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Billabong Pipeline Masters Off for the Day

BANZAI PIPELINE, Hawaii (Wednesday, Dec. 12th, 2007) –While no official Billabong Pipeline Masters action will be underway today due to small surf, the completion of Round 1 yesterday has set the stage for Round 2, where 16 Hawaiian Pro Surfers Union (HPSU) selected ‘Pipeline Specialists’ will take on select members of the Foster’s ASP World Tour.

Billabong Pipe Masters Contest Event Site. Photo ASP Tostee

Yesterday’s 12 1st place Round 1 finishers, along with the four highest 2nd place finishers, advanced straight to Round 4. The remaining eight 2nd place finishers and the eight highest 3rd place finishers will now negotiate Round 3. The remaining four 3rd place finishers and the 12 4th place finishers will meet the 16 HPSU seeds in Round 2.

Starting in Round 2, a newly implemented ASP ‘Dual Heats’ format will be run. Under this format, four surfers are in the water at the same time competing in two individual heats of two surfers each. Once the first heat has hit the water, each subsequent heat will begin halfway through the heat that preceded it. Priority allocation (the right of way given to a surfer on a wave) will come into play the second half of each heat and two separate judging panels, each presided over by a separate head judge, will be on-hand to judge their allotted heats respectively.

The format rules and details as set forth by the ASP Technical Committee are as follows:

‘Dual Heat’ Individual Priority Rules
• The first half of each heat is run without priority. Heat Priority begins exactly half way through the heat. If both surfers are sitting in the take-off zone, the ASP’s standard heat priority rule applies and the heat will continue with no priority until the first wave has been ridden. From there, priority will automatically be given to the remaining surfer in the take off zone.
• If only one surfer is at the take-off zone at the halfway mark of the heat, that surfer will have first priority. If neither surfer is in the line up, the Head Judge will allocate priority to the surfer who reaches what is deemed the take-off zone first.
• If both surfers arrive in the take off zone at the same time and it is impossible for the Head Judge to determine who reached the take-off zone first, then the heat will continue with no priority until one of the surfers catches a wave.

‘Dual Heat’ Heat Priority Rules
• The heat allocated with priority will have unconditional right of way over the heat without priority during the allocated priority time period.
• If a surfer with priority paddles outside the primary take-off zone as determined by the Head Judge, he will lose priority, either first or second priority.
• If a surfer with first priority paddles outside the primary take-off zone he will lose first priority. He will only gain second priority when he returns to the take-off zone. This is to avoid surfers utilizing the priority rule to block competitors in different heats.
• A surfer with no priority can split the peak with a surfer with priority, providing he surfs in the opposite direction of the surfer with priority.
The ASP Technical Committee also created new competition rash vests to facilitate priority allocation in the ‘Dual Heat’ format.

Competition Rash Vest Colors
• Surfers in each heat will be differentiated via red and blue competition rash vests; surfers competing against each other in a heat will both wear the same color rash vest.
• Surfers competing against each other within a heat will be differentiated from one another via white and black arm and neck panels on their respective rash vests.
• Competitors in the same heat will wear the same color vests, e.g.: red, but with different color arm and neck panels with the black and white allowing the surfers to identify who has priority.
To address the colors in the water the Technical Committee also developed a specific set of priority discs for the ‘Dual Heat’ format. The rules that will regulate its usage are:

Priority Discs
• A set of two discs will be placed within view of the judges and surfers alike, one disc above the other, preferably in the same mounting frame.
• Top disc to have red and blue colors. It will indicate which color heat has priority at the half way mark.
• Bottom disc to be black and white. It will indicate which color surfer has priority from the half way mark onwards.

Another call on competition status will be made tomorrow at 7am.

Billabong Pipeline Masters Round 2 Heat Match-ups:
Heat 1: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Mikey Bruneau (HAW)
Heat 2: Kalani Chapman (HAW) vs. Jamie O'Brien (HAW)
Heat 3: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Roy Powers (HAW)
Heat 4: Sunny Garcia (HAW) vs. Gavin Gillette (HAW)
Heat 5: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Manoa Drollet (TAH)
Heat 6: Tiago Pires (PRT) vs. Flynn Novak (HAW)
Heat 7: Michael Campbell (AUS) vs. Kainoa McGee (HAW)
Heat 8: Michael Lowe (AUS) vs. Danny Fuller (HAW)
Heat 9: Daniel Wills (AUS) vs. David Wassell (HAW)
Heat 10: Luke Munro (AUS) vs. Gavin Beschen (USA)
Heat 11: Leonardo Neves (BRA) vs. Ian Walsh (HAW)
Heat 12: Shaun Cansdell (AUS) vs. Mikala Jones (HAW)
Heat 13: Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) vs. Tory Baron (HAW)
Heat 14: Chris Ward (USA) vs. Shane Dorian (HAW)
Heat 15: Ricky Basnett (ZAF) vs. Myles Padaca (HAW)
Heat 16: Royden Bryson (ZAF) vs. Makua Rothman (HAW)

More Billabong Pipeline Masters Day 5, Surfing Photos...

For more information please visit www.aspworldtour.com and www.triplecrownofsurfing.com.

APS WCT Tour 2010 Schedule Mens's Division Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Feb 27-Mar 10, Gold Coast Qld-Australia Rip Curl Pro Bells March 30 -April 10, Bells Beach Victoria-Australia Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro April 23-May 2, Santa Catarina Brazil Billabong Pro J-Bay Jly 15-25, Jeffreys Bay South Africa Billabong Pro Teahupoo Aug 23 - Sept 3, Teahupoo Taiarapu-Tahiti Hurley Pro Trestles Sep 12-21, Trestles California-USA Quiksilver Pro France Sep 25-Oct 5, South West Coast France Rip Curl Pro Oct 7-18, Peniche, Portugal Rip Curl Pro Search Oct 30-Nov. 10 - Somewhere? Billabong Pipeline Masters Dec 8-20, Banzai Pipeline Oahu-Hawaii Women's Division Roxy Pro Gold Coast Feb 27-Mar 10, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Rip Curl Women's Pro Bells Mar 30-April 10, Bells Beach Victoria, Australia TSB Bank Women's Surf Festival Apr 11-16 Taranaki – New Zealand Commonwealth Bank Beachly Classic Apr 21-26, Dee Why,Northern Beaches, NSW-Australia Movistar Peru Classic presented by Rip Curl June 8-13, Lobitos-Peru Rip Curl Pro Oct 7-11, Peniche-Portugal Rip Curl Search Oct 30-Nov 4, Somewhere Gidget Pro Nov 24-Dec 6, Sunset Beach Oahu, Hawaii Billabong Pro Maui Dec 8-20 Honolua Bay, Maui, Hawaii