2006 Rip Curl Pro Pipeline Masters

Let's Go, Blue!

Local TJ Barron racks up a nice one.

Well aware that they’d put the world on notice by making this such a contentious issue, today the local Pipe crew proved themselves worthy. Donning blue jerseys in their Round One heats, not one single Hawaiian who qualified through the Monster Energy Pro failed to advance today. Maui’s Hank Gaskell had the heat of his life today, shocking both Parko and Occy by pinning them in a combo situation. Other notables included Reef McIntosh and his giant wave of the round, Evan Valiere, Tory Barron and Aamion Goodwin. Surfing on wildcards, Kalani Chapman and Jamie O’Brien demonstrated early why they’re obvious favorites, both completely dominating their heats. But the heat of the year went to Bruce Irons who tallied a near-perfect 19.9 two-wave total—the highest score of the 2006 ASP season.

Talking to just about everybody on the North Shore this winter, the sentiment remains the same: this has been the worst season on record. Plagued by nasty winds, wrong-angled swells and dismal gray weather, with the exception of the brilliant final day of the World Cup of Surfing up at Sunset Beach, there’s hardly been a bright spot to speak of. But today Pipeline finally awoke, and thank god that’s all changed. And with Triple Crown directors Bernie Baker and Randy Rarrick making the call to roll out Round One of the Pipe Masters, the best surfers in the world ushered in the first real “Pipe swell” of the year.

While all eyes were obviously on ASP crowd favorites like Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning, and Andy and Bruce Irons, for those who’ve stayed abreast of the recent restructuring of the Pipe Masters, the real focal point was on the 13 “local” surfers that gained entry in the contest via their placing in last January’s Monster Energy Pro. If you recall, for the past several years there’s been much discussion about trying to get more of the Pipe specialists into the Pipe Masters, and finally last year an agreement was reached, letting the top 13 finishers of the Monster Energy Pro into the Pipe Masters. And this year we see the first class from this system in the Masters. The argument was that when it comes to riding the world’s most distinguished wave, the Pipe specialists are just talented as the ASP Top 44 and deserve a chance to test their mettle in professional surfing’s premier contest.

With Day One in the books this is only the beginning. Will we see an all Hawaiian final in a couple of days? Or with the two old friends still going strong, maybe we’ll relive the Kelly Slater/Rob Machado high-five final of 1995. Or could we see Andy Irons claim his forth Pipe title? As they say, it’s still anybody’s ball game, but whatever happens, at least winter finally arrived here on the North Shore.