Medina Magic!

At the age of 20, Medina won an historic title for Brazil, after the two remaining threats to the world title Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning fell short in Rounds 3 and 5 respectively. In his quarters heat against Filipe Toledo, he celebrated for 15 minutes when called out the water just before his heat (overlapping dual heats were being run to squeeze the rest of the event into one day) to hear that Fanning had lost and he was world champ.

Thousands thronged around him, and it look like the Rio Carnaval was about to surge and sway down the beach, but he had to surf, and rushed back out into the improving 4-5' conditions. No problem, the outstanding talent beat his compatriot Toledo, took down Aussie Josh Kerr in the semi-finals, but fell in the final by a whisker to Australian Julian Wilson, despite posting a perfect 10.

Wilson wins the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons, and the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing in the closest Pipe Final on record (by 0.43 points in a 19.63 to 19.20 heat). The victory marks his only win of the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) and his second CT win of his career. He pocketed $100,000 for the event win and a bonus $50,000 for the Triple Crown series.

In Round Five, with Slater out of the way, Fanning could not afford to lose the heat ... but Slater's nemesis Alejo Muniz had other ideas. He repeated his giant killing efforts to play a stellar support role in the demise of the two guys who stood in Medina's way. It must be said that the ocean played a hand. Pipeline went dead. A desperate Fanning pulled into two barrels that closed on him.

But Muniz was fighting for survival. He had his own agenda. He needed a berth in the final to retain his spot in next year's World Surf League. He surfed like a man possessed. And the two guys who stood in his way happened to also be obstacles to his compatriot's world title aspirations.

But Muniz was fighting for survival. He had his own agenda. He needed a berth in the final to retain his spot in next year's World Surf League. He surfed like a man possessed. And the two guys who stood in his way happened to also be obstacles to his compatriot's world title aspirations.

Sadly, Muniz came unstuck in the quarters against Adrian Buchan, and his hopes of requalifying for the Tour next year were dashed, despite his historic intervention in the fortunes of his countryman Medina.

But spare a thought for the man more than double Medina's age, Kelly Slater, who is 42 years young. Slater is the kind of guy who could have pulled it off, but it was not to be his day, and the grail of a 12th world title may remain in the hazy distance, beyond reach.

Slater had needed Dusty Payne to beat Medina in Round 3 to stand a chance to win the world title, but Medina shrugged off the pressure and hooked the two best waves of the heat. With nothing to lose, Slater shredded his Round 3 heat and with a minute to go, was on the cusp of advancing direct to Round 5 but Muniz had other ideas, and it was Slater who was eliminated.

With a minute left, Muniz pulled into a set wave and scooped an epic 9.5 point barrel, claiming it as he exited almost like he was on stage in a Gilbert and Sullivan musical. His theatrics must have been worth at least an extra 0.75 points, but one has to conced that even without the thespian antics, Kelly hadn't done quite enough.

A gracious Slater said later that it was a spectacular wave. Still smiling after his exit, it was cool to see how chilled he was. Must come with age.

Fanning had fought gallantly to stem the Medina onslaught - in fact a Brazilian onslaught - battling into Round 4, where he lost out to compatriots Adrian Buchan and Julian Wilson, forcing him into the Round 5 elimination heat.

Talking about the title race, as Round 4 began, Slater had said: "Mick's probably the greatest competitor, and Gabriel is learning how to be."

Well, it was the apprentice Medina who showed steely resolve to keep his hopes alive as his foes gradually fell by the wayside.

Well, it was the apprentice Medina who showed steely resolve to keep his hopes alive as his foes gradually fell by the wayside.

The advance of the Brazilians was a swarm that pushed forward the mercurial Medina, bouyed by incredible support on the beach, where Brazilian flags fluttered in force. It was as though Brazil was annexing Hawaii, as claimed on Twitter.

The drama stayed taught from heat to heat, with John John Florence going direct to the Quarters from Heat 1 of Round 4, while in Heat 2 of Round 4, Medina came from behind to dodge a bullet by scooping countryman Filipe Toledo, who was on fire. Medina booked a spot in the Quarters. The losing two - Toledo and Josh Kerr (AUS) - were relegated to a Round 5 man-on-man elimination.

It was do or die for Fanning, who needed to progress, which he would anyway, but preferably by skipping Round 5 to advance to the Quarters, where he needed to continue to the final and win it.

It was always going to be a big ask, as they say in Australia. But an Australian had won, and four out of eight quarter-finalists were Australian, with three Brazilians, but only one Hawaiian.

Go figure.

Billabong Pipe Masters Final Results:
1 - Julian Wilson (AUS) 19.63
2 - Gabriel Medina (BRA) 19.20

Billabong Pipe Masters Semi final Results (1st to Final, 2nd = 3rd):
Semifinal 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.60 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 9.43
Semifinal 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 13.16 def.Adrian Buchan (AUS) 3.17

Billabong Pipe Masters Quarterfinal Results (1st to SF, 2nd = 5th):
Quarterfinal 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 4.30 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 3.27
Quarterfinal 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 6.00 def. John John Florence (HAW) 4.04
Quarterfinal 3: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.17 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 3.77
Quarterfinal 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.83 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 2.77

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 5 Results (1st to QF, 2nd = 9th):
Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA)14.66 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 3.84
Heat 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.00 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 10.84
Heat 3: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 6.53 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 2.84
Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.46 def. Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 10.34

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 4 Results (1st to QF, 2nd & 3rd to R5):
Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) 6.74, Michel Bourez (PYF) 6.40, Owen Wright (AUS) 5.93
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.67, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.23, Josh Kerr (AUS) 4.97
Heat 3: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 6.86, Mick Fanning (AUS) 6.47, Julian Wilson (AUS) 6.43
Heat 4: Kai Otton (AUS) 7.06, Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 4.54, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 1.27

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 3 Results (1st to R4, 2nd = 13th):
Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) 16.33 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 12.16
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) 12.20 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 11.17
Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.67 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 7.00
Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.50 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 7.87
Heat 5: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 12.17 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 5.17
Heat 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.66 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 11.84
Heat 7: Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.40 def. Kolohe Andino (HAW) 1.40
Heat 8: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.53 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 1.33
Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS) 10.84 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 7.67
Heat 10: Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 8.93 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 6.76
Heat 11: Kai Otton (AUS)10.67 def. Nat Young (USA) 9.44
Heat 12: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 15.50 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 13.10