The WSL saved the best until last with the 2016 Billabong Pipe Masters contest, where the world’s best surfers got pitted and pummelled at the North Shore proving ground, Banzai Pipeline. This year the world champion had already been decided ahead of the contest, but that didn’t take any shine off this premier surfing event. There were still battles for re-qualification to fight, and every surfer on the tour would love a win at Pipe. So let’s get into the action, and kick off with a look at this fabled wave from a new perspective…
The contest was put on hold for much of the waiting period, with small swell plaguing the first days and first few rounds of surfing. A WSL-first occurred in Round 2 when Keanu Asing got knocked out of the running by wonder rookie Kanoa Igarashi, shutting him out of re-qualifying for the CT next year. Asing won the contest in France earlier in the year, beating both Florence and Medina to the podium. So now he’s the first ever pro surfer to win an event and fail to re-qualify in the same season.
Tour veteran Kai Otton was another one of the guys who dropped out early in the Round stages, losing to Kolohe Andino in the final moments of his Round 3 heat. After 10 years competing he’s failed to keep himself on the Championship Tour this season and won’t chase the QS to get back on. You’ll probably see him surfing with Taj Burrow somewhere soon…
As for the surfers that did do well, let’s start with Slater. He was on form and looked like a firm contender for the win, straight through the rounds and all the way to the semis. Watch him getting slotted at Backdoor to see just how easy he makes it look…
It was all looking sweet until he met Igarashi… would you believe that the rookie took down the 11-time world champion! That kid has to be stoked with a result like that, and he’s guaranteed his spot on the World Tour next season. Through to the final and matched up against Michel Bourez, the 18-year-old from Huntington Beach had a shot to finish his rookie year with a win at Pipe…
Igarashi put up a good fight, but Bourez was too much for the young gun and sealed the win, his first win of the season. As the rankings fell into place for the year, Bourez rested at 6th in the world, with Jordy Smith in 2nd and Gabriel Medina in 3rd. The 2016 Billabong Pipe Masters champion has been crowned, and with that the 2016 WSL season is over, so it’s time for a break and we’ll be back in March next year when it all kicks off again!
Featured image: @circleisland24 via Instagram