LOS ANGELES, California/USA (Sunday, February 4, 2018) -  The World Surf League (WSL) continues to work with the Honolulu city authorities to try and ensure the iconic North Shore Championship Tour events remain on the schedule throughout the 2019 calendar.

In support of broader positive changes the WSL is instituting to the sport, the organization is requesting an accommodation for our January and December events. The permit requests would require an equal amount of days and the same dates to those originally applied for, meeting permit deadlines, and that the WSL has operated in for decades, simply changing minor details on the filing form. However, the City of Honolulu has yet to confirm the request, prompting the WSL to reluctantly begin exploring alternative solutions. This was first raised almost a year ago, WSL have been in regular contact with all the relevant Hawaiian authorities since then, taking their advice at every turn, so are surprised and concerned at this uncertainty. WSL most recently asked to discuss a mutually beneficial solution with the decision makers a week ago, and are still hopeful of gaining an appointment to find an amicable solution.

"Hawaii is such important part of surf culture and the history of this sport, we love coming here," Sophie Goldschmidt, WSL CEO, said. "Having canvassed widely, we firmly believe the broader changes we're implementing are for the benefit of all including Hawaii. We're hopeful that Hawaii CT events remain on the schedule, the permit is granted, and it continues to host the world's best surfing. Top tier pro surfing brings an enormous benefit to Hawaii's surfers, as well as the State both economically, in terms of employment, exposure for tourism and much more. We really hope this can continue.''

"Hawaii and surfing are synonymous with one another so it's important to support and bolster both the culture and the sport of surfing in Hawaii," Kelly Slater, 11x WSL Champion, said. "A big part of that long tradition is pro surfing's premier events being held on the North Shore. I'm hoping we don't find ourselves in a situation where miscommunication or semantics around the permitting process drastically impacts the long history and tradition of Hawaii playing a crucial role in determining our champions. The changes happening are important for the tour and will have zero negative impact on the local community. It's really nothing more than a trade of days and names of events at Pipeline so I hope the process can be seen as that clear and easy."

"As a surfer from Hawaii, it would be really upsetting if the City doesn't support professional surfing, however I am confident this will be resolved soon," Billy Kemper, BWT and QS competitor, said. "It is an entirely logical request, it's the same amount of time in terms of permits and the same dates, so it shouldn't be an issue. In fact, being able to start and finish the season, first with the Pipe Masters and then with the Triple Crown, seems like it would be a great thing for Hawaii and gives more Hawaiian surfers a chance to compete.''

"Having these events, with the world's best surfers, is so important for surfers from Hawaii, culturally, for the community and economically," Sunny Garcia, 2000 WSL Champion and six-time Triple Crown of Surfing winner, said. "It keeps Hawaii on the map as the Surfing Mecca, and is much loved and respected by the athletes. The community loves these events, and all Hawaiian surfers want the advantage of performing in their own back yard, in front of their home crowd."

Former State Senator, World Champion and Founder of the Triple Crown events Fred Hemmings reiterated, "Surfing is Hawaii's gift to the world and is at the very essence of the marketing of Hawaii in the visitor industry. Hawaii's Triple Crown of Surfing are marquee events on the WSL Pro Tour. I am urging state of Hawaii and Honolulu county leaders to provide the assistance necessary to keep the now close to 50- year history of world-class Triple Crown events home in Hawaii." 

Caption: California's Griffin Colapinto (USA) will join the elite men's Championship Tour in 2018. 
Credit: © WSL / Cestari

LOS ANGELES, California/USA (Tuesday, December 19, 2017) - The 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) season has come to a close, with John John Florence (HAW)and Tyler Wright (AUS) both defending their respective maiden world surfing crowns to become two-time WSL Champions.

The 2018 elite men’s Championship Tour (CT) will be contested by the WSL Top 34, made up of the top 22 finishers on the 2017 CT season, the top 10 finishers on the 2017 Qualifying Series (QS) and two WSL wildcards.

2017 Top 22 CT:
John John Florence (HAW)
Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Julian Wilson (AUS)
Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Owen Wright (AUS)
Kolohe Andino (USA)
Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Mick Fanning (AUS)
Connor O’Leary (AUS)
Frederico Morais (PRT)
Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Kanoa Igarashi (USA)
Caio Ibelli (BRA)
Michel Bourez (PYF)
Conner Coffin (USA)
Joan Duru (FRA)
Italo Ferreira (BRA)

2017 Top 10 QS (minus double qualifiers from CT):
Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Jesse Mendes (BRA)
Wade Carmichael (AUS)
Tomas Hermes (BRA)
Yago Dora (BRA)
Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Keanu Asing (HAW)
Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
Michael Rodrigues (BRA)
Patrick Gudauskas (USA)

WSL Wildcards: Kelly Slater (USA) and Ian Gouveia (BRA)

CT Men’s Replacement Surfers:
Michael February (ZAF)
Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)

The 2018 elite women’s Championship Tour (CT) will be contested by the WSL Top 17, comprised of the top 10 finishers on the 2017 CT, the top six finishers on the 2017 QS and the WSL wildcard.

2017 Top 10 CT:
Tyler Wright (AUS)
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Courtney Conlogue (USA)
Carissa Moore (HAW)
Lakey Peterson (USA)
Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)
Sage Erickson (USA)
Johanne Defay (FRA)
Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW)

2017 Top 6 QS (minus double qualifiers from the CT):
Silvana Lima (BRA)
Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
Coco Ho (HAW)
Caroline Marks (USA)
Keely Andrew (AUS)
Paige Hareb (NZL)

WSL Wildcard: Malia Manuel (HAW)

CT Women’s Replacement Surfers:
Macy Callaghan (AUS)
Pauline Ado (FRA)
Dimity Stoyle (AUS)
Bianca Buitendag (ZAF)

The 2018 WSL Championship Tour season will commence with the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast from March 11 - 22, 2018.

For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com. 

Caption: John John Florence (HAW) makes history by claiming back-to-back WSL Titles at the Billabong Pipe Masters in Hawaii
Credit: © WSL / Cestari

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BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu, Hawaii/USA (Monday, December 18, 2017) - John John Florence (HAW) clinched the 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Title today at the Billabong Pipe Masters, making him the first male surfer since the late Andy Irons (HAW) to successfully defend a maiden world title (Irons was ’02, ’03). Mark Richards (AUS), Tom Carroll (AUS) and Tom Curren (USA) are the only other male surfers to have achieved this feat.
 
“It’s been my dream to win here at home,” Florence said. “There’s been a nervous build up to this event and I just don’t know what to say, I’m shaking. So many people have been here for me this year and it’s been awesome. It’s been an awesome year and I’m just so stoked.”

Florence’s season started out with strong results during the Australian leg, including his first event win of the year in Margaret River. After two 13th place finishes in Rio and Fiji, Florence steadily improved his results through the remainder of the season. With a 5th place in both Jeffreys Bay and Tahiti, followed by Semifinal berths at Trestles and in France, Florence reclaimed the Jeep Leader Jersey from closest rival Jordy Smith (ZAF).


Caption: Newly crowned World Champion John John Florence (HAW) claims a runner-up finish at the Billabong Pipe Masters.
Credit: © WSL / Cestari

Challengers Smith, Owen Wright (AUS), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Adriano de Souza (BRA) all suffered early eliminations in Portugal, falling out of reach of the title. Going into the Billabong Pipe Masters, only four surfers remained in contention to clinch the title, but contenders Gabriel Medina (BRA), Julian Wilson (AUS), and Smith weren’t able to deliver the results needed to block Florence at his home break in Hawaii. Florence’s victory was sealed after Medina was eliminated today in the Quarterfinals at the hands of eventual event winner Jeremy Flores (FRA).
 
"I think I learned a lot about myself this year competing with all the pressure, especially coming from last year’s win,” Florence continued. “It’s been a hard year and I’ve had some ups and some downs, but mostly I had a lot of fun. I think that's what came out of last year and I really, really wanted to enjoy every moment of it.”
 
Universally-regarded as one of the best all-around surfers, Florence has diligently worked at improving since qualifying for the elite WSL Championship Tour (CT) in 2011. A seven-year competitor on the CT, the surfer form Hawaii claimed his maiden title in 2016 with an early-season clinch in Portugal, having previously finished in the Top 5 twice before (4th in 2012 and 3rd in 2014). With this second title, the surfing world is eyeing the beginning of a new dynasty in high-performance surfing.
 
“It’s been scary being that close in points to someone like Gabriel (Medina) who’s such a great surfer out here and a fierce competitor,” said Florence. “His comeback in Europe was amazing, he won two events in a row and then was right there in the title race. Surfing with him out here has been nerve racking but it would have been cool if we had a final for the title.
 
“I couldn't have done it without my guys traveling with me and I have to thank my mom for all this because she took me and my brothers traveling when we were young and really just got us to love the ocean and I think that's what we’re all in this for - the love of surfing - so thank you, mom, I wouldn't be here without you.”

In addition to cementing his status as the best surfer on the planet, Florence spends his free time and celebrity working toward ocean health initiatives and environmental causes.

FLORENCE 2017 WSL CT RESULTS -
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast: 3rd
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro: WINNER
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: 3rd
Oi Rio Pro: 13th
OK Fiji Pro: 13th
Corona Open J-Bay: 5th
Billabong Pro Tahiti: 5th
Hurley Pro at Trestles: 3rd
Quiksilver Pro France: 3rd
Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal: 5th
Billabong Pipe Masters: 2nd
 
FLORENCE CAREER WSL CT FINISHES:
2011: 34th
2012: 4th
2013: 10th
2014: 3rd
2015: 14th
2016: WSL CHAMPION
2017: WSL CHAMPION

Jeremy Flores (FRA) claimed his second Billabong Pipe Masters victory today after defeating Florence in an exciting Final. Flores, the 2010 Pipe Master, took out Kanoa Igarashi (USA) and Gabriel Medina (BRA) en route to the Final against the new WSL Champion. Flores rounds out the year at 15th place on the Jeep Leaderboard to solidify his place on the 2018 CT thanks to today’s victory, his best result of the season and his first CT win since Tahiti in 2015.
 
"Winning the Pipe Masters against John John Florence like that in perfect Backdoor in the last seconds, that’s the best way to win,” Flores said. “I couldn't think of any better way to win this Pipe Master. I'm so, so stoked and there’s a lot of emotions. Congrats to everyone. Congrats to John John (Florence) and Gabriel (Medina), these guys are next level. My goal was to win this event but this is crazy, I'm so happy.
 
“To be honest, I don't like to be that guy that’s deciding titles - it should be a showdown between John and Gabriel, these guys work so hard,” Flores continued. “That's why honestly when I beat Gabriel I felt bad. It’s been an emotional day and yesterday was stressful. I had to make one heat to re qualify pretty much and I made it with a 4 and a 2. I just wanted to have fun today and I did and the waves showed up. Through all the ups and downs I have so much good support and this is for everyone so thank you. I won this title for France and it doesn't happen very much!”


Caption: Jeremy Flores (FRA) claims his second Billabong Pipe Masters after stealing the win from the newly-crown WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW).
Credit: © WSL / Poullenot

After a slow start to the Final, it was Florence that found the first score of significance with just over twenty minutes remaining with a long barrel that was rewarded with an 8.93. Flores answered with a 7.90 but a relaxed looking world champ was right behind him with a clean tube ride of his own for 7.23 and a solid heat lead. Flores was left searching for an 8.27 in order to claim his second Pipe Masters, but with limited opportunities the clock ran down. In the final seconds the Frenchman found an opportunity and the crowd waited anxiously for the result. The score came in and Flores stole the win from Florence, turning the heat with a thrilling buzzer-beater barrel.
 
“I almost got a Pipe Masters but I’m super stoked for Jeremy Flores,” Florence said. “That last wave was insane and this whole event has been amazing."

Florence previously dispatched world title contender Julian Wilson (AUS) (who finished out the year in third place) in the Quarterfinals and then, following news of his title clinching, the new WSL Champion went on to face Ian Gouveia (BRA) in the Semifinals before taking on Flores in the Final.

Gouveia built his scoreline in the Semifinal clash with two mid-range rides while Florence had only small scores. With one minute remaining Florence found the exit from a barrel and then landed an air rotation to steal the win with an 8.73. Gouveia answered seconds later but couldn’t complete the ride and was eliminated in third place.
 
Kanoa Igarashi (USA) faced eventual winner Flores in the second Semifinal. Igarashi kept busy through the opening half of his heat to hold the top spot but the Frenchman stayed patient and found the wave of the heat for an excellent 9.37. Flores backed it up with a smaller inside wave to move into first position, eliminating Igarashi who takes home a second consecutive Semifinal berth and moves to 17th place on the Jeep Leaderboard.
 
World title contender Gabriel Medina (BRA) finishes the year in second place on the Jeep Leaderboard with a 5th place finish at the Billabong Pipe Masters after being defeated by Flores in the Quarterfinals.
 
Medina’s season started out well with a third place finish at the season opener in Australia but a series of less than stellar results saw him slide down the rankings. A third place in South Africa, followed by a runner-up result in Tahiti and then back-to-back wins in Europe saw the young Brazilian rocket up the Jeep Leaderboard and into the world title race. The 23- year-old from Maresias, Sao Paulo became Brazil’s first WSL Champion when he clinched the title in 2014. Medina has been in the World Title race every year since his maiden World Title victory in 2014 (No. 3 on the Jeep Leaderboard in 2015 and 2016).
 
“2017 was a great year,” said Medina. “I had an injury at the beginning of the year which wasn’t great but I tried to do my best. I had some bad results but I also had some great results. I’m so tired right now because I put everything in the water. I just tried to never give up because there’s always a chance no matter what’s going on. That was a long year and it’s hard to deal with all the ups and downs so it was stressful. That’s all part of the game, you just have to do your best. My goal here was the final but I’m stoked everyone got to watch and I’m coming back for next year.”

11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater (USA) was dispatched by Medina in Round 4 Heat 3. The Brazilian went all out in the battle against the American with two excellent-range scores, an 8.90 and a near-perfect 9.07. Slater charged into numerous tubes but was not able to escape a majority of his attempts. Stuck needing two new scores to overcome the 2014 WSL Champion, Slater was not able to answer and is eliminated in Equal 9th place.


Caption: Griffin Colapinto (USA) becomes the first Californian to win the coveted Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and the result also sees him secure his place amongst the world's best surfers on the Championship Tour in 2018.
Credit: © WSL / Cestari

Freshly qualified for the 2018 CT, Griffin Colapinto (USA), 19, added to his thriving season by taking the 35th Annual Vans Triple Crown of Surfing honor today and became the first Californian to ever win the coveted surfing series.

"I'm feeling incredible right now and it’s the best feeling ever,” said Colapinto. “I was just looking at the names that have won the Triple Crown, just all the names on there are insane and to win after John John (Florence) won last year is amazing. It's been a really fun day watching the contest and to see all the action. John, congratulations on winning the World Title, I'm so stoked for you. And Jeremy winning the Pipe Masters, two times now, that's insane. Just really excited for next year and for Snapper and I think there will be a lot of energy there and to have my name on a jersey will be special. Thanks so much!"

Colapinto captured a runner up finish at the first Vans Triple Crown jewel, the Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa Ali‘i Beach Park, then went on to final at the second event, the Vans World Cup at Sunset Beach, for a commanding lead on the series. After Italo Ferreira (BRA) went down to Igarashi in the Quarterfinals the young American secured his victory.

WSL Jeep Leaderboard Top 5 (after Billabong Pipe Masters):
1 - John John Florence (HAW) 59,600 pts
2 - Gabriel Medina (BRA) 53,700 pts
3 - Julian Wilson (AUS) 48,650 pts
4 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 47,600 pts
5 - Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 40,700 pts
 
Billabong Pipe Masters Final Results:
1 - Jeremy Flores (FRA) 16.23
2 - John John Florence (HAW) 16.16
 
Billabong Pipe Masters Semifinal Results:
SF 1: John John Florence (HAW) 12.56 def. Ian Gouveia (BRA) 12.33
SF 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12.20 def. Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 11.33
 
Billabong Pipe Masters Quarterfinal Results:
QF 1: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 9.70 vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 8.40  
QF 2: John John Florence (HAW) 17.60 vs. Julian Wilson (AUS) 2.64
QF 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12.76 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 6.04
QF 4: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 9.57 def. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 8.67
 
Billabong Pipe Masters Round 5 Results:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.23 def. Conner Coffin (USA) 9.43
Heat 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 12.50 def. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 7.90
Heat 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.97 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 9.16
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 6.34 def. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 0.90
 
Billabong Pipe Masters Round 4 Results:
Heat 1: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 11.73, Conner Coffin (USA) 1.23, Julian Wilson (AUS) 0.43
Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) 13.17, Caio Ibelli (BRA) 12.87, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 4.53
Heat 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 15.37, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.10, Italo Ferreira (BRA) 7.57
Heat 4: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 12.44, Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 4.60, Kelly Slater (USA) 4.44

The world's best surfers will return in 2018 with the kick-off event on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia in March.

For highlights from the Billabong Pipe Masters check out WorldSurfLeague.com.

Caption: 2014 WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) advances to Round 4 after wins in elimination Rounds 2 and 3 of the Billabong Pipe Masters. 
Credit: © WSL / Poullenot

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BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu, Hawaii/USA (Sunday, December 17, 2017) - The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons completed Rounds 2 and 3 today in four-to-six foot (1.2 - 1.8 metre) conditions at the world famous Banzai Pipeline. The North Shore saw nail-biting match-ups as both requalification for the Championship Tour (CT) and the World Title are on the line at this event. Today’s battle to stay on tour was also accompanied by retiring athletes, Bede Durbidge (AUS) and Josh Kerr (AUS), surfing their last heats as full-time CT competitors, as well as Conner O’Leary (AUS) earning the Rookie of the Year honors.

After a full day of competition at the Billabong Pipe Masters, the final stop on the 2017 World Surf League (WSL) CT and the capstone event of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (VTCS), there are now only two surfers in contention to win the WSL Title: John John Florence (HAW)and Gabriel Medina (BRA). 

World Title scenarios after elimination Round 3 of the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- If Florence gets 1st or 2nd at Pipe he will clinch the World Title;
- If Florence gets a 3rd, Medina will need a1st at Pipe to win the World Title;
- If Florence gets a 5th, Medina will need a1st at Pipe to win the World Title;
- If Florence gets a 9th, Medina will need a 2nd 

With Florence advancing out of Round 3 today, Australia’s Julian Wilson will not be able to clinch the World Title this season. Despite not being able to take home the World Surfing crown at this event, the 2014 Pipe Master set the bar in Round 3 with the day’s highest single-wave score, a near-perfect 9.93 (out of a possible 10), to defeat rookie Ezekiel Lau (HAW). 

"That was a sweet wave, any day of the week,” commented Wilson of his 9.93 ride. “That was such a beautiful wave, definitely the best wave that came in through the heat and just got really lucky to be in right spot without priority. I was trying to keep my distance from Zeke (Lau). Whether he wanted to go deep or wide, I was going to swap with him because I didn't have priority, but that wave came to me before I really had to think about it and I just had a few pumps through it and went as fast as I could and got spat out, such a nice feeling."

Wilson’s 15.26 combined score (out of a possible 20) forced Lau into a combination situation that he was not able to overcome. Lau will exit with an Equal 13th place result and is safe for a sophomore year on tour after ending within the Top 10 on the Qualifying Series during the Vans World Cup at Sunset Beach.

In the final heat of the day, World Title hopeful Jordy Smith (ZAF) went against 11x World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) and suffered a disappointing loss and early elimination to ultimately lose his chance for the World Championship. Smith scored a 7.00 on his opening ride for early domination in Round 3 Heat 12, however Slater’s positioning was on-point and he was able to score two rides, a 6.70 and 5.17, under priority to overtake Smith.

"Jordy (Smith), he was really sitting deep, behind the boils, behind the deep spots,” said Slater.”It really separates into two waves so I knew he was giving me enough space to find a little sneaky one at Aints. He just was a little too deep and I saw a set coming and I didn't see him move and I looked at the corner of my eye thinking, ‘Is he really not coming over here?’ That one I almost missed it, but that was my 6. Not a high scoring heat, nothing special, but for what was out there I did alright."

Current Jeep Frontrunner Florence barely escaped elimination Round 3 against 2017 CT rookieEthan Ewing (AUS) in one of the tightest heats of the day. The 2016 WSL Champion held the lead for most of the exchange, but the rookie fought back to only need a 4.67 to advance through and end Florence’s World Title hopes. With just seconds left on the clock, fans held their breath as Ewing pulled into a Backdoor barrel and completed a critical maneuver on a closeout, however, he fell just short after judges gave the ride a 4.60. With the final combined scores coming down to 10.87 and 10.80, Florence will advance through to Round 4 and keep his back-to-back World Title hopes alive.

"Definitely a crazy, close heat,” Florence said. “Ethan (Ewing) is such a great surfer. Winning heats like that, it's such a weird one. It ends up being so close. I'm obviously super stoked to keep going in this event. But that was really hard out there. It's tough to find the good ones. I mean, it's beautiful and there are good waves coming through but it's hard to find them."

Medina also had a close match-up against CT veteran Josh Kerr (AUS) in Round 3 Heat 8. Medina wove his way out of tight barrels and threw up massive air attempts for a 10.00 two-wave score and managed to narrowly escape elimination by Kerr, who garnered a 9.83 heat total. 

"It was hard to find the good ones,” said Medina. “I'm stoked to get the win, that was a tough one. I still have a shot, feels great, I’m feeling good. I think God is on my side. Now it's just to trust, believe, and just go for it."

The first heat of the day, Round 2 Heat 1, opened with Medina defeating Pipe Invitational winnerDusty Payne (HAW). Medina took advantage of the clean barrels and found two 6.33 scores, his first for a Backdoor right, then a backup Pipe barrel on his forehand. Payne warmed up with a double barrel that earned him a 7.17 but was left looking for an excellent-range score after Medina lit up the North Shore with a near-perfect 9.00. 

Wilson took down Pipe Invitational wildcard Benji Brand (HAW) earlier today before facing Lau in Round 3. The heated exchange started with Brand’s two best waves, a 3.17 and 3.70, for in-and-out barrels, but Wilson was not to be outdone by the local threat. With a combined two-wave total of 8.56, the Australian bested Brand after he found a backup 4.23 on the final ride of the heat.

Earlier in the season, 2007 Pipe Master Bede Durbidge (AUS) announced that he will retire from the CT after the 2018 season to become the Elite Program Manager for team Australia heading into the 2020 Olympics. With a loss in Round 2 Heat 10 to good friend Fanning, today marked Durbidge’s final run as a professional surfer after thirteen years on the world tour. The Australian veteran will now apply his experience to coach the next generation of surfers ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games.  

"There's so many highlights,” said Durbidge. “Just surfing with all these boys, Mick (Fanning) and Josh (Kerr), and Ace (Buchan) and Tommy Whits (Whitaker). I think that's the best part --  just traveling around with your friends and family and all the good memories. The contest side is amazing, but that's what you remember forever. I have a really good job moving forward and transitioning into working with the Olympic Australian team at HPC and Surfing Australia. It's super exciting for me and something I'm very passionate about. I move into that in January and it's going to be another fun journey, another chapter in life." 

Josh Kerr (AUS) also surfed his last heat today as he too planned to retire at the end of the Billabong Pipe Masters. In an extremely close heat, Kerr fell just 0.17 points short of the win against Medina in Round 3 Heat 8. 

From 2011 to 2014, Kerr finished in the top 10 in each year and was 11th in 2015 and 13th in 2016. Throughout his career, Kerr has proven himself as one of surfing’s great heavy-water chargers. The Australian made the Final of the Pipe Masters in 2012 and has been a standout at every Teahupo'o Code Red swell. Kerr further cemented his big-wave credentials when he won the Todos Santos Challenge in 2015 and remains the only CT surfer to have won a Big Wave Tour event.

"Definitely an emotional moment -- my daughter comes on the beach crying and kissing me and all the boys there carrying me up,” Kerr expressed. “Super bittersweet. I'd love to keep going, but the most I've learned right now is winning isn't everything. I'm just stoked on where I'm at in life. I feel like I'm winning with a great family, a good group of friends and family around me. I couldn't be happier with everything I've done in the past and what I have moving forward, so really excited. I've got a few things in the works that have to do with surfing. Hopefully going to help out the world of surfing and then also a lot of traveling with the family doing some really rad stuff. We're lucky enough to have an awesome family dynamic. Get to continue to travel to beautiful places like this and not put a rashy on."

As the veterans said goodbye to the CT after Round 3, today also saw the next generation celebrate big wins. Connor O’Leary (AUS), in particular, won the prestigious Rookie of the Year award over the six talented rookies on the CT. O’Leary was not able to come out of his Round 3 match-up against Kanoa Igarashi (USA) but now focuses ahead on the 2018 season. 

"I am stoked to take home the Rookie of the Year title and have a few beers with some friends when I go home,” said O’Leary. “It was such a massive learning experience for me. For me it's a massive confidence thing to know and to keep telling myself I'm good enough to match it with the best. I'll take that confidence into next year and see how I go."

Rookie Ian Gouveia (BRA) upset the competition today with wins over top seeds Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Matt Wilkinson (AUS) in Rounds 2 and 3, respectively. Gouveia will be against Coffin and Wilson in non-elimination Round 4. First-year Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) also made it through to Round 4 after taking down Sebastian Zietz (HAW) in Round 3 and 2015 WSL Champion Adriano de Souza (BRA) in Round 3. 

California’s Conner Coffin (USA) continues a successful run this season after besting three-time WSL Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) in Round 3 Heat 2, hot off a victory at the Vans World Cup earlier this month. Coffin opened up about his camaraderie with Fanning and the pressure of going against him in their first head-to-head heat of the year.

"Mick's just been such a great role model coming onto tour,” Coffin commented. “He's such a solid human, he's been through so much. He's such a real person and to be so welcoming to a kid like me coming on the tour, he’s just so willing to give advice and support. I don't think I've surfed a man on man heat against him this year so I'm really stoked to have an opportunity to. Congrats to him on such an amazing career and being a really good role model for kids like me coming up."

Kolohe Andino (USA) had a commanding performance in Round 2 Heat 6 against Jack Freestone (AUS), who lost his chance for requalification onto the 2018 CT after bowing out of today’s competition. Andino posted two excellent scores, an 8.50 and 8.60, for the highest combined heat total of the event, a 17.10, and a strong lead on the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title.

"I was really nervous actually just having all these goals,” Andino stated. “I'm in the running for the Triple Crown, I want to stay in the top 10, had Kelly (Slater) in my first heat, and he's the master out here. So I was really nervous and really happy to make that heat and get the ball rolling. There's definitely no easy heats on this tour. I was stoked to get that 8.5 in the first bit and I was just trying to back it up. I took off on kind of a crummy wave and then he (Jack Freestone) got that 9 and I was like, ‘Man, what am I doing?’ It's hard out there, but I'm super happy to make that heat."

Andino placed runner-up in this year's Vans World Cup and fifth in the Hawaiian Pro, the two final QS10,000's of the year and start to the 35th annual Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. In 2016 he finished fourth on the CT and now currently sits within the world's top 10 after an outstanding performance at Margaret River and Semifinal finishes in Tahiti, France and Portugal earlier this year. 

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. HST to reassess the conditions and make the next call. 

Surfline, official forecaster for the Billabong Pipe Masters, are calling for:

Slow for the first half of Sunday as new NW swell gradually builds and old NNW/NE swell mix fades to leftovers. The new NW swell will peak late Sunday into Monday with fun size surf and variable southerly wind. A larger, mid to shorter period NNW to N swell will build throughTuesday and continue Wednesday as onshore northerly wind returns (light Tue, building and stronger Wednesday).   

The event will be broadcast LIVE via WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and on Facebook LIVE via the WSL’s Facebook page. Also check local listings for coverage on CBS Sports Network in the U.S., the Spectrum SURF Channel in Hawaii, Fox Sports in Australia, ESPN in Brazil, Sky NZ in New Zealand, SFR Sports in France and Portugal, 
Sport TV in Portugal and the EDGEsport Network. 

For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com.

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.33 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 8.50
Heat 2: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 11.54 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 10.77
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 8.56 def. Benji Brand (HAW) 6.87
Heat 4: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) def. Stuart Kennedy (AUS) INJ
Heat 5: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.93 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 8.33
Heat 6: Kolohe Andino (USA) 17.10 def. Jack Freestone (AUS) 14.96
Heat 7: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 13.40 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 11.30
Heat 8: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 13.17 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 10.00
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 6.10 def. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 5.13
Heat 10: Mick Fanning (AUS) 8.90 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 8.87
Heat 11: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 12.67 def. Frederico Morais (PRT) 6.00
Heat 12: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.40 def. Joan Duru (FRA) 6.54

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.26 def. Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 8.34
Heat 2: Conner Coffin (USA) 14.03 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.60
Heat 3: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 8.60 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 6.83
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 8.50 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 5.47
Heat 5: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 10.13 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 6.57
Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW) 10.87 def. Ethan Ewing (AUS) 10.80
Heat 7: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 6.60 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 2.26
Heat 8: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 10.00 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 9.83
Heat 9: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 10.26 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 4.17
Heat 10: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 15.87 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 6.13
Heat 11: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 13.34 def. Connor O’Leary (AUS) 9.73
Heat 12: Kelly Slater (USA) 11.87 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 7.87

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 4 Match-Ups:
Heat 1:Julian Wilson (AUS), Conner Coffin (USA), Ian Gouveia (BRA)
Heat 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Caio Ibelli (BRA), John John Florence (HAW) 
Heat 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Gabriel Medina (BRA), Italo Ferreira (BRA)
Heat 4: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Kanoa Igarashi (USA), Kelly Slater (USA)

Caption: Italo Ferreira (BRA) will move directly through to Round 3 after winning his heat against three-time WSL Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and rookie Frederico Morais (PRT) in Round 1 of the Billabong Pipe Masters. 
Credit: © WSL / Cestari

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BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu, Hawaii/USA (Saturday, December 16, 2017) - The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons continued today after four-consecutive lay days in four-to-five foot (1.2 - 1.8 metre) conditions at Pipeline. The Billabong Pipe Masters, the final stop on the 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) and the third event of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (VTCS), completed the remaining three heats of Round 1 and will look to continue competition in the coming days.

Today saw a mix of swells provide opportunity for surfers to catch waves across a broad playing field; from Off The Wall, the break to the west of Pipeline, to Gums, east of the venue. 

Three-time WSL Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) was taken down by Brazilian superstar Italo Ferreira (BRA) in the final heat of Round 1 today. Fanning opened the heat with a 5.27 for the lead, but Ferreira came charging back with a 7.83 (out of a possible 10) to counter. In a battle of the back-up scores, Ferreira secured a 5.57 for a 2.10-point lead over Fanning. 2017 CT rookieFrederico Morais (PRT) fell to third place in the heat after only posting two 4-point rides. Morias and Fanning will be relegated to elimination Round 2, where they will face Kanoa Igarashi (USA) and Bede Durbidge (AUS), respectively.

"I've had a lot of good moments here in Hawaii,” Ferreira said. “I got a good result in Haleiwa and Sunset too. Now it's Pipe and I'm so happy to compete in this event again. It's special, sponsored by Billabong. I'm so happy to compete with Mick (Fanning) and all the guys. It's always hard when the guys push a lot, I'm so happy." 

2017 CT rookie Connor O’Leary (AUS) snuck in a win over 2012 WSL Champion and Pipe Master Joel Parkinson (AUS) and fellow rookie Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) in Heat 11 of Round 1. Parkinson held the heat lead for the majority of the heat, but a strong 7.17 gave O’Leary the 0.91-point advantage needed to advance straight to Round 3. Parkinson will be up againstWiggolly Dantas (BRA) in Round 2, while Fioravanti will need to defeat Sebastian Zietz (HAW)to stay in the event. 

"It's really tricky out there,” O’Leary commented. “I wouldn't have thought that I'd be surfing Gums in my very first Pipe Masters, but a win is a win and I'll take it. My game plan was to stay away from Backdoor because it's so tricky and you really didn't know which waves were good or which waves were bad so thought I'd have a heat at Gums and surf by myself and hopefully get a couple."

Adrian Buchan (AUS), Zietz and Ian Gouveia (BRA) set the bar for the morning in Round 1 Heat 10. Buchan had the highest score of the day, an 8.00, for two vertical backside turns on an overhead wave at Backdoor and took the win to head straight to Round 3. Zietz took full advantage of the beach break at Gums and had the peaks to himself, tallying two mid-range scores, a 5.33 and 5.27, while Gouveia got creative with air attempts and earned a combined heat total of 8.43. Both he and Zietz are relegated to elimination Round 2.  

“It was kind of crazy because Seabass (Sebastian Zietz) was surfing Gums, I was surfing Backdoor and Ian (Gouveia) was surfing Off The Wall,” said Buchan. “I've never really had a heat out here like that. One year when Bede (Durbidge) won, we were surfing Backdoor and Off The Wall, but it's completely different to what you usually think of, but that's the tour, you gotta be ready for everything. I wasn't too worried, I kind of had a few opportunities at the start that just didn't pan out and I just knew that when a proper set hit Backdoor it was going to have a little bit more impact. I would have liked another one at the end so I didn't have to kind of sit and keep swiveling my neck, either way, to watch the other guys but stoked to get a win."

With Round 1 of the Billabong Pipe Masters complete, four still surfers remain in contention to clinch the title: reigning WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW) who leads the rankings,Gabriel Medina (BRA), Jordy Smith (ZAF) and Julian Wilson (AUS). Florence will win his second WSL Title if he makes the final at Pipeline.

World Title Scenarios going into the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- If Florence gets 1st or 2nd at Pipe he will clinch the World Title;
- If Florence gets a 3rd, Medina will need a1st at Pipe to win the World Title;
- If Florence gets a 5th, Medina will need a1st at Pipe to win the World Title;
- If Florence gets a 9th, Medina will need a 2nd, Smith a 1st;
- If Florence, gets a 13th or 25th, Medina will need a 5th, Smith a 2nd and Wilson a 1st

When competition resumes, 2014 WSL Champion Medina and 2014 Pipe Master Wilson will need to battle their way out of elimination Round 2 to keep their World Title hopes alive. 

Medina will be first up in Round 2 against Pipe Invitational winner Dusty Payne (HAW) and will fight to stay in contention for a second World Title. Both athletes excel in waves that provide aerial opportunities and given the forecast and today’s air show, fans can expect to see a tight showdown between Medina and Payne, former CT competitor and local spoiler. 

Wilson, the only 2017 World Title contender with a win at Pipe, will need to take down event wildcard Benji Brand (HAW) in the third heat of elimination Round 2. Brand has been on a tear this season after earning the WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Regional Champion title and forging his way from Round 1 to the Quarterfinals in the Vans World Cup, event no. 2 of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, and will add pressure to Wilson’s campaign.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. HST to reassess the conditions and make the next call. 

Surfline, official forecaster for the Billabong Pipe Masters, are calling for:

Older NNW swell leftovers and short period NE swell mix offers contestable surf on Saturday as wind lightens considerably from the past few days. A fun-size, new NW swell is on track to build Sunday, with a peak late Sunday through Monday and variable southerly swell. A final NNW swell looks progressively likely for Tue-Wed, although wind may trend onshore/N again.

The event will be broadcast LIVE via WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and on Facebook LIVE via the WSL’s Facebook page. Also check local listings for coverage on CBS Sports Network in the U.S., the Spectrum SURF Channel in Hawaii, Fox Sports in Australia, ESPN in Brazil, Sky NZ in New Zealand, SFR Sports in France and Portugal, 
Sport TV in Portugal and the EDGEsport Network. 

For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com. 

Billabong Pipe Masters Remaining Round 1 Results:
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

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 2 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Ethan Ewing (AUS)
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Benji Brand (HAW)
Heat 4: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Stuart Kennedy (AUS)
Heat 5: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 6: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 7: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Ian Gouveia (BRA)
Heat 8: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)
Heat 10: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Heat 11: Frederico Morais (PRT) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (USA)
Heat 12: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)

Caption: 2016 World Champion and Title Contender John John Florence (HAW) locks into a Backdoor barrel in Round 1 Heat 6 and advances in first to avoid elimination Round 2 of the Billabong Pipe Masters. 
Credit: © WSL / Poullenot

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BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu, Hawaii/USA (Monday, December 11, 2017) - The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons, the final stop on the 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) and the third gem of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (VTCS), kicked off today with incredible Pipeline barrels for the opening round of competition. The world’s best surfers lit up the beach in the first nine heats of Round 1 in solid eight-to-ten foot (2.4 - 3+ metre) conditions at the world-famous Banzai Pipeline. 

Current No. 1 on the Jeep Leaderboard John John Florence (HAW) was the first surfer in Heat 6 to post a score. With cheers from the beach, Florence started his world title campaign and quickly built his scoreline to a solid 13.50 (out of a possible 20) to take top position over Pipe Invitational winner Dusty Payne (HAW) and Brazil's Wiggolly Dantas (BRA). Wearing the Jeep Leader Jersey, Florence looked confident and in rhythm at his home break and kept busy throughout the 30-minute match-up to secure his place in Round 3 and move one step closer to defending his World Title.

“I feel like a little kid again doing this event, just getting to surf Pipe with no one out,” said Florence. “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. It makes it really fun and it makes it interesting because you can get that one random, really crazy one.The support here makes me even more psyched. Just coming down the beach earlier and everyone screaming -- it just makes me more excited. Coming into Pipe this year is a lot different than last year because last year I felt more relaxed having the title already. So this year is a little different preparation."    

WSL Title contender Jordy Smith (ZAF) was one of the standout performers of Round 1 and claimed a commanding win over Bede Durbidge (AUS) and Ethan Ewing (AUS) in Heat 4. An excellent 8.67 combined with a 7.90 put the World No. 3 firmly in the lead. Durbidge mounted a comeback with less than five minutes remaining but it wasn’t enough and Smith sailed through to Round 3.

"I think the noise is pretty quiet,” said Smith. “I don't really get too deep into the pressure and quite frankly it really boils down to those two guys (Florence and Medina) losing out early, but you never know. If they wobble then I'll put my head down and give it a go."

Conner Coffin (USA), who currently sits at No. 21 on the Jeep Leaderboard right on the requalification bubble, needs a strong result to solidify his place on the CT in 2018. Coffin got his campaign off to a good start today with a Round 1 win over WSL title contender Julian Wilson (AUS) and Stu Kennedy (AUS). Wilson, current world No. 4, suffered an interference penalty that put him out of contention, while an injured Kennedy wasn’t able to get out from under competitors. Wilson, 2014 Billabong Pipe Master, who could claim his maiden world title with an event win, is relegated to elimination Round 2 where he will face the newly crowned WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Regional Champion Benji Brand (HAW).

Coffin is riding high after he took the victory at Sunset Beach for the Vans World Cup, event no. 2 of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. “It's definitely really nice to win especially when you're right on the requalifying bubble and last place sucks, but I'm not thinking about that when I'm out in the water,” he said. “It’d be huge to win the Vans Triple Crown, so many of my favorite surfers have won the Triple Crown and Hawaii is my favorite place to compete in the whole world, so to get a win at Sunset was unreal. My family came over here now and we’re all just hanging at the house.”

Wildcard and Pipe Invitational runner-up Brand took an early lead over Brazilians Gabriel Medina (BRA) and Miguel Pupo (BRA) in Round 1 Heat 5. Pupo moved up into second place with a near-perfect 9.93, the highest single-wave score of the event so far, for a late takeoff into a cavernous Pipeline barrel and narrow exit.

"I was just happy to get a sick wave,” said Pupo. “I went out there looking for Backdoor and ended up just surfing Pipe waves, which is kind of funny. Always when you get a good score everyone knows you need to back it up straight away. I was trying to do that but there's not many opportunities out there. I kind of fell, had a couple mistakes, but finally got that one at the end.”

WSL title contender and No. 2 on the Jeep Leaderboard Medina also put on the pressure with an excellent 8.50. In the end it was Pupo, who is battling for requalification, who stole the win to directly advance to Round 3 with a 4.90 during the final exchange, sending Medina and Brand to elimination Round 2.

"The pressure for requalification is through the roof right now,” continued Pupo. “But I have my family with me and every time I see my little girl, the pressure goes away and I'm only thinking about her and how happy she is to be in Hawaii, and my wife too, and all the pressure goes away somehow. When I got out there I was just trying to do my best. I wanted Gabby (Medina) to keep going in the event to win the title, but I had to do my job to keep my job for next year. I think all the guys in front of me made it so it's a good first round but still a lot of steps to go."

11X WSL Champion and 7X Billabong Pipe Master Kelly Slater (USA) made a triumphant return to competition today, wearing the jersey for the first time since July when he injured his foot in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.

“I give the foot about a 65 percent,” commented Slater. “I've missed competition but after so many years of nonstop day in, day out, week in and and week out, it's been kind of nice to have a few months off. It's nice to get back, but it's nice to get away from something that you love and get back and appreciate it."

2010 Pipe Master Jeremy Flores (FRA) opened the day with a win over Jadson Andre (BRA)and Matt Wilkinson (AUS) in Round 1. The lower-scoring heat saw Flores post a 10.17 combined score for the win and the opportunity to skip straight to Round 3. 

"No one knew what to expect in that heat,” said Flores. “When there's such a big event coming up with all the scenarios and stuff, there's so much hype around the event. I'm stoked, we got here today and the waves are pumping. So I didn't go surfing this morning. I was super excited, but I didn't want to get too excited and lose energy. It wasn't a great heat, I wish I got some of those bombs. I'm stoked to get a win."

Hawaiian Ezekiel Lau (HAW) used his home court advantage to take down competitors Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Michel Bourez (PYF) in Heat 9, the final matchup of the day, with a combined two-wave score of 10.50.

“I'm just super happy to be home and competing in front of my home crowd and get my first Round One win, I'm stoked," said Lau. "This is the first time I've done a contest where I don't have to think about anything else, just surf and show up and enjoy being in the event and performing in front of a home crowd. So that's all I'm thinking about. I just want to put on a good performance and represent.”

The event was put on standby after Heat 9 when the winds shifted onshore and a call was made at 2:00 p.m. HST to call the competition off for the day. Event organizers will reconvene at 7:30 a.m. HST tomorrow to reassess the conditions and make the next call. 

Surfline, official forecaster for the Billabong Pipe Masters, are calling for:

Strong, but fading, NNW swell prevails Monday with light wind early in the day; we should see some good waves at Backdoor.  A new NW swell will build Tuesday afternoon and peak on Wednesday with XXL size surf washing Pipe out (along with onshore N wind). Thursday and Friday will see a decreasing trend in swell with strong NE trades. A mid-size NW swell looks possible for the 17th-18th (Sun-Mon) with at least a chance for light wind.  

The event will be broadcast LIVE via WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and on Facebook LIVE via the WSL’s Facebook page. Also check local listings for coverage on CBS Sports Network in the U.S., the Spectrum SURF Channel in Hawaii, Fox Sports in Australia, ESPN in Brazil, Sky NZ in New Zealand, SFR Sports in France and Portugal, Sport TV in Portugal and the EDGEsport Network. 

For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com. 

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 1 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

Billabong Pipe Masters Remaining Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 10: Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Ian Gouveia (BRA)
Heat 11: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Connor O’Leary (AUS), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Heat 12: Mick Fanning (AUS), Frederico Morais (PRT), Italo Ferreira (BRA)

Caption: Dusty Payne (HAW) claimed victory today at the Pipe Invitational and will compete in the Billabong Pipe Masters as the event wildcard when competition resumes. 
Credit: © WSL / Cestari

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BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu, Hawaii/USA (Friday, December 8, 2017) - Dusty Payne (HAW)won the Pipe Invitational today and earned the coveted wildcard entry into the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons, the final stop on the 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) and the third gem of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (VTCS). 

Former CT surfer Payne had a comeback performance after returning to competition from an eight-month hiatus due to injury but has proven successful rebounds throughout his career, including a win at the 2014 Hawaiian Pro, the first stop of the VTCS. Recently crowned WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Regional Champion Benji Brand (HAW) will also advance into the main event after earning the runner-up finish in the Pipe Invitational event. 

Today, 32 of the best Pipe surfers from Hawaii and around the world battled in the Pipe Invitational for a chance to compete alongside the WSL Top 34 men at the Billabong Pipe Masters. With only two event wildcards on the line, the day saw outstanding performances amongst the trialists with Payne and Brand besting the field. 

“I'm excited to be in the Pipe Masters, it's an event every kid growing up in Hawaii who's a surfer dreams about,” commented Payne. “It's just a blessing to be here. Had a great day surfing with Benji and all the guys, Seth (Moniz) and Jack (Robinson), everybody out there was ripping. It's a fun day, I'm just super grateful the WSL gave us this opportunity."

The 35-minute final opened with a quick ride by Brand but Seth Moniz (HAW), 20, set the bar when he dropped from the sky and pulled into a beautiful Backdoor runner, followed by a nice turn off the top for a 6.50 (out of a possible 10) from the judges. Brand stayed active and continued to lock in scores on his backhand, while Payne, 29, put a 4.0 on the scoreboard for a quick right-handed wave. Priority then shifted to Jack Robinson (AUS), a Margaret River local who won the 2015 Pipe Invitational, but after choosing an inside wave that only garnered a 1.30, the young surfer remained in fourth when he was unable to find a backup score.

Moniz had the lead for the majority of the heat with a 6.50 and 3.33 until Payne found an open Backdoor barrel that put him in an unsurpassable lead with an 8.0. Moniz dropped to second, but Brand continued to demonstrate versatility by riding both Pipeline and Backdoor waves and earned a 5.50 on his second to last wave to overtake Moniz. The final horn sounded and gave Dusty his first win of the season.

Payne will face 2017 World Title contender John John Florence (HAW) and Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) in Round 1 Heat 6 of the Billabong Pipe Masters when competition resumes. 

“I was just trying to stay calm the whole day and not get too freaked out on how big the occasion is because it's pretty easy to get intimidated by all these really big names and really good guys at Pipe,” said Brand. “I was trying to read the waves well and not get to freaked out about the situation and hopefully we can take down some names and give John the title."



Caption: Benji Brand's (HAW) backhand proved to be a weapon in the final when going up against all regular-footers in the Pipe Invitational.  
Credit: © WSL / Cestari

Brand will be up against World Title contender Gabriel Medina (BRA) and Miguel Pupo (BRA)in Round 1 Heat 5.

“Feels pretty unreal to think of having a heat with Gabriel Medina at Pipe,” Brand continued. “I hope the waves are really fun and we can get some barrels, hopefully take out some names.”

Hank Gaskell (HAW) of Hana, Maui scored the highest ride of the day, a near-perfect 9.00 for an unpredictable Backdoor barrel that threaded through multiple sections. With a lot of white water on the face, Gaskell used veteran knowledge to navigate the challenging ride and breakthrough the exit. 

"It was a shaky one, I knew I was pretty deep so I just took off and set my line as fast as I could,” commented Gaskell. “I gave a big pump and I fully fell forward and almost gave up and I was on my tip toes, just luckily managed to land back on my feet with enough balance, my foot was way on the wrong side of the board but I recovered. I'm glad it looked good because it felt really really difficult but I didn't know how it was going to look.”

The best barrel of the morning awarded Gaskell advancement into the Quarterfinals, but he was ultimately eliminated in the second Semifinal by eventual Finalists Moniz and Robinson.

Event organizers will reconvene at 7:30 a.m. HST tomorrow to reassess the conditions and make the next call. 

Surfline, official forecaster for the Billabong Pipe Masters, are calling for:

The forecast is packed with swell, but the windows for favorable conditions will be sporadic. Easing NNW swell on Friday, although still solid and with light wind. Smaller surf on Saturday and with conditions falling apart through the day. Then another large, maxed out NNW swell is expected for Pipe on Sunday the 10th, while NNE veering NE winds prevail. Monday the 11th is shaping up to be very similar to tomorrow (Friday). Watching for another large (potentially XL size) NW swell to peak around Wednesday the 13th; again, Pipe maxed out and wind conditions looking suspect. Then finally, a smaller, yet still fun size WNW-NW swell possible for the 18th-20th. 

The event will be broadcast LIVE via WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and on Facebook LIVE via the WSL’s Facebook page. Also check local listings for coverage on CBS Sports Network in the U.S., the Spectrum SURF Channel in Hawaii, Fox Sports in Australia, ESPN in Brazil, Sky NZ in New Zealand, SFR Sports in France and Portugal,Sport TV in Portugal and the EDGEsport Network. 

For more information, check outWorldSurfLeague.com. 

Pipe Invitational Final Results:
1 - Dusty Payne (HAW)12.00
2 - Benji Brand (HAW) 11.17
3 - Seth Moniz (HAW) 9.83
4 - Jack Robinson (AUS) 2.37

Pipe Invitational Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Benji Brand (HAW) 12.27, Dusty Payne (HAW) 11.83, Koa Smith (HAW) 9.10, Billy Kemper (HAW) 5.90
SF 2: Seth Moniz (HAW) 11.07, Jack Robinson (AUS) 10.44, Finn McGill (HAW) 4.20, Hank Gaskell (HAW) 0.77

Pipe Invitational Quarterfinal Results:
QF 1: Dusty Payne (HAW) 8.67, Koa Smith (HAW) 8.37, Michael February (ZAF) 6.64, Griffin Colapinto (USA) 3.97
QF 2: Benji Brand (HAW) 10.84, Billy Kemper (HAW) 9.47, Nathan Florence (HAW) 7.94, Olamana Eleogram (HAW) 4.83
QF 3: Finn McGill (HAW) 9.83, Hank Gaskell (HAW) 7.10, Makuakai Rothman (HAW) 3.97, Makai McNamara (HAW) 1.93
QF 4: Jack Robinson (AUS) 13.50, Seth Moniz (HAW) 10.50, Shane Dorian (HAW) 2.87, Keoni Yan (HAW) 2.74

Pipe Invitational Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 11.83, Billy Kemper (HAW) 7.17, Isaiah Moniz (HAW) 6.17, Reef Heazlewood (AUS) 4.83
Heat 2: Dusty Payne (HAW)13.33, Benji Brand (HAW) 12.10, Luke Shepardson (HAW) 9.77, Koa Rothman (HAW) 6.64
Heat 3: Nathan Florence (HAW) 11.00, Koa Smith (HAW) 10.50, Joshua Moniz (HAW) 7.37, Ian Walsh (HAW) 3.77
Heat 4: Olamana Eleogram (HAW) 13.33, Michael February (ZAF) 7.76, Mikey Bruneau (HAW) 3.07, Cody Young (HAW) 2.60
Heat 5: Makai McNamara (HAW) 10.60, Shane Dorian (HAW) 9.50, Mason Ho (HAW) 8.84, Keanu Asing (HAW) 4.60
Heat 6: Hank Gaskell (HAW) 16.83, Keoni Yan (HAW) 8.36, Barron Mamiya (HAW) 7.93, Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 2.54
Heat 7: Seth Moniz (HAW) 11.17, Makuakai Rothman (HAW) 8.17, Kiron Jabour (HAW) 5.80, Bruce Irons (HAW) 0.20
Heat 8: Jack Robinson (AUS) 14.34, Finn McGill (HAW) 6.84, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 6.33, Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 4.80

Upcoming Billabong Pipe Masters Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS), Kanoa Igarashi (USA), Josh Kerr (AUS)
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS), Conner Coffin (USA), Stuart Kennedy (AUS)
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Ethan Ewing (AUS)
Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Benji Brand (HAW)
Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Caio Ibelli (BRA), Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 8: Kolohe Andino (USA), Joan Duru (FRA), Kelly Slater (USA)
Heat 9: Filipe Toledo (BRA), Michel Bourez (PYF), Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
Heat 10: Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Ian Gouveia (BRA)
Heat 11: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Connor O’Leary (AUS), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Heat 12: Mick Fanning (AUS), Frederico Morais (PRT), Italo Ferreira (BRA)

Caption: (From L to R) 2017 World Title contenders Julian Wilson (AUS), Gabriel Medina (BRA), John John Florence (HAW), and Jordy Smith (ZAF) onsite at the Billabong Pipe Masters. 
Credit: © WSL / Poullenot

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BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu, Hawaii/USA (Thursday, December 7, 2017) - The world’s best surfers have arrived in Hawaii for the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons, the final stop on the 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), which holds a competitive window that opens tomorrow Friday, December 8 and runs through Wednesday, December 20, 2017. 

The highly-anticipated final event on the men’s CT will decide the next Billabong Pipe Master as well as serve as the final stage of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, concluding the prestigious three-event series and crowning a winner. 

The event will also decide the 2017 WSL Champion, which represents the culmination of a year-long battle amongst the world’s best surfers to claim the sport’s highest honor and join a list of the most revered individuals in all of surfing. 

Going into the Billabong Pipe Masters, four surfers remain in contention to clinch the title: reigning WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW) who leads the rankings, Gabriel Medina (BRA), Jordy Smith (ZAF) and Julian Wilson (AUS). Florence will win his second WSL Title if he makes the final at Pipeline. 

World Title Scenarios going into the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- If Florence gets 1st or 2nd at Pipe he will clinch the World Title;
- If Florence gets a 3rd, Medina will need a1st at Pipe to win the World Title;
- If Florence gets a 5th, Medina will need a1st at Pipe to win the World Title;
- If Florence gets a 9th, Medina will need a 2nd, Smith a 1st;
- If Florence, gets a 13th or 25th, Medina will need a 5th, Smith a 2nd and Wilson a 1st

2016 WSL Champion Florence comes into the event wearing the coveted Jeep Leader Jersey and is ready to defend his World Title at the Billabong Pipe Masters. The 25-year-old sits only 3,100 points ahead of 2014 WSL Champion Medina and will look to get a strong start at the last event of the season. All eyes will be on Florence as he hunts down a Final berth to clinch the World Title and carve out his place in surfing history. Florence will battle Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)and the winner of the Pipe Invitational trials event in Round 1 Heat 6. 

“There’s definitely excitement and a little bit of pressure, but I’m more excited than anything,” Florence said. “I think it’s going to be really cool. It’s such an awesome position to be in, going into this last event with four guys going for the world title race. Just to be a part of that, in that, and surfing my home break with that about to go down, it’s exciting. I’m going to go out there and I’m going to do my best. I’ve been surfing this wave since I was a little kid and I really enjoy being out there with no one out, so we’ll see what happens.”

2014 WSL Champion Medina looks in great form to play spoiler for Florence heading into the season finale at Pipe. Medina, 23, has had strong results at the Billabong Pipe Masters (2nd in 2014 and 2015) but has yet to lock in a CT event win at the famed Banzai Pipeline. The Brazilian will look for his breakthrough result and his opportunity to take home another World Title for Brazil. Medina will be up against Miguel Pupo (BRA) and the Pipe Invitational winner in Heat 5.

“I like to chase,” said Medina. “Actually, as we can see all year long, I was doing okay, and then after Trestles, something clicked -- I just had a mission. The yellow jersey is really heavy -- I felt that in 2014 and I know what he (John Florence) is feeling right now. So it’s time to work and hopefully everything works out. Surfing at Pipe is really hard, but I think it’s going to be a good battle. John surfs this wave really good, he knows this wave better than I think anyone on Tour, but I can’t wait to surf. It’s an honor to be a Brasilian surfer. I love the passion we have. I think when we go to the water we put everything in there, family, friends, country. I think that’s what makes me excited and want to do well in the contest. I want to make them proud. That’s why I’m here today.”

Smith sits in third place on the Jeep Leaderboard after an incredible season that saw him wear the Jeep Leader Jersey for much of 2017 thanks to a win in Bells Beach and a runner-up finish at Trestles. The two-time CT runner-up (2010 and 2016) is on the hunt for his maiden WSL Title and will be looking to bounce back from two 13th place finishes and score a big result in Hawaii. Smith will face veteran Bede Durbidge (AUS) and 2017 CT Rookie Ethan Ewing (AUS) in Round 1 Heat 4 of the Billabong Pipe Masters when competition gets underway.

“As far as the title race goes, I really just have to focus on myself, put my head down and give it my best shot,” said Smith. “There’s a lot that has to go down between the other guys, but if they step up, I’m definitely going to put my head down and give it a go. Pipe’s one of those waves where you really have to spend a lot of time out here, obviously I’ve grown up on right-hand points and this is a left-hand slab so it’s a little different than my comfort zone, but these are the type of things you gain with experience and time and just got to keep chipping away and eventually one of these things will stick. I think it’s a really exciting time and I think it’s going to be a great showdown.”

Wilson, winner of the 2014 Billabong Pipe Masters, is also chasing down his first World Title and, after a win in Tahiti and a runner-up finish in Portugal, he’s in the position to do just that. Currently No. 4 on the rankings and less than 10,000 points behind Florence, Wilson needs to win the event to take the Title. The Australian will face off against recent Vans World Cup of Surfing winner Conner Coffin (USA) and compatriot Stuart Kennedy (AUS) in Round 1 Heat 3 when competition commences. 

“I think it’ll be a good battle,” said Wilson. “I think, obviously if the wildcards don’t spoil anything, they (John Florence and Gabriel Medina) are going to go deep into the event. A win here makes me maybe a little more confident, but it’s a new event, it’s a new swell forecast. I know that winning it the first time I wasn’t going off a past win out here so it’s all about kind of resetting, just taking the experience that I’ve had and falling back on that and getting out there and trying to find those good waves.”

For 35 years, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (VTCS) has been sharing and celebrating one of the most significant sporting series in the world. The VTCS  encompasses three different and equally storied wave venues along seven miles of hallowed coastline – Haleiwa Ali‘i Beach, Sunset Beach and Pipeline. The first gem of the series, the Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa, saw current World No. 9 Filipe Toledo (BRA) earn the win. Conner Coffin (USA), currently in his sophomore year on the CT, won the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach and became the first Californian to do so. Now, the three-event series heads into its final event, the Billabong Pipe Masters, which will determine the prestigious VTCS winner. 

32 of the best Pipe surfers from Hawaii and around the world will battle it out at the Pipe Invitational for a chance to compete alongside the WSL Top 34 at the Billabong Pipe Masters and claim the final two positions in the draw. The event features a $60,000 USD total prize purse, of which $5,000 goes to the winner, and the top two finishers get a wildcard entry into the final CT event of the year (prize money dependent on event result). The event window for the Pipe Invitational begins on December 8, 2017. 

Event organizers will convene tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. to assess conditions and make the first call.

Surfline, official forecaster for the Billabong Pipe Masters, are calling for:

Tons of swell stacking up for the Pipe Masters, but finding periods of favorable or even decent conditions will certainly be challenging. Easing, although still solid NNW swell on Friday and with light wind. Smaller surf and with conditions falling apart again on Saturday. Then another large, maxed out NNW swell is expected on Sunday the 10th, while NNE veering NE Trades prevail. Monday the 11th is shaping up to be very similar in size and conditions to Friday the 8th with decent surf. Watching for another large to potentially XL size NW-NNW swell around the 13th; again, Pipe maxed out and wind conditions looking suspect.

The event will be broadcast LIVE via WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and on Facebook LIVE via the WSL’s Facebook page. Also check local listings for coverage on CBS Sports Network in the U.S., the Spectrum SURF Channel in Hawaii, Fox Sports in Australia, ESPN in Brazil, Sky NZ in New Zealand, SFR Sports in France and Portugal, Sport TV in Portugal and the EDGEsport Network. 

For more information, check outWorldSurfLeague.com. 

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS), Kanoa Igarashi (USA), Josh Kerr (AUS)
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS), Conner Coffin (USA), Stuart Kennedy (AUS)
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Ethan Ewing (AUS)
Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Miguel Pupo (BRA), TBD
Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), TBD
Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Caio Ibelli (BRA), Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 8: Kolohe Andino (USA), Joan Duru (FRA), Kelly Slater (USA)
Heat 9: Filipe Toledo (BRA), Michel Bourez (PYF), Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
Heat 10: Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Ian Gouveia (BRA)
Heat 11: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Connor O’Leary (AUS), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Heat 12: Mick Fanning (AUS), Frederico Morais (PRT), Italo Ferreira (BRA)

Pipe Invitational Trial Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Griffin Colapinto (USA), Reef Heazlewood (AUS), Billy Kemper (HAW), Isaiah Moniz (HAW)
Heat 2: Benji Brand (HAW), Dusty Payne (HAW), Luke Shepardson (HAW), Koa Rothman (HAW)
Heat 3: Joshua Moniz (HAW), Koa Smith (HAW), Nathan Florence (HAW), Ian Walsh (HAW)
Heat 4: Michael February (ZAF), Cody Young (HAW), Olamana Eleogram (HAW), Mikey Bruneau (HAW)
Heat 5: Keanu Asing (HAW), Makai McNamara (HAW), Mason Ho (HAW), Shane Dorian (HAW)
Heat 6: Barron Mamiya (HAW), Imaikalani deVault (HAW), Keoni Yan (HAW), Hank Gaskell (HAW) 
Heat 7: Kiron Jabour (HAW), Seth Moniz (HAW), Bruce Irons (HAW), Makuakai Rothman (HAW)
Heat 8: Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Jack Robinson (AUS), Finn McGill (HAW), Jamie O’Brien (HAW)