The Banzai Pipeline offers a special wave, so it is quite fitting that its "specialists" will be offered a chance to compete in the Rip Curl Pro Pipeline Masters.

The prestigious contest changed its format this year to give some of Pipeline's best surfers a chance to compete against the world's top-ranked surfers.

"It's a huge opportunity," said Maui's Ian Walsh, who received one of the invitations to compete. "Ever since I was like 12 years old, I've been dreaming about wearing that Pipe Masters jersey and being in that contest."

The Pipeline Masters is a World Championship Tour contest, so the 45 surfers who compete on the tour make up the bulk of the field. In past years, three wildcard spots were available to increase the field to 48.

This year, the field was increased to 64, meaning 19 wildcard spots will be added to the mix.

Appropriately, many of the wildcard invitations went to Pipeline specialists — the surfers who ride the dangerous wave on a regular basis, but don't compete on the world tour.

Among them: Walsh, Dustin Barca, Tory Barron, Nathan Carroll, Hank Gaskell, Aamion Goodwin, Rob Machado, Reef McIntosh, Jamie O'Brien, Solomon Ortiz, Randall Paulson, Tamayo Perry, Makua Rothman and Evan Valiere.

The change in format is drawing mixed reviews from the 45 surfers on the WCT.

"I don't mind it, but I know a lot of other guys who are (upset) about it," said North Shore surfer Fred Patacchia Jr.

Patacchia is currently ranked No. 14 on the 2006 WCT, so he could draw one of the wildcards in his early heats.

"It's good for the sport because those are the guys who surf the spot the best," Patacchia said. "It's good for the spectators, and it pushes the level of surfing. I know if I get one of them in my heat, I'm going to have to raise my level."

Florida's Kelly Slater already clinched the 2006 world championship, but he is one of the surfers not satisfied with the change.

Slater has a record eight world championships and five Pipeline Masters championships. But from his perspective, the change in this year's Pipeline Masters would be like NFL teams having to play under different rules only for the Super Bowl.

"I'm not real pleased about the whole situation, to be honest," Slater said. "We surf a certain way everywhere else around the world, and then we have to change completely for one event."

The Pipeline Masters also uses four-man heats in accordance with rules that all North Shore events must follow. Every other WCT contest around the world features one-on-one heats.

"It's a whole different dynamic with three other guys in the water as opposed to one," Slater said.

At the same time, Slater said he is fine with the Pipeline specialists competing in the event. "Those are the guys who own Pipeline when it's good, so they deserve it," he said.

His solution?

"Maybe the answer is to change the event into a specialty, and not have it count as a world tour event," Slater said. "I just don't think it's right to have a world title, or some guy's career, come down to a contest that is different from every other contest we surf in to determine the world title."

The Pipeline Masters is the final event of the 2006 WCT, so many surfers need strong showings to secure their spots for the 2007 WCT. Of the 45 surfers on tour, only the top 27 at the end of the year requalify for the 2007 tour.

Hawai'i surfers on the WCT are Patacchia, Andy Irons, Bruce Irons, Roy Powers and Pancho Sullivan. Andy Irons is the defending Pipeline Masters champion.

"The wildcards are going to make or break a lot of people," Patacchia said. "But you know what? They do that every year. There's just more of them to deal with this time."

The Pipeline Masters is also the final event in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Andy Irons is in the lead to win his second consecutive Triple Crown title.

Irons made the final of the first two events, winning the Op Pro Hawai'i at Hale'iwa Ali'i Beach, and then placing third at the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach.

Australia's Joel Parkinson, who won the O'Neill World Cup, is second in the Triple Crown standings.

WOMEN'S WORLD TITLE ON THE LINE AT MAUI

While the men are battling at Pipeline, the women's tour will wrap up at Honolua Bay, Maui.

The 2006 women's world championship will be decided at the Billabong Pro Maui.

Australians Layne Beachley, Melanie Redman-Carr and Chelsea Georgeson are all in contention.

Beachley enters the contest ranked No. 1. She is seeking her women's record seventh world title.

Redman-Carr, who is after her first world championship, is No. 2. Georgeson, the defending world champ, is No. 3.

BILLABONG PRO MAUI

WHAT: Women's professional surfing contest

WHERE: Honolua Bay, Maui

WHEN: Today through Dec. 20 (contest will run only on days when conditions are favorable; when the contest is on, heats run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

AT STAKE: $67,500 prize purse; final event for 2006 World Championship Tour and the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

UPDATES: For daily status call 596-7873 or visit www.triplecrownofsurfing.com.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.