The 30th anniversary celebration of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing begins today at the Reef Hawaii Pro at Hale’iwa Ali’i Beach on the North Shore of Oahu.
Reef Hawaiian Pro defending champion Taj Burrow, just off the heels of his ASP WCT event win at the O’Neill Cold Water Classic, will be keen to continue his on-point surfing with a usual display of power, style and tube riding abilities. With two wins on the ASP WCT this year (Snapper and Santa Cruz), and a proven track history of victory on the North Shore, Taj heads a list of pedigree surfers that are considered strong favorites to win the 2012 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
Another surfer who will certainly draw a lot of attention and support in each and every heat will be the Vans Triple Crown and Vans World Cup of Surfing defending champion John Florence. With the young North Shore local’s recent removal from the 2012 ASP World Title race, look for an even greater display of brilliant and relaxed surfing along his home stretch of beach. John’s defense of his Vans World Cup of Surfing title has a waiting period from November 25th through December 6th, and will take place at the open ocean arena that is Sunset Beach.
According to numerous press releases, 11x defending ASP WCT Champion Kelly Slater has decided to join the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing party this year, bringing added intrigue and interest to this already prestigious event. Kelly will be looking to keep his competitive focus sharp as he prepares for his World Title battle against Joel Parkinson and Mick Fanning at the third and final jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing at the Billabong Pipe Masters, which runs from December 8th through December 20th at Pipeline.
In addition to these surfers, a field thick with extremely talented local surfers, as well as surfers from around the world will be competing fiercely for the honor of being crowned the 2012 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Champion.
Early swell forecasts indicate near flat conditions in the early days of the waiting period of the Reef Hawaii Pro, with the potential of a NW swell providing a possibly start of competition on Friday November 16th with sets running in the chest-head to overhead range.
