Updated at 4:54 p.m., Monday, December 17, 2007
Australia's Durbidge wins Pipeline Masters, Triple Crown
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
The final day of the prestigious Pipeline Masters contest was run in small waves of 2 to 4 feet. Waves were almost non-existent at the famous Banzai Pipeline, so the final was run 100 yards down the beach at a spot called "Off The Walls."
Durbidge received a near-perfect score of 9.5 (out of 10) early in the 35-minute final heat and never relinquished the lead after that.
He received $30,000 for the victory — his first in Hawai'i.
Durbidge also received a new Chevy truck and a Nixon watch as the best overall performer in the Triple Crown series.
Fellow Australian Dean Morrison placed second. Pancho Sullivan of Sunset Beach was the only Hawai'i surfer to reach the final. He placed third and received $13,000. Australia's Joel Parkinson was fourth.
Perhaps because of the small conditions, many of Hawai'i's top surfers were eliminated early in the day, including Andy Irons, Bruce Irons and Fred Patacchia Jr.
The contest was run today because waves are predicted to get even smaller the rest of this week. The final had to be completed by Thursday.
