XBOX GERRY LOPEZ PIPELINE MASTERS

Slater Dominates Opening Round

Saturday, December 14 (Pipeline, Hawaii) Six-time world champion Kelly Slater (USA) today dominated the opening main event round of the Xbox Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT), in its 32nd annual year, completed 11 of 16 initial heats, as competition was placed on hold at midday due to a treacherous lineup.

6ft (2m) surf was on offer this morning, but as the swell continued to grow and wind turned onshore, conditions became wild with mainly closeouts. Following the sixth heat there was an hour plus break, but with cleaner 10-12 ft (3-4m) waves breaking, another five clashes were decided this afternoon.

Slater, a five-time Pipeline event winner, faced recently crowned 2002 world champion Andy Irons (Haw) and Xbox Trials runner-up Brian Pacheco (Haw) in the day's most anticipated clash. The Floridian took control from the outset, scoring an 8.0 right off the bat with a deep Pipeline tube. He then backed this with another 6.5 barrel for the highest combined tally of 14.5-points. Although breaking his board third ride, it mattered little, as both opponents required a combination of scores already following their mainly uncompleted rides.

"I think we were all expecting a lot out of each other," reasoned Slater afterward. "Unfortunately the waves weren't all that great. It was an exciting heat to be in, but it would have been different had they come out of their barrels.

"He's won the big prize for the year, but you can always have your own personal little prize," he added, on beating the new world champ. "Everything wasn't on the line here, so it didn't really mean a lot to anyone else. If that heat mattered more, we would have both surfed it differently and maybe a little more cautiously to make waves. I could see Andy was really pushing himself, taking off really deep on a couple."