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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Sunday, December 14, 2003

Irons, Slater master surf, advance at Banzai Pipeline

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kaua'i's Andy Irons remained in contention for surfing's world championship by dominating his first-round heat in the Xbox Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters yesterday.

Photos by Bernie Baker • Special to The Advertiser

Florida's Kelly Slater moved a step closer to an unprecedented seventh world championship yesterday by winning his first-round heat.
Fitting for surfing's dramatic finish, you'll have to stay tuned until next time.

The showdown for the 2003 world championship endured another day as Andy Irons of Kaua'i and Kelly Slater of Florida advanced to the third round of the Xbox Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters yesterday.

The first and second rounds were completed in 5- to 8-foot waves at the Banzai Pipeline.

"Glad just to get this one out of the way," Irons said. "It was a little nerve-wrecking for a while."

The Pipeline Masters is the final event on the 2003 World Championship Tour. Through the first 11 contests, Slater is rated No. 1 with 8,340 points; Irons is No. 2 with 8,244. Slater is seeking an unprecedented seventh world title; Irons is the defending world champ.

"The pressure's on both of us, there's no getting around it," Slater said.

Irons, who is also the defending Pipeline Masters champ, had to surf in the very first heat of the day. He got the contest off to a dazzling start, recording scores of 8.53 and 8.50 for two long barrel rides — one to his right, and one to his left.

Slater surfed in the heat right after Irons, and he also turned in a stellar performance. In what he described as a "fully-stacked heat," Slater's final score of 15.5 beat the combined total of Hawai'i surfers Kalani Robb (8.9) and Brian Pacheco (4.43).

As first-round winners, Irons and Slater received byes into the third round.

No surfers were eliminated after the first round, but the non-winners had to compete in the second round, where eliminations started.

"I was trying not to think about it," Irons said. "But I didn't want to surf again (in the second round), so I knew how important that first heat was."

Australian Jake Paterson was eliminated yesterday, so Irons is also in position to win the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing championship for the second consecutive year. The Pipeline Masters is also the final event in the Triple Crown series.

As the top two seeds in the contest, Irons and Slater can not meet in the same heat unless they both reach the final.

They were not the only standouts yesterday. Hawai'i's wildcard entries continued to impress, led by Bruce Irons, Andy's younger brother. His two-wave total of 17.1 was the best score of the second round.

Six of the nine Hawai'i surfers who won wildcard spots on Friday advanced to the third round: Bruce Irons, Marcus Hickman, Jamie O'Brien, Pancho Sullivan, Kalani Chapman and Derek Ho.

Chapman scored the only perfect 10 of the day in his second-round heat.

Among the surfers eliminated in the second round was Shane Dorian of Kailua, Kona, in his final appearance as a World Championship Tour competitor. After 12 years on the tour, he will retire to chase big waves around the world.

Three Hawai'i wildcards were eliminated: Pacheco, Jonah Morgan and Fred Patacchia Jr.

The next day of competition is expected to run later this week.

"We've been waiting all year, what's a couple more days," Slater said of the title race.

For daily status of the contest, call 596-7873.

• • •

Third-round draw

Heat 1: Kieren Perrow (Australia), Jamie O'Brien (Hawai'i), Damien Hobgood (Florida), Nathan Hedge (Australia). Heat 2: Mark Occhilupo (Australia), Victor Ribas (Brazil), Joel Parkinson (Australia), Pancho Sullivan (Hawai'i). Heat 3: Luke Egan (Australia), Fabio Gouveia (Brazil), Shea Lopez (Florida), Luke Hitchings (Australia). Heat 4: Andy Irons (Hawai'i), Guilherme Herdy (Brazil), Peterson Rosa (Brazil), Marcus Hickman (Hawai'i). Heat 5: Kelly Slater (Florida), Kalani Chapman (Hawai'i), Phillip MacDonald (Australia), Trent Munro (Australia). Heat 6: Danny Wills (Australia), Tim Curran (California), Dean Morrison (Australia), Beau Emerton (Australia). Heat 7: Mick Fanning (Australia), Derek Ho (Hawai'i), Kalani Robb (Hawai'i), Paulo Moura (Brazil). Heat 8: Michael Lowe (Australia), Bruce Irons (Hawai'i), Cory Lopez (Florida), Neco Padaratz (Brazil).

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.