Surfing's Crown Jewel
Thursday 9 December 2010 The WCT for 2010 comes to a close at the mighty Pipeline this week in what has been one hell of a rollercoaster ride of a year that has seen tragedy and triumph with arrival of K10 and the passing of AI. Matt Gray, resident ASP World Tour follower and statistician, will be passing his pearlers of wisdom on to Wavescape readers.
The Billabong Pipeline Masters, is a prestigious event in surfing held annually at Banzai Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii. It was established in 1970 and attracts the top 45 surfers from the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) as well as 16 surfers who compete in walk on trials. The surfers compete for a share of $320,000 prize money. The event is the final leg of the Triple Crown of Surfing and the final event on the ASP World Tour.
"There are big coral heads that look like anvils underwater"
The Banzai Pipeline is the most dangerous surf spot on the globe. Pipe has claimed more lives than any other wave in the world – on average, one a year. The last Pipeline surfing tragedy occurred in March 2008.
Despite the death toll, Pipeline still lures many wave riders into its yawning tube because of its perfect shape and power. These beautiful, barrelling waves are produced from long period groundswells hitting the shallow reef from the right angle. According to three-time World Champ Andy Irons, it is the reef coupled with a late drop that makes the wave so deadly.
“There are big coral heads that look like anvils underwater [at Pipe],” said Andy Irons, a four-time Pipeline Master at the time of his tragic death. “When you hit those it just splits you open. People die there just from hitting it.”
Although it’s dangerous, that doesn’t stop contestants from chasing glory at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Besides an ASP world championship and overall Triple Crown title, the Billabong Pipe Masters is still the most coveted single surf contest win on tour. “I’d rather win Pipeline than anything else in the world,” said Irons.
Previous Winners:2009- Taj Burrow, Australia
2008- Kelly Slater, USA
2007- Bede Durbidge, Australia
2006- Andy Irons, Hawaii
2005- Andy Irons, Hawaii
2004- Jamie O’Brien, Hawaii
2003- Andy Irons, Hawaii
2002- Andy Irons, Hawaii
2001- Bruce Irons, Hawaii
2000- Rob Machado, USA
1999- Kelly Slater, USA
1998- Jake Paterson, Australia
1997- John Gomes, Hawaii
1996- Kelly Slater, USA
1995- Kelly Slater, USA
1994- Kelly Slater, USA
1993- Derek Ho, Hawaii
1992- Kelly Slater, USA
1991- Tom Carroll, Australia
1990- Tom Carroll, Australia
1989- Gary Elkerton, Australia
1988- Rob Page, Australia
1987- Tom Carroll, Australia
1986- Derek Ho, Hawaii
1985- Mark Occhilupo, Australia
1984- Joey Buran, USA
1983- Dane Kealoha, Hawaii
1982- Michael Ho, Hawaii
1981- Simon Anderson, Australia
1980- Mark Richards, Australia
1979- Larry Blair, Australia
1978- Larry Blair, Australia
1977- Rory Russell, Hawaii
1976- Rory Russell, Hawaii
1975- Shaun Tomson, South Africa
1974- Jeff Crawford, USA
1973- Gerry Lopez, Hawaii
1972- Gerry Lopez, Hawaii
1971- Jeff Hakman, Hawaii
Advantage regular foots
Over the last 17 years of the Billabong Pipe Masters there have been eight regular foot (left foot forward while riding) champions versus only two goofy foot (right foot forward while surfing) champs.
Coincidence? Negative.
The last goofy foot to be crowned a Pipe Master was California’s Rob Machado in 2000. Since then, the regular foots have dominated the title by utilizing Backdoor (the right breaking wave at Pipe). This wave is problematic for goofy foots because they’re forced to surf with their back facing the wave, according to 2001 Pipeline Master Bruce Irons.
“Backdoor is a lot more dangerous [than Pipeline] because the reef gradually gets shallower,” said Irons, who is a regular foot and one of the best Pipeline surfers ever. “So you have to be thinking of a way to get out and that’s harder going backside. To a goofy foot surfer, Backdoor often looks like a closeout.”
While there is much truth in Irons’ assessment, there is only one sure-fire way to win the Billabong Pipe Masters: get barreled. No matter the direction the wave breaks, the tube will always decide the victor at the Pipe Masters.
Key facts about this years comp
Event Name: Billabong Pipeline Masters
Date: 8 December – 20 December 2010
Location: See Google Earth map
Timezone: GMT -10 (12 Hours behind South Africa)
Website: http://triplecrownofsurfing.com
Total Prize Money: $400,000
South African Representatives: Jordy Smith, Travis Logie