Kelly Wins Again
9 Time World Champion, 6 Time Pipeline Master
- December 11, 2008
- 0 Comments
- By Story/Photos By TOB
Oahu had 11 inches of rain on Thursday. A Kona low had passed the island with heavy winds and major flooding. It seems that every year there is a Triple Crown Storm.
Friday morning, the weather was cloudy, the water looked sort of brown, kind of like the Outer Banks or Puerto Escondido. The waves were pumping A frames with up to 15 foot faces, but short period fetch and coming from various directions. There were Pipeline and Backdoor barrels.
The final day means surfing 4 heats to win. The Hawaiians started falling. Wildcards Marcus Hickman and Evan Valiere lost in Round 4. Evan lost in the last seconds to Andy Irons. The Quarters saw Jamie O’Brien, Kamalei Alexander and Andy Irons fall. It was the first time since the early 1990’s that no Hawaiians made it past the Quarters.
Californians Timmy Reyes and Chris Ward were on fire as were Floridian Kelly Slater and Australian Ace Buchan.
In Semi 1, Timmy Reyes had Kelly Slater comboed with 7 minutes to go. Kelly needed a two wave score of 15.54. Contest Executive Director Randy Rarick and surfing icon Rabbit Kekai were sitting with me agreeing that Kelly was going down again. He had not been a Pipe Master this century…his last win was 1999. I told them, “Never count Kelly out.” Kelly used his priority and took a Pipe wave for a 9.0. Paddling back out Kelly ran smack into a beautiful Backdoor barrel for a perfect 10. In less than a minute, Kelly had gone on top. Final score, Kelly 19, Timmy 15.6. Wardo comboed Ace in Semi 2 and paddled in with over 3 minutes on the clock.
During the break, there was a classic Expression Session with Gerry Lopez, Rory Russel, and World Longboard Champion Bonga Perkins.
The final was set. Nine time World Champion, Five time Pipe Master Kelly Slater vs. Chris Ward. Kelly had surfed 82 heats in the Pipe Master (most ever) and this was his 11th final. He had already won 5 times. Dave Stansfield introduced the 2 surfers before the final. The winner would win a $25,000 Gerry Lopez Lightning Bolt surfboard with a charcoal drawing of Gerry on the front. Kelly said “I want that board!” If Wardo won, he would win the Triple Crown, the Pipe Masters, a $10,000 bonus and a $10,000 Nixon watch.
The final was somewhat anticlimactic. It was a wave starved 40 minutes. Kelly managed to find a 7.17 and a 6.83 to top Wardo’s 3.76 and 3.5.
Congratulations to Kelly Slater, 9 time World Champion, 6 time Pipeline Master, and constant record breaker.
Kelly has been riding a new model board. In the 3rd round, he told me he was riding his 5’10” because he broke his 5’3” the day before. In the final day he rode a 5’11” X 13 ¼” X 2 ½” model. It has a gunny tail with a stubbier nose and he has gone thicker. No, you can’t buy this model at the store.
Reporting from the Bonzai Pipeline, North Shore, Oahu: TOB