![\"kelly](\"http:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/uploads\/ab0516c6-871d-d99f.jpg\")
\nCaption: Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning 11-time ASP World Champion, continues his showdown for the 2012 ASP World Title with Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, at the Billabong Pipe Masters.
\nImage Credit: \u00a9 ASP\/ SCHOLTZ<\/p>\n
Billabong Pipe Masters
\nEvent No. 10 of 10 on 2012 ASP World Championship Tour
\nEvent No. 3 of 3 on the 2012 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing
\nBanzai Pipeline, Hawaii\/USA
\nDecember 8 – 20, 2012<\/p>\n
ASP World Title Showdown Continues at Billabong Pipe Masters, Zietz Claims Vans Triple Crown<\/p>\n
\nCaption: Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning 11-time ASP World Champion, continues his showdown for the 2012 ASP World Title with Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, at the Billabong Pipe Masters.
\nImage Credit: \u00a9 ASP\/ SCHOLTZ<\/p>\n
BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu\/Hawaii (Sunday, December 9, 2012) \u2013 The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons ran a marathon 22 heats today, completed in six-to-eight foot (2 \u2013 2.5 metre) waves at the Banzai Pipeline.<\/p>\n
The final stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Billabong Pipe Masters ran its second consecutive day of competition with the event\u2019s top seeds hitting the water and the 2012 ASP World Title on the line.Kelly Slater (USA), 40, current ASP WCT No. 2, was methodical in his Round 3 heat, navigating both Pipeline and Backdoor with precision for a commanding win over wildcard Billy Kemper (HAW). Slater earned the day\u2019s highest heat total, an 18.63 out of 20, for his efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt drives you nuts when you\u2019re in the event and the waves are so good on the opening day,\u201d Slater said. \u201cBackdoor got a little better today because the swell got a little more North, but last night was A-plus Pipe and everyone knew about it. There are really good waves out there. We were scrapping to get anything going and I just got in synch. Billy (Kemper) and I were scrapping for sure and he let me know he wanted to win that heat as bad as I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slater, who is currently in contention for an unprecedented 12th ASP World Title, stressed the importance of focusing on each heat at the Billabong Pipe Masters rather than the distractions that come along with the ASP World Title Race.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had enough time to think about it,\u201d Slater said. \u201cWe\u2019re all processing it in our different ways. Mick (Fanning) is probably the most relaxed because he\u2019s a long shot. He knows what he has to do, he needs to win heats, whereas if I make it through the next heat then Parko (Joel Parkinson) has to beat me, but Joel and I aren\u2019t going to come up against each other unless we\u2019re in the Final. If you\u2019re thinking about that during your heat, you\u2019re not thinking about what\u2019s going on in the water. You have to be clear minded from all of that stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, current ASP WCT No. 1, improved his chances of clinching a maiden ASP World Title, taking a Round 3 win over deadly wildcard Kalani Chapman (HAW), 30, with textbook barrels at Backdoor.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to get in the water and start the game,\u201d Parkinson said. \u201cIt was torture watching yesterday, but it\u2019s a nervous frustration. You\u2019ve got to scramble at the start and stay patient at the end. I tried to get a couple of early ones and then wait. I got folded on a crazy left and then found that perfect drainer on the right. Backdoor can offer the best section to lay one over and it had the perfect part to lay one over. It felt so good to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parkinson would go onto blitz his afternoon Round 4 bout, advancing directly to the Quarterfinals of the Billabong Pipe Masters. Slater will contest his Round 4 heat when competition recommences.<\/p>\n
Mick Fanning (AUS), 31, who was in contention for the ASP World Title heading into the Billabong Pipe Masters, was eliminated from competition by wildcard Shane Dorian (HAW), 40, this afternoon, ending his chances of a 3rd ASP World Title at the Banzai Pipeline.<\/p>\n
\u201cShane (Dorian) has been a hero of mine since I learned how to surf and I wanted to be in the water with him,\u201d Fanning said. \u201cWe said we\u2019d make it a fun one out there. We were going tit-for-tat and I was close on the last one but it got me at the end. I was relaxed going in to this event because it (the ASP World Title) was a long shot. There was no pressure on me and I wanted to give it my all and finish well. I had a good heat and threw everything I had at it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sebastian Zietz (HAW), 24, went on to deliver a massive upset of his own this morning. Riding high after clinching the Vans Hawaiian Triple Crown of Surfing in Round 2, Zietz went on to eliminate ASP WCT rookie and local favorite John John Florence (HAW), 20, in their Round 3 match.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kind of wasn\u2019t ready for it,\u201d Zietz said. \u201cI was still celebrating it with two minutes left. John John (Florence) is my favorite surfer at the moment. He missed that first one and I got priority from him. He was looking at that backdoor one, so I knew it must have been good. I saw him fall on that last one and it was lucky for me and unlucky for John. I\u2019m still focused on the contest, this all hasn\u2019t really sunk in yet and I\u2019ll celebrate everything after it\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zietz would go onto claim the opening Round 4 bout over Damien Hobgood (USA), 33, and Dane Reynolds (USA), 27, advancing directly into the Quarterfinals of the Billabong Pipe Masters.<\/p>\n
In addition to the ASP World Title Race drama and the culmination of the Vans Hawaiian Triple Crown battle, the world\u2019s best surfers put on a show in the classic Pipeline conditions, posting the event\u2019s high scores while battling for their respective rights to win the coveted Billabong Pipe Masters.<\/p>\n
Reynolds, a wildcard into the event, posted the first perfect 10-point ride of the Billabong Pipe Masters, driving through a deep backdoor barrel en route to eliminating Adriano de Souza (BRA), 25 in Round 3. Reynolds\u2019 perfect score came in his second heat victory of the day after besting Kai Otton (AUS), 32, in Round 2 in their morning match up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere weren\u2019t any rights out there,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cIt just looks like the right swell and size for the rights but they weren\u2019t coming in. On my right, it was crumbly and I was trying to get under the lip. It crumbled and I just got under the whitewash. I was deep and just pushed through it. It\u2019s the first 10 I got out here. I\u2019ve been competing a lot this year still. I don\u2019t think there is a shifting of gears, you\u2019re just trying to make due with what comes to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
After an impressive run this morning, Reynolds fell short against Zietz in his afternoon, non-elimination Round 4 heat and will take on C.J. Hobgood (USA), 33, in Round 5 when competition resumes.<\/p>\n
Gabriel Medina (BRA), 18, led the Brazilian charge while getting the best of Kolohe Andino (USA), 18, in an incredible Round 3 rookie battle. Medina, who is often cited for his aerial game, looked comfortable in Pipeline\u2019s heavy conditions and earned one of the event\u2019s high-heat totals of 18.50 for two immaculate Pipeline bombs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt so good to get two waves at Pipe,\u201d Medina said. \u201cI\u2019ve been watching the wave since this morning and rode a 6\u20196\u201d. I\u2019m just stoked to make it through, I\u2019m pretty happy. Where I come from is a barreling wave. I\u2019ve surfed there all of my life and I think it helps me out here. I\u2019ve heard people saying things about me not being able to surf on my backhand and that I can\u2019t get barreled, and it\u2019s good. I\u2019ve been practicing and I think I\u2019m getting better at it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:30am local time for a possible 8am recommencement to competition.<\/p>\n
Surfline, official forecasters for the Billabong Pipe Masters, have called for:<\/p>\n
Solid NW swell from today will 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.<\/p>\n
Highlights from the Billabong Pipe Masters are available via http:\/\/vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com\/billabongpipemasters2012<\/p>\n
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com<\/p>\n
BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS REMAINING ROUND 2 RESULTS:
\nHeat 4: Shane Dorian (HAW) 13.77 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.10
\nHeat 5: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.60 def. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 12.76
\nHeat 6: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.73 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 12.17
\nHeat 7: Dane Reynolds (USA) 17.00 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 13.26
\nHeat 8: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.66 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 9.90
\nHeat 10: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 14.17 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 12.17
\nHeat 11: Kolohe Andino (USA) 9.47 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 3.83
\nHeat 12: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 16.33 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 7.12<\/p>\n
BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 3 RESULTS:
\nHeat 1: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 15.00 def. John John Florence (HAW) 7.83
\nHeat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.10 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 10.83
\nHeat 3: Dane Reynolds (USA) 17.83 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 8.50
\nHeat 4: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 14.16 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 13.17
\nHeat 5: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.60 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.87
\nHeat 6: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.17 def. Kalani Chapman (HAW) 13.50
\nHeat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 18.50 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.06
\nHeat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) 18.13 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 17.13
\nHeat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.63 def. Billy Kemper (HAW) 15.50
\nHeat 10: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 12.83 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.66
\nHeat 11: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 11.83 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 10.10
\nHeat 12: Shane Dorian (HAW) 15.67 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.07<\/p>\n
BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 4 RESULTS:
\nHeat 1: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 16.40, Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.17, Dane Reynolds (USA) 9.96
\nHeat 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.10, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 6.20, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 5.83<\/p>\n
REMAINING BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 4 MATCH UPS:
\nHeat 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Josh Kerr (AUS), Kelly Slater (USA)
\nHeat 4: Yadin Nicol (AUS), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Shane Dorian (HAW)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Billabong Pipe Masters Event No. 10 of 10 on 2012 ASP World Championship Tour Event No. 3 of 3 on the 2012 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii\/USA December 8 – 20, 2012 ASP World Title Showdown Continues at Billabong Pipe Masters, Zietz Claims Vans Triple Crown Caption: Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning … Continue reading “ASP World Title at Billabong Pipe Masters, Zietz Claims Vans Triple Crown”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[24],"class_list":["post-14000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-asp-surfing-news","tag-surfing-news-archive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14000\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}