- 2017-12-12
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SPORTS
World Surf League: Billabong Pipe Masters Kicks Off at Banzai Pipeline
The 11th Stop on WSL Men's Championship, Billabong Pipe Masters kicked off at Banzai Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii on December 12 in four-to-five foot (1.2 - 1.8 metre) waves.
The World Title will decide in this event, four competitors battle for the title, the likes of Jeep Leader John John Florence (HAW), 2nd place Gabriel Medina (BRA), 3rd place Jordy Smith (ZAF) and 4th place Julian Wilson (AUS).
If John John Florence wins, he will clinch consecutive World Title. If Florence is 3rd or 5th and Gabriel Medina wins, Gabriel Medina will take World Title.
If Florence gets 9th and Medina is 2nd and Jordy Smith wins, Smith will be World Champion. If Florence gets 13th or 25th and Gabriel Medina is 5th, Smith at least 2nd and Julian Wilson wins, Wilson will claim his first World title.
But in Heat 5 of Round 1, Gabriel Medina was going down 3rd place, he moved on to elimination Round 2. Julian Wilson moved on to Round 2, too.
John John Florence and Jordy Smith advanced to directly Round 3.
John John Florence said;
"I feel like a little kid again doing this event, just getting to surf Pipe with no one out. I was just getting so many waves like, ‘This one might barrel!' I like it when it's like this, it changes it up, a peak here and peak there, you can kind of sneak underneath ones."
Also, 11-time World Champ Kelly Slater, who was injured in J-Bay, is back in this event. He advanced to Round 3.
Kelly Slater said;
"It's been kind of nice to have a few months off. But it's nice to get away from something that you love and get back and appreciate it."
Billabong Pipe Masters Round One Results:
Heat 1: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 10.17, Jadson Andre (BRA) 6.33, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 4.67
Heat 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.17, Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 6.10, Owen Wright (AUS) 3.37
Heat 3: Conner Coffin (USA) 10.56, Julian Wilson (AUS) 6.57, Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 1.50
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.57, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.43, Ethan Ewing (AUS) 3.00
Heat 5: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.83, Benji Brand (HAW) 12.64 Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.43
Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW) 13.50, Dusty Payne (HAW) 6.83, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 5.63
Heat 7: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 12.83, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.27, Jack Freestone (AUS) 7.04
Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) 12.47, Joan Duru (FRA) 11.90, Kolohe Andino (USA) 7.60
Heat 9: Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 10.50, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 2.00, Michel Bourez (PYF) 2.00
Heat 10: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 10.83, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 10.60, Ian Gouveia (BRA) 8.43
Heat 11: Connor O'Leary (AUS) 12.04, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.13, Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 8.44
Heat 12: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.90, Mick Fanning (AUS) 10.80, Frederico Morais (PRT) 9.27
All photos copyright by World Surf League.- source : World Surf League