The Banzai Pipeline could potentially crown the 2012 ASP World Champion today.
BANZAI PIPELINE, Hawaii/USA (Sunday, December 9, 2012) – The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons will recommence this morning in pumping five-to-eight foot (2 – 2.5 metre) waves at the Banzai Pipeline. Competition will pick up with Heat 4 of Round 2, starting at 8am.
The final event of the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Billabong Pipe Masters will see the top seeds hit the water today with the potential to crown the 2012 ASP World Champion by day’s end.
“The surf has maintained most of its size from yesterday afternoon and there are some really good waves on offer this morning,” Marty Thomas, Vans Triple Crown Contest Director, said. “We’ll be commencing at 8am and plan on completing Rounds 2 and 3 and potentially Round 4, conditions permitting. Good luck to all our surfers today.”
Three surfers remain mathematically in contention for the 2012 ASP World Title: Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, Kelly Slater (USA), 40, and Mick Fanning (AUS), 31.
Due to the altered format for the Billabong Pipe Masters, all three surfers are automatically seeded into Round 3 of competition and will finish no worse than Equal 13th (1750 points).
ASP WCT surfers’ year-end rankings are based off their top eight finishes from the 10 ASP WCT events in 2012.
As Parkinson is the current rankings leader on the ASP WCT, the following ASP World Title scenarios will be based on his potential finishes at Pipeline.
If Parkinson finishes 13th, 9th or 5th at the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- Slater needs a 5th or higher to take the 2012 ASP World Title.
- Fanning needs to win at Pipeline to take the 2012 ASP World Title.*
*Contingent upon Slater finishing 5th or Lower at Pipeline.
If Parkinson finishes Equal 3rd at the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- Slater needs a 3rd or higher to take the 2012 ASP World Title.
- Fanning needs to win at Pipeline to take the 2012 ASP World Title.*
*Contingent upon Slater finishing 5th or Lower at Pipeline.
If Parkinson finishes 2nd at the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- Slater needs to win at Pipeline to take the 2012 ASP World Title.
- Fanning cannot win the 2012 ASP World Title.
Surfline, official forecaster for the Billabong Pipe Masters, are calling for:
Solid NW swell will continue Sunday and ease through early next week. Looking further out, a much smaller NW swell will move in Wed the 12th, with a larger WNW swell for Friday the 14th.
In addition to crowning the 2012 ASP World Champion and deciding the 2013 ASP Top 34, the Billabong Pipe Masters will also also crown the 30th anniversary Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Champion. This year’s Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Champion will receive US$100,000, a $30,000 Harley Davidson motorcycle and a $10,000 custom Nixon watch.
Up first this morning will be Alejo Muniz (BRA), 22, up against Shane Dorian (HAW), 40, in Heat 4 of Round 2.
REMAINING BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 2 MATCH UPS:
Heat 4: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Shane Dorian (HAW) Heat 5: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) Heat 6: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) Heat 7: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA) Heat 8: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Adam Melling (AUS) Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Fred Patacchia (HAW) Heat 10: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS) Heat 11: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA) Heat 12: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) vs. TBD Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. TBD Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. TBD Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. TBD Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. TBD Heat 6: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. TBD Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. TBD Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. TBD Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. TBD Heat 10: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. TBD Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. TBD Heat 12: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. TBD
