Jamie O’Brien, Hank Gaskell, Makai McNamara and Reef McIntosh are just a few spitting tubes away from a wildcard spot in the Billabong Pipe Masters. The four Hawaiian locals charged their way through a tough heat draw filled with Pipe specialists and will be contesting the 2014 Pipe Invitational final.
Jamie O’Brien dominated his Round 1 heat. This Pipe beauty scored him a 9.57.
Conditions were perfect in the morning but long lulls made for some low scoring heats, unless your name is Jamie O’Brien. It wasn’t long before Jamie O had his Round 1 opponents in a combination situation, as he rode both Pipe and Backdoor to earn the day’s highest heat total – 18.40. As casual as you’d suspect from someone who lives on the beach at Pipe.
Conditions deteriorated by the time the quarter finals hit the water, but not before Joel Centeio scored this Perfect 10 point tube at Backdoor to win his Round 1 heat.
Not the most graceful exit to a heavy Backdoor pit, but Joel Centeio still scored a Perfect 10.
The quarters and semi finals were a tough battle in tricky conditions, and Jamie O’Brien just managed to hold on to second place in the first semi final to advance with a low 4.60 total. From magnificent in Round 1 to squeaking through in the semis – Jamie O knows the many moods of Pipeline.
The swell is predicted to be solid on Wednesday with clean-up sets starting to wash through from Third Reef by late morning, which should make things interesting if they call the Pipe Invitational final on.
Go to aspworldtour.com for heat reviews, highlights and results from the 2014 Pipe Invitational. Otherwise check back in a 7:45pm (SA time) to see if the final will run.
