LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i’s Jeff Hubbard won the first event of the 2011 International Bodyboard Association World Tour, the IBA Pipeline Pro, for the third time in the final day of action, Tuesday on O‘ahu. The event culminated in three-to-six foot
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i’s Jeff Hubbard won the first event of the 2011 International Bodyboard Association World Tour, the IBA Pipeline Pro, for the third time in the final day of action, Tuesday on O‘ahu.
The event culminated in three-to-six foot waves at the North Shore’s legendary Pipeline setting, states a press release from the IBA.
Hubbard earned 2,000 valuable Grand Slam Series ratings points, $6,000 and the all-important lead in the race for the 2011 IBA World Title.
Hubbard previously claimed the event in 2006 and 2002 and is considered a Pipe specialist, along with being one of the greatest aerialists in the game. His win was an incredible come-from-behind effort that saw him snatch the title in the dying moments from a host of hungry rookies — Tom Rigby, Jared Houston and Dallas Singer.
With seven minutes remaining in the 35-minute decider, Hubbard’s chances looked dashed. In fourth place and requiring two waves to have a hope of winning, it looked like the upstart Rigby would have his first-ever taste of victory.
Then Hubbard did the unthinkable, pulling a near-perfect 9.75 ride out of a possible 10, for a huge ARS (air, reverse spin), followed by two rolls, to push himself into third place and contention.
Two minutes later, Hubbard was again up and riding, pulling into a deep Backdoor cave before launching to the heavens, to pull the ultimate Houdini act, earning a 9.5 from the judges and victory.
“I felt like I was surfing form behind all day,” Hubbard said.”I finally got in a rhythm in the finals at the very last minute. But I was in combo-land for 17 minutes. I thought to myself, ‘what’s happened?’. I just felt totally out of rhythm again. I thought I have to dig deep, it’s my local spot, it’s the final — no one was giving an inch. So I just tried harder and it all fell together.
“It’s probably the most exciting final I’ve ever had out here. I’m over the moon! To come from so far behind and then take first place, I’m really feeling it right now … Wow!”
Rookie Rigby was on the verge of history, the 18-year-old putting in a career-changing performance on the final day, consistently hitting big backflips over the shallow Backdoor reef to the delight of the strong Aussie contingent who cheered him from shore.
He earned his spot via his local Australian qualifying series and surfed his way through nine rounds to qualify for his first ever Grand Slam final.
“I’m living in a dream world right now,” Rigby said. “I really had no expectations of making the final. To beat (Ryan) Hardy in the quarters, he has always been a hero of mine, was awesome. And Amaury (Lavernhe), the world champ … it’s been an amazing day. Congratulations to Hubb (Jeff Hubbard), I’m just stoked to be able to surf a final against all these guys, It’s pretty surreal.”
South Afrincan Houston finished third at Pipeline last year during his debut appearance at elite level and matched that effort again.
“So stoked to make another final,” he said. “It’s only my third event here at Pipeline so it feels good to make back-to-back finals. It’s good to compete against these guys. Rigby, he’s come so far in the last year, and to compete against Jeff, he’s one of my idols — it’s fun to a part of it.”
Fourth place went to Australia’s Singer.
Finishing in equal fifth place were Mark McCarthy of South Africa and Pierre Louis Costes.
Costes, of France, scored the event’s first and only perfect 10-point ride en route to a semifinals berth, for a big, blue Backdoor tube that he followed up with a text-book roll and backflip.
“I wasn’t expecting a 10-point ride, I wasn’t sure what my score was going to be, but the judges gave Mike’s first wave an 8.5 and mine was better so … I’m pretty stoked to get a perfect score at Pipe and it’s only my second 10-point ride ever on the IBA World Tour. It’s an addictive feeling, I hope I get more.” Costes said.
Defending IBA Pipeline Pro event champion and reigning IBA World Tour champion, Lavernhe suffered an upset elimination at the quarterfinal stage. On a day where the rookie upstarts prevailed, Lavernhe was forced to settle for equal13th after placing fourth in his quarter behind Australian Ryan Hardy, rampaging Rigby and the South African, McCarthy.
“I was a bit disappointed in my heat,” Lavernhe said. “I didn’t have good waves in the beginning. Technically I still have a lot to learn in these kind of conditions. I had my money on Jared. I’m really stoked for Jared, in fact I put my money on Jared for the final because I like him as a guy and I like his riding. But Tom Rigby is good too. He’s just 18 and won the Pipe final. I mean, ‘wow’! Both those guys inspire me technically.”
Early event standout, Hawai‘i’s Brian Wise saw his run end Tuesday morning by Rawlins and Brazil’s Magno Oliveira. Having returned to competition at Pipeline after a three-year competitive hiatus, Wise emerged as a sentimental favorite with fans having progressed through five rounds.
South African Sacha Specker was another early standout, the 27-year-old constantly scoring and boasting the highest two-wave combined heat score heading into the final day. But drawn against three of the tour’s most daunting names — Valadao, Tamega and Rawlins — Specker saw his flawless momentum reach an end in Round 7.
“I couldn’t get into rhythm at all. I couldn’t pick off a good one. Tamega and Uri were on fire — they had such a cracker heat, the both of them. There wasn’t a whole lot more I could do,” Specker said.
The next event on the IBA World Tour is scheduled for April 14-20 at The Box, a notorious shallow, right-hand reef break situated near Margaret River, West Australia.
The Box event will also be the first to feature the new three-round non-elimination format that will be utilized at each remaining location on the 2011 GSS tour.
MEN’S GRAND SLAM SERIES
FINAL IBA PIPELINE PRO
1st Jeff Hubbard (Haw) 2000pts $6,000
2nd Tom Rigby (AUS) 1720pts $3,800
3rd Jared Houston (ZAF) 1460pts $3,000
4th Dallas Singer (AUS) 1340pts $2,000
SEMIFINALS
(3rd=5thplace, 1220pts, $1400 / 4th=7thplace, 1110pts, $1000)
SF1: 1st Tom Rigby (AUS), 2nd Dallas Singer (AUS), 3rd Mark McCarthy (ZAF), 4th Yeray Martinez (CNY)
SF2: 1st Jeff Hubbard (Haw), 2nd Jared Houston (ZAF), 3rd Pierre Louis Costes (FRA), 4th Guilherme Tamega (BRA)
QUARTERFINALS
(3rd=9thplace, 1000pts, $800 / 4th=13thplace, 900pts, $600)
QF1: 1st Dallas Singer (AUS), 2nd Yeray Martinez (CNY), 3rd Lucas Nogueira (BRA), 4th Spencer Skipper (Haw)
QF2: 1st Mark McCarthy (ZAF), 2nd Tom Rigby (AUS), 3rd Ryan Hardy (AUS), 4th Amaury Lavernhe (REU)
QF3: 1st Pierre Louis Costes (FRA), 2nd Jeff Hubbard (Haw), 3rd Diego Cabrera (CNY), 4th Uri Valadao (BRA)
QF4: 1st Jared Houston (ZAF), 2nd Guilherme Tamega (BRA), 3rd Mike Stewart (Haw), 4th Magno Oliveira (BRA)
Story and quotes provided by the International Bodyboarding Association.
