Billabong Pipe Masters down to round of 16

PIPELINE, HI – DECEMBER 17: Peterson Crisanto of Brazil winning Heat 2 of Round 3 of the Billabong Pipe Masters Presented by Hyro Flask on December 17, 2020 in Oahu, Hawaii. (Photo by Brent Bielmann/World Surf League via Getty Images)

The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons presented by Hydro Flask resumed last night with consistent 8’-10’ swells.

The day opened with Heat 2 of the Elimination Round. Julian Wilson (AUS), Ethan Ewing (AUS), and Miguel Tudela (PER) were originally slated to compete in Heat 1 of the Elimination Round, but Tudela was forced to withdraw from the competition after suffering four broken ribs over the weekend. Wilson and Ewing automatically advanced to the Round of 32.

Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), who earned a spot on the 2021 CT season after winning the Injury Wildcard surf-off, hit the water three times today. In Heat 4 of the Elimination Round, Fioravanti got second place behind Peterson Crisanto (BRA), but also advanced to the Round of 32. Fioravanti remained in the water for Heat 1 in the Round of 32, winning against Filipe Toledo (BRA). Later in the day, Fioravanti again faced Crisanto for Heat 1 of the Round of 16, but this time took the win and became the first surfer to qualify for the Quarterfinals.

“Last week, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be on tour for the whole year,” said Fioravanti after winning Heat 1 of the Round of 16, “but now I’m in the Quarterfinals, and it feels incredible. All of the hard work I’ve put into this year is paying off, but it’s not over yet, it’s just starting.”

Rookie Jack Robinson (AUS) won Heat 8 with a combined score of 17.73 (out of a possible 20) for the highest score of the day against fellow Australian Julian Wilson (AUS). Robinson will face 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) in Heat 4 of the Round of 16. Slater won Heat 7 with a combined score of 12.80 in the Round of 32 against Ethan Ewing (AUS).

“I got a bad wave at the start of my heat, I almost hurt myself,” said Slater, “then all a sudden, I got two good ones and got a third good one toward the end of the heat.”

The Round of 32 also saw several victories from the Brazilian Storm, with defending World Champion Italo Ferreira (BRA), two-time World Champion Gabriel Medina, Jadson Andre, Peterson Crisanto, Caio Ibelli, and Miguel Pupo all winning their heats.

“That was a hard heat,” said Ferreira after winning Heat 9 against Sebastian Zietz (HAW), “I got a lot of closeouts and some little ones, but the good thing is I made it. I’m stoked to be in the water again.”

Ryan Callinan (AUS), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Jack Freestone (AUS), andKanoa Igarashi (JAP) also won their heats and advanced to the Round of 16.

PIPELINE, HI – DECEMBER 17: Two-time WSL Champion John John Florence of Hawaii of Italy winning Heat 3 of Round 3 of the Billabong Pipe Masters Presented by Hyro Flask on December 17, 2020 in Oahu, Hawaii. (Photo by Brent Bielmann/World Surf League via Getty Images)

John John Florence (HAW) defeated rookie Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) in Heat 2 of the Round of 16, claiming a spot in the Quarterfinals, and will face Fioravanti in Heat 1. Jordy Smith (ZAF) also advanced to the Quarterfinals after winning Heat 3 of the Round of 16 against Caio Ibelli (BRA) with a combined score of 11.67.

The next call at the Banzai Pipeline will be Friday, December 18 at 7:00 a.m. HST.

In addition to continuing the Billabong Pipe Masters presented by Hydro Flask, the call will also determine the schedule for the final day of competition for the Maui Pro presented by ROXY.

Surfline Forecast for the Billabong Pipe Masters presented by Hydro Flask and Maui Pro presented by ROXY

For Friday, a solid, but slowly easing northwest swell is expected to bring 8’-10’ faces that will ease down to 6’-8’ faces. Conditions will bring both Pipe and Backdoor offerings but should favor Backdoor. Expect strong northeastern trades throughout the day.

Maui Pro presented by ROXY Remaining Quarterfinal Matchup:

Heat 4: Sage Erickson (USA) vs. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)

Maui Pro pres. by ROXY Semifinal Matchups:

Heat 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Heat 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. TBD

Billabong Pipe Masters presented by Hydro Flask Round of 16 Heat Line-ups

Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA), Jack Robinson (AUS)
Heat 5: Italo Ferreira (BRA), Ryan Callinan (AUS)
Heat 6: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 8: Jadson Andre (BRA), Kanoa Igarashi (JAP)

Billabong Pipe Masters presented by Hydro Flask Quarterfinal Heat Line-ups

Heat 1: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. John John Florence (HAW)
Heat 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. TBD

Billabong Pipe Masters presented by Hydro Flask Elimination Round Results

Heat 2: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 12.83 DEF. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 6.64, Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 1.20
Heat 3: Mikey Wright (AUS) 9.84 DEF. Wade Carmichael (AUS) 5.36, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 1.27
Heat 4: Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 4.87 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 4.50, Conner Coffin (USA) 2.93

Billabong Pipe Masters presented by Hydro Flask Round of 32 Results

Heat 1: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 11.00 DEF. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 3.00
Heat 2: Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 9.10 DEF. Griffin Colapinto (USA) 4.33
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) 13.17 DEF. Connor O’Leary (AUS) 9.94
Heat 4: Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) 13.67, Seth Moniz (HAW) 9.04
Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 9.17 DEF. Mikey Wright (AUS) 7.33
Heat 6: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 9.30 DEF. Wade Carmichael (AUS) 5.77
Heat 7: Kelly Slater (USA) 12.80 DEF. Ethan Ewing (AUS) 8.60
Heat 8: Jack Robinson (AUS) 17.73 DEF. Julian Wilson (AUS) 10.17
Heat 9: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 10.16 DEF. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 2.06
Heat 10: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 9.60 DEF. Yago Dora (BRA) 6.67
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (BRA) 11.17 DEF. Joshua Moniz (HAW) 2.36
Heat 12: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.47 DEF. Kolohe Andino (USA) 8.23
Heat 13: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 11.83 DEF. Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 6.34
Heat 14: Jack Freestone (AUS) 13.00 DEF. Frederico Morais (POR) 5.23
Heat 15: Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.66 DEF. Michel Bourez (FRA) 4.33
Heat 16: Kanoa Igarashi (JAP) 10.00 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 9.00

Billabong Pipe Masters presented by Hydro Flask Round of 16 Results

Heat 1: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 10.33 DEF. Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 6.73
Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) 8.50 DEF. Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) 5.73
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 11.67 DEF. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 1.63

December in Peru!

North swells mean long barrels in boardies! Jonathan Gubbins tucks in…

A/Div: Alaska

Griffin Colapinto, Tyler Warren, Becca Speak and Eithan Osborne point their compasses north and head to an isolated stretch of icy points, reefs, and bays where heavy weather calls the shots and your survival instinct remains fully charged.
Jump aboard The Viking and relive the Crew’s adventure, as told through their voices and directed by Billabong Ambassador and outdoor photographer/filmmaker Chris Burkard.

Billabong Pipe masters is back on

The waiting period of the Billabong Pipe Masters will resume tonight (UK time) December 17th at 5pm GMT, (7 am HST, 9 am PT)

WSL postponed the event after a number officials tested positive for the big C. Not much news has come out after the initial announcement, but hopefully they have a strict testing regime and the comp should run smoothly from here on in…

Surf forecast is looking good!

WSl took five day break after this PR…

“Masters competition as a result of positive COVID-19 tests within the WSL staff, including WSL CEO Erik Logan.
The WSL is committed to prioritizing the safety of the athletes, staff and surrounding community above all else, and is working closely and transparently with the Hawaii State Department of Health to determine the path forward. As part of the league’s COVID Safety Plan, anyone who has returned a confirmed positive test is self-isolating until they are cleared, and contact tracing protocols have been fully implemented. The WSL does not believe that any athletes have been exposed and will continue to execute the safety protocols.”

The UK Coastguard has issued cold water swimming guidelines after an 80% increase in swimming related incidents

The UK Coastguard has issued cold water swimming guidelines after an 80% increase in calls to swimming related incidents in 2020.

As we all all know there are a lot of benefits to getting in the ocean, however the huge uptake in participation of cold water sea swimming is rising alarms as we head into winter and the sea temperature drops significantly in Europe.

“There has been a significant increase in people enjoying open-water swimming and cold-water dipping. There’s also been an increase of nearly 80% (79.81%) in calls for HM Coastguard’s help for swimming-related incidents – up from 436 between January and November 2019 to 784 for the same period in 2020.’ Said HM CG.

“Swimming in the sea is a tradition for many over Christmas and New Year but many organised events with safety marshalls have been called off this year. We are keen that the ever-growing number of swimmers and dippers are aware of the risks and know how to enjoy the activity safely, especially during the winter season.

“Advice for cold-water dippers and open-water swimmers:
· Don’t swim alone
· Check the weather forecast and tide times
· Ensure you have warm clothes for before and after your dip
· Wearing a wetsuit will help increase your buoyancy and reduce the chances of suffering cold water shock
· Be seen – wear a brightly coloured swim cap and consider using a tow float
· Acclimatise to the water temperature slowly – never jump straight in
· Stay in your depth and know your limits
· If you get into trouble remember FLOAT to live by leaning back in the water, extending your arms and legs, and resisting the urge to thrash around to gain control of your breathing
· Take a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch
· If in doubt, stay out – there is always another day to go for a swim
· If you or someone else gets into trouble at sea or along the coast call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”

If you re new to sea swimming we would add –

· Check and learn about surf forecasts
· Learn about rip currents and tidal surges.
· Ask local advice if you are new to a beach or swimming in the sea.

Coastal Operations Area Commander Matt Pavitt said: “Many people find that swimming in the sea and cold water dipping has physical and mental health benefits but please remember these activities can also result in cold water shock which is extremely dangerous.

“Cold water shock is a risk when the water temperature is 15 degrees Celsius and below. Our average sea temperature around the UK is just 6-10 degrees Celsius in the winter and the shock of cold water can catch out even the fittest and strongest of swimmers.

“So we’re asking everyone to be fully prepared before entering the water and follow safety advice to stay as safe as possible.”

If you see anyone in difficulty at the sea or along the coast, please call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. We’re on call 24/7 all year round.

Worth noting that is the little know fact that the emergency line ‘999’ in the UK works even out of mobile network signal as it bounces off satellites so you can get help where ever you are (coves etc).