The waiting period for the 2013 Billabong Pipe Masters (In Memory of Andy Irons) is scheduled to start this Sunday December 8th, and run through December 20th.
The Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii will be the venue for the final and crowning event of both the 2013 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and the 2013 ASP Men’s World Championship Tour. Widely known for its equal parts beauty and danger, Pipe is the original and definitive tube riding competition; only the Teahupoo event matches Pipeline’s opportunity for both heavy cavernous barrel rides and horrifying wipe outs.
This 43rd running of the Pipe Masters is undeniably the most highly anticipated to date, and has the potential to finish in monumentally dramatic fashion. The storyline is perfect: the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour title will be decided at the 2013 Billabong Pipe Masters, with Kelly Slater, the greatest competitive surfer of all time, requiring an outright event win in order to have a shot at winning the title. In addition to needing to win the event, Kelly needs Mick Fanning, the current world #1, to finish equal 5th place or lower.
Kelly holds a record setting six Pipe Masters titles. However, Kelly’s last title was achieved back in 2008. Furthermore, Kelly’s dominant reign at the Pipe Masters took place in the 90’s with wins in 1998, 1996, 1995, 1994, and 1992. The 2013 ASP WCT title hopes appear to be heavily stacked against Kelly, which is a scary predicament for Mick, as Kelly normally thrives and has achieved some of his greatest surfing accomplishments when backed up against the wall.
Mick Fanning, on the other hand, has never won the Billabong Pipe Masters – his best result came in 2005 as that year’s event runner up. Mick has been the most consistent surfer on tour in 2013, but that will mean little or nothing to Mick if he is unable to successfully complete his world title campaign during the 2013 Billabong Pipe Masters. Winning a third world title in 2013 would place Mick equal with the competitive greatness of surfing legends Andy Irons and Tom Curren.
Being the top two seeds and therefore on opposite ends of the draw, Kelly and Mick will not meet until the Final, leaving Mick to control his own world title destiny one heat at a time. Kelly will have zero room for error, and will need some help in the form of a pre semifinals elimination result from Mick.
No Hawaiian surfer has claimed victory at the Pipe Masters since Andy Irons won in 2006. Look for John John Florence to change that, and play the part of world title spoiler (if given the opportunity) and 2013 Billabong Pipe Masters champion with his distinctively relaxed yet highly technical barrel riding approach.
All the live and on-demand action will be available to view at the official Vans Triple Crown of Surfing website.
