Pipe and tour over

The Pipe Masters and the ASP Championship Tour for 2010 is over. Jeremy Flores won in small (by Hawaiian standards anyway) and inconsistent Backdoor.

Flores beat a red hot Slater in the semis by point something as both got a nine and a seven.

Parko won the Triple Crown for the third time despite losing in the mid event rounds. Taj made yet another finals round before going down to Flores.

The 2011 season sees the full implementation of the new world ranking and the change over of surfers a couple of times during the year. It will be interesting to see who can keep their spots for the whole year and which gumbbies will find themselves yo yoing between the two tours. It is likely that the top surfers will do more prime events making it harder for Braziliians to use their butt wiggling styles in their local QS events to make the dream tour.

Interestingly it appears that lots of pros are rushing to the airport to leave the islands. Not that long ago everyone stayed well into January with February still crowded and turning it on. Maybe Hawaii isn't big enough anymore.

Crappy Board Challenge Fizzes

Four people including me does not make a contest. On the positive side the crowd was low, on the negative the swell was lower.

However despite the minute surf, the lack of power and closeouts it was one of the funnest days out in the water for a while. Neatesy must win the award for the most stoked grom in the world and took another step in his development by riding dropping a foot and a bit and riding a mini mal. It will be reos next year.

P Mac came to defend his title and got wave of the day. Tweeds claimed his three "tubes" like a Brazilian.

Unfortunately no contest meant no money for SurfAid International. A donation to the cause makes a great Christmas gift. Go to www.surfaidinternational.org.