Brazilian Miguel Pupo, 22, will look to secure a position among next season’s elite with a result at the Billabong Pipe Masters.
PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Tuesday, December 3, 2013) – The waiting period for the Billabong Pipe Masters in memory of Andy Irons, the third and final jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, will commence this Sunday, December 8, 2013 and will host a showdown for the ASP World Title between icons Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, and Kelly Slater (USA), 41, as well as the final battle for ASP Top 34 requalification. Surfline, official forecasters for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, are monitoring early signs of a two promising swells that could see the world’s best surfers take on the jaws of Pipeline on the opening days of the waiting period.
BRIEF OVERVIEW: The long range forecast is looking quite nice for the Pipe Masters event, with a couple possible swells of decent size popping up on the radar. At this time, we have a NNW swell lining up for Sunday the 8th, followed by a WNW swell for around the 10th-11th. Keep in mind that these are still pending storm development over the next several days.
SWELL/SURF OUTLOOK
We’re watching for two possible scenarios to setup over the next several days.
1) We currently have a storm sitting out to the northwest of Hawaii, which will deliver a decent NW swell for late Wednesday into Thursday the 5th. This storm may develop another fetch for Hawaii over Wed/Thurs, as a new trough moves in and merges with it, potentially delivering another decent size NNW swell (330-350 deg) that will build in Saturday night and peak on Sunday the 8th.
2) A new small-scale storm may develop on a track across the Northwest Pacific over Friday and the weekend, coming within close proximity to Hawaii. If this behaves as forecast, then a fun size shot of WNW swell (300-315 deg) will line up for around Tues/Wed the 10th-11th, initially building in over Monday PM the 9th.
WIND/WEATHER OUTLOOK
Our wind and weather through the remainder of the weekend will be influenced by a slowly advancing front west of Kauai. Light to moderate and still somewhat variable S wind will continue on Sunday, along with showers (heavy at times).
The Billabong Pipe Masters holds a waiting period from December 8 – 20, 2013 and will be webcast LIVE via vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com
