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Somewhat confusingly the event, scheduled in the same 8-20 December window the WSL formerly used for the CT event to end its competitive year, now carries the Pipe Masters moniker but is distinct from the Billabong Pro Pipe contest, which is now the first event of the CT season which starts at the end of next month.
In a strange turn of events John John, King Kelly, Italo, Filipe, Jack Robinson and Stephanie Gilmore all were slated to surf but pulled out just before the start of the event. This paved the way for a bunch of local talent combined with a few CT stars to light up Pipe over three days of a competition with a very different format. Surfers got two rounds each without elimination or priority to come up with their best two rides. Consideration of style was one of the judging criteria. (Gerry Lopez eat your heart out)
The top four surfers in each of the men’s and women’s divisions competed in a four surfer final with the winner taking a $100 000 cheque in addition to the coveted Pipe Master title.
The first two days featured really big (up to 12 feet both days) sunny Pipeline days with some incredible barrels, but apparently lacked the nuance in swell direction for it to be considered ‘classic’ Pipe. Finals day had terrific conditions in terms of swell direction but lacked the size and sunshine of the first two days, the light offshore 4-6 footers were only interrupted by the changing wind during the women’s final, which was the last heat of the event.
In a men’s final boasting CT title hopeful Griffin Colapinto and recently returned CT charger Joao Chianca most of the support on the beach was for local Oahu surfer Kaulana Apo and adopted New Yorker Balaram Stack, in that order. Stack who had clearly spent a tonne of time in Hawaii was a clear and popular winner, his mother Mary, whom he named his recently released film ‘Hail Mary’ after, was there to cheer him on.
In the women’s event, Carrisa Moore was red hot favourite going into the final after scoring a backdoor tube ride that was given a 29.5 out of a possible 30 points by judges the day before the final – by far the highest score of the event. She had Australian Molly Picklum, American teenager Caitlin Simmers and fellow Hawaiin Bettylou Sakura-Johnson to contend with in the final. All three women recently qualified through the Challenger Series to take on Carissa during next year’s CT Dream Tour. Picklum won the final by a good distance from Betty Lou and Caitlin with Carrisa finishing fourth due to an interference, without which she would have finished runner-up. All hail Balaram and Central Coast surfer Picklum, who has just turned twenty.
Until recently female top flight surfers didn’t get to compete on Oahu at Haleiwa, Sunset or Pipe but they now get top billing at all three spots. In the commentary they were calling Picklum the first woman’s Pipe Master, clearly ignoring the first official women’s CT event won last year by Moana Jones-Wong. Regardless of the competition’s differences, their similarities in terms of now including a women’s division in both events with equal prize money is a major step forward for surfing in general..
RESULTS
1st ($100,000) Balaram Stack 42.3
2nd ($60,000) Griffin Colapinto 35.1
3rd ($30,ooo) Kaulana Apo 25.7
4th ($15,000) Joao Chianca 24.6
1st $(100,000) Molly Picklum 30.0
2nd ($60,000) Bettylou Johnson 20.3
3rd ($30,000) Caitlin Simmers 18.5
4th ($15,000) Carissa Moore 18.1
