A little under a fortnight’s time, on December 8th, the 13 day competition-window for the Billabong Pipe Masters opens at Banzai Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore, Hawaii.
The final and arguably the most critical stop on the ASP World Championship Tour for the 2012 calendar will decide the world title.
Currently Joel Parkinson (Australia) and Kelly Slater (America) are sitting in the premier seats with 53900 and 50700 total tour points respectively. The incumbent Mick Fanning (Australia) sits at third rank on 47000, a little off the pace but still in with a chance for the title.
Coolangatta kid ‘Parko’ leads this year’s tour rankings, after a year of consistently brilliant surfing in highly varied conditions – the often small waves, which didn’t suit his style and size, making his effort this year all the more impressive.
Pipeline is the 10th stop on the 2012 tour, and Parko has so far managed these results from the first nine:
Gold Coast (Queensland) – fifth
Bells Beach (Victoria) – third
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) – second
Tavarua (Fiji) – ninth
Teahupoo (Tahiti) – second
Trestles (California) – second
La Graviere (France) – third
Peniche (Portugal) – third
Santa Cruz (California) – fifth
Parko’s ninth place, his worst of the year, came at Tavarua in Fiji, where fellow Australian Taj Burrow knocked him out in the fifth round. Kelly Slater went on to beat Brazilian Gabriel Medina in the final to win Tavarua, the fourth stop of the tour.
The win afforded Kelly 10,000 much needed tour points after his no-show at Rio de Janeiro due to injury (although he was seen surfing on the Gold Coast towards the end of the Rio competition).
By comparison Kelly Slater’s placements are more varied:
Gold Coast (Queensland)– fifth (Parko and Slater tied fifth along with Australian Ace Buchan)
Bells Beach (Victoria) – second
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) – injured
Tavarua (Fiji) – first
Teahupoo (Tahiti) – 13th
Trestles (California) – first
La Graviere (France) – first
Peniche (Portugal) – 13th
Santa Cruz (California) – ninth
Not since the now-deceased Hawaiian Andy Irons won his last World Tour in 2004, has the tour come down to the final competition of the year, a position held by Pipeline.
It’s been a great year on the tour with massive waves marking the Tavarua leg, in an otherwise reasonably swell-lacking but still highly entertaining tour.
Another of the year’s highlights was the progressive-styled Dane Reynold’s performance at La Graviere, making it through to the final from a wildcard entrance, only to be beaten by Slater in the final.
The incumbent World Title holder, and fellow Cooly-kid Mick Fanning, isn’t far off the pace in third place. His results for the year are:
Gold Coast (Queensland) – 13
Bells Beach (Victoria) – first
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) – third
Tavarua (Fiji) – third
Teahupoo (Tahiti) – first
Trestles (California) – third
La Graviere (France) – 13th
Peniche (Portugal) – ninth
Santa Cruz (California) – 25th
First place at Pipeline gets 10,000 tour points, and second place gets 8000, meaning the 3200 point lead that Parko has over Slater would be enough to secure him his first World Title if it’s to be a one-two finish of Kelly then Parko.
Joel also has a rather prolific history of winning the Hawaiian Triple Crown of surfing – a title that incorporates competitions at Pipeline, Sunset Beach and Haleiwa Ali’i Beach all situated on Oahu’s North Shore – in 2010, 2009, and 2008.
He holds four runner-up titles, coming second on the World Tour in 2011, 2009, 2004 and 2002, so there is no doubt that the motivation is burning deep within him.
It’s far from a done deal though, his competition is Kelly Slater, the most successful surfer to have ever lived, and his best mate Mick Fanning, the torchbearer of Australian surfing in recent years.
The whole year has been leading up to this competition, and Parko the perennial underdog is on top leading in. Will it be Parko’s year at Pipeline?
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