2015 BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS - OVERVIEW /Round 1- by surfworldtour.blogspot.com

2015 BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS OVERVIEW /Round 1 -by surfworldtour.blogspot.com

 Thursday, Dec. 10th, 2015

ROUND 1

three men heats

heat 1
average wave score - 4.22   /   the best wave - 8.33 (1) - I. Ferreira(BRA

At the opening heat of the most famous stage in World Circuit of Surfing . I. Ferreira(BRA)at his first time in Pipeline, surfed very well add up 14.26  feeling comfortable with no pressure of fighting for the title of the season and defeated  A. Buchan(AUS)that scored 9.33 and G.Hall(IRL)that did not the waves in the heat and just score 1.70; The Brazilian went directly to Round 3.

heat 2
average wave score - 2.71    /  the best wave - 4.00 (6) - J. Andre(BRA)

Unfortunatelly O. Wright(AUS)world No.5,suffered an accident at training session on Wednesday Dec 9th, and was promptly helped and taken to the local hospital; was found a brain concussion-when someone hits the head hard - .He still inmate but soon will be recovered to be back to elite of surfing. He was one of the candidates for the title. M. Ho(HAW) third position in the Trials replaced the Australian surfer. M. Ho(HAW) won this heat with just 6.17 and went directly to Round 3. J. Andre(BRA)add up 5.70, and the Hawaiian D. Payne(HAW) just 1.70.

heat 3
average wave score -  4.03   /  the best wave - 7.33 (4) - G. Medina(BRA)

The current champion of World Circuit of Surfing, G. Medina(BRA) chose the right waves and surfed tubes, won the heat added up 12.60 over K.Asing(HAW) that scored 7.84 - and W. Carmichael(AUS) Wild Card of the stage that added up just 3.73; K. Asing(HAW)already defeated G. Medina(BRA)at stage of Rio de Janeiro- 2015  OI Rio Pro.

heat 4
average wave score - 3.60   /   the best wave  - 6.33 (2) - A. de Souza(BRA)

The Brazilian A. de Souza(BRA)under pressure of the World Title was leading the heat until the final minutes, when the Tahitian Michel Bourez(PYF) turned the heat and defeated A. de Souza(BRA);M.Bourez(PYF)added up 9.33; A. de Souza(BRA)7.23 and J. Robinson(AUS) Trials Wild Card -at just 17 years old - added up 5.06.

heat 5
average wave score - 4.48  /     the best wave -  7.33 (4) - J. O'Brien(HAW)

The young F. Toledo(BRA)world No.2 at 20 years old; in his openin wave
score 5.17. K. Andino(USA)did not find the waves, at surfed no waves till eighteen minutes left in the heat. J. O'Brien(HAW)Trials Wild Card surfed the best wave in the heat 7.33 -turned the heat at final  minutes left to the heat, and won the heat.

heat 6
average wave score - 5.55  /   the best  wave - 9.43 (3) -  M. Fanning(AUS)

The world No.1 M. Fanning(AUS)in this opening wave scored 5.17. B. Irons(HAW) Wild Card -scored 6.50 at his opening wave and turned the heat, but later on, M. Fanning(AUS)surfed a good wave, scored 9.43(the best wave till heat 6)and turned the heat. B. Irons(HAW)replaced a weak wave -1.00, for a good one-7.83 . The Hawaiian S. Zietz(HAW)did not find good waves. At final, M. Fanning defeated B. Irons(HAW)brother of the great champion of surfing Andy Irons(HAW) - Check out the blog post- just for 0.27.and S. Zietz(HAW)finished the heat in Combination- when the surfer need two waves to overcome the adversaries. Untill the heat 6, this one was the best.

heat 7
average wave score - 3.22  /  the best wave -  9.73 (5) - K. Otton(AUS)

The Australian surfer K.Otton(AUS) surfed an excellent wave 9.73(almost 10.00) won the this heat over J. Wilson(AUS)-one of the candidates for the title- and R. Christie(NZL). Both  did not find the waves. So K. Otton passed directly to Round 3; J. Wilson and R. Christie fell  to Recap.

heat 8
average wave score - 3.73  / the best  wave -  8.50 (1) - J. Flores(FRA)

The surfer of Reunion Island J. Flores(FRA) world No.8 already won this stage in 2010 surfed a good wave and scored 8.50 and added up 11.27 in this heat while J. Smith(SAF) and 7.17; and M. Wilkindon(AUS) 3.20. J. Flores won this heat, and passed to Round 3. J. Smith(SAF) and M. Wilkinson(AUS) fell to Recap.

heat 9
average wave score - 6.01  /  the best wave -  10.00 (1) - CJ Hobgood(USA)

K. Slater(USA)eleven times World Champion -already won this stage six times - the surfer that won more times in Pipeline till nowadays - added up 9.80 in this heat; T. Burrow(AUS) that also won this stage in 2009, added up 11.26; however CJ  Hobgood(USA)- World Champion in 2001- scored the first grade 10.00 in this stage and won this heat, and passed directly to Round 3; K. Slater(USA) and T.Burrow(AUS) fell the Recap.  This heat also was nice, with experienced surfers.
Perhaps the best in the Round 1.

heat 10
average wave score - 3.58  /  the best wave  - 8.33 (3) - J.J. Florence(HAW)

The Hawaiian J.J. Florence(HAW) scored 5.00 and later on 8.33 and added up 13.33 and won this heat over N. Young(USA)added up 6.67; and B. Simpson(USA)added up just 1.50 -that did not find good waves. J.J. Florence(HAW)passed directly to Round 3, while the North Americans, fell to Recap.

heat 11
average wave score - 0.85  / the best wave  - 1.67 (1) -  B. Durbidge(AUS)

The Australian B. Durbidge(AUS)world No.11 won in Pipeline stage in 2007 - is surfing very well this year, surfed the Final in Oi Rio Pro stage, and was defeated by F. Toledo(BRA)-won this heat with the low score 2.84; while A. Melling(AUS)added up just 1.14; and W. Dantas(BRA)-for the first time in Pipeline-just added up 1.10 - This heat had the worst average of Round 1.

heat 12
average wave score -4.11  / the best wave  -  7.73 (1) - J. Kerr(AUS)

The Australian surfer J. Parkinson(AUS) already won this stage in 2012, when he was World Champion , however at his heat added up 8.17, and his compatriot J. Kerr(AUS)in his opening wave of the heat scored 7.73 and added up 13.06 and defeated J. Parkinson(AUS) and the Brazilian M. Pupo(BRA) -scored 3.44 and fell down to Recap with J. Parkinson(AUS).

Finally, the world of surfing may be surprised about the winner of this disputed stage, in Hawaii.
Both, F. Toledo(BRA) and his compatriot A. de Souza(BRA) and J. Wilson(AUS)postulants to world title will have to dispute Recap under pressure. The current champion G. Medina(BRA) and I. Ferreira(BRA)surfed well this Round 1, and are guaranteed to Round 3, as well as M. Fanning(AUS)-world No.1- another strong candidate to the Title of the season.
The unique grade 10.00 in this round was of CJ Hobgood(USA)in the 9, the best heat in his this Round 1.

We can realize that in most cases, the surfer that took the best wave in the heat, won it. Except the two Brazilians:
- J. Andre(BRA)surf the best wave -4.00 -and six weak waves, and was defeated by M. Ho(HAW).
- A. de Souza(BRA)almost the same case: score 6.00 and some weak waves.

As the great surfer Rico de Souza said - Escolher bem é o segredo -Nas Ondas -Extra Newspaper-Dec. 11th,2015 -See the version in the blog.


source : WSL /World Surf League

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