (PER) 9.50, Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 1.83
HEAT 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.73 DEF. Miguel Tudela (PER) 14.83, Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 11.00
HEAT 3: Jake Marshall (USA) 11.67 DEF. Frederico Morais (PRT) 11.13, Jordan Lawler (AUS) 10.27
HEAT 4: Carlos Munoz (CRI) 6.10 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 5.50, Jadson Andre (BRA) 4.63
Billabong Pro Pipeline Men’s Round of 32 Matchups
HEAT 1: Conner Coffin (USA) vs. Barron Mamiya (HAW)
HEAT 2: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Jake Marshall (USA)
HEAT 3: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Owen Wright (AUS)
HEAT 4: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Nat Young (USA)
HEAT 5: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Miguel Tudela (PER)
HEAT 6: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Connor O'Leary (AUS)
HEAT 7: Frederico Morais (PRT) vs. Carlos Munoz (CRI)
HEAT 8: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Lucca Mesinas (PER)
HEAT 9: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Ivan Florence (HAW)
HEAT 10: Seth Moniz (HAW) vs. Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
HEAT 11: Jack Robinson (AUS) vs. Joao Chianca (BRA)
HEAT 12: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Jackson Baker (AUS)
HEAT 13: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
HEAT 14: Ethan Ewing (AUS) vs. Callum Robson (AUS)
HEAT 15: Deivid Silva (BRA) vs. Samuel Pupo (BRA)
HEAT 16: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Matthew McGillivray (ZAF)