BILLABONG PIPELINE MASTERS ROUND 1 TO COMMENCE AT ...
ASSOCIATION OF SURFING PROFESSIONALS (ASP) INTERNATIONAL
Billabong Pipeline Masters
Stop No. 10 of 10 on the 2007 Fosters ASP World Tour
Banzai Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii
Dec. 8-20, 2007
BILLABONG PIPELINE MASTERS ROUND 1 TO COMMENCE AT 10AM
BANZAI PIPELINE, Hawaii (Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007) Round 1 of the Billabong
Pipeline Masters, the final event on the 2007 Fosters ASP World Tour, will
commence at the famed Banzai Pipeline at 10am today.
The Billabong Pipeline Masters is unique in that 16 Pipeline specialists,
as nominated by ASP Hawaii and the Hawaii Pro Surfers Union (HPSU), are
seeded alongside the Fosters 45 and three event wildcards for a total of 64
surfers instead of the normal 48.
Round 1 of the Billabong Pipeline Masters will feature 12 four-man heats
comprised of the Foster's 45, the Pipeline Masters wildcards and injury
replacement surfers. From there, the 12 1st place finishers along with the four
highest 2nd place finishers will advance straight to Round 4. The remaining
eight 2nd place finishers and eight highest 3rd place finishers will negotiate
Round 3 and the remaining four 3rd place finishers and the 12 4th place
finishers will meet the 16 HPSU seeds in Round 2.
The Billabong Pipeline Masters is the third and final jewel in the Vans Triple
Crown of Surfing series and will determine this year's Vans Triple Crown
champion. ASP World No. 6 Bede Durbidge (AUS) currently leads the mens Vans
Triple Crown of Surfing ratings followed Roy Powers (HAW), Mick Fanning (AUS),
Adrian Buchan (AUS) and Makuakai Rothman (HAW). In addition to their share of
the $740,000 in prize money, the men's Vans Triple Crown champion will receive
a limited edition $25,000 Chevy Colorado truck and a custom $10,000 Nixon
watch.
All of the action of this year's Billabong Pipeline Masters can be experienced
live at www.billabongpro.com and www.aspworldtour.com.
Billabong Pro Round 1 Heat Draw
Heat 1: Andy Irons (HAW), Adriano de Souza (BRA), Cory Lopez (USA), Tiago Pires
(PRT)
Heat 2: Bobby Martinez (USA), Leonardo Neves (BRA), Greg Emslie (ZAF), Tim
Reyes (USA)
Heat 3: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Daniel Wills (AUS), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Mark
Occhilupo (AUS)
Heat 4: Damien Hobgood (USA), Luke Stedman (AUS), Raoni Monteiro (BRA), Gabe
Kling (USA)
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS), Phillip MacDonald (AUS), Ricky Basnett (ZAF),
Laurie Towner (AUS)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Royden Bryson (ZAF), Kalani
Chapman (HAW)
Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS), Bruce Irons (HAW), Chris Ward (USA), T.J Barron (HAW)
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA), Neco Padaratz (BRA),
Sunny Garcia (HAW)
Heat 9: Tom Whitaker (AUS), Michael Campbell (AUS), Bernardo Miranda (BRA),
Michael Lowe (AUS)
Heat 10: Taylor Knox (USA), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Josh Kerr (AUS), Luke Munro
(AUS)
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Kai Otton (AUS), Troy Brooks (AUS), Victor Ribas
(BRA)
Heat 12: Dean Morrison (AUS), Pancho Sullivan (HAW), Dayyan Neve (AUS), Shaun
Cansdell (AUS)