“In Memory of Andy Irons” is the slogan for the 2010 Billabong Pipe Masters, which opened Wednesday on O‘ahu’s North Shore. In a fitting bit of happenstance, Andy Axel Irons, the son of the late, legendary Andy Irons and nephew
“In Memory of Andy Irons” is the slogan for the 2010 Billabong Pipe Masters, which opened Wednesday on O‘ahu’s North Shore.
In a fitting bit of happenstance, Andy Axel Irons, the son of the late, legendary Andy Irons and nephew of Bruce Irons, was born to mother Lyndie on Kaua‘i early Wednesday morning.
Bruce remained to witness the arrival of the new addition to the Irons ‘ohana at 8 a.m. at Wilcox Memorial Hospital, then hopped aboard a borrowed private jet to O‘ahu and just barely made it in time to head into the water for his opening-round heat.
“Some guy gave us a private jet, picked us up at the airport, flew by the (Pipeline) lineup and parked at Mokuleia and we drove right here,” Irons said. “Contests are fun, but life means a lot more. He’s a nice, healthy baby boy. Andy Axel’s doing really good and I’m just happy that they’re healthy.”
He was understandably distracted and lost the opener to Australia’s Tom Whitaker, who put up a 13.83 for the heat. Bruce managed to score just two rides to total 3.33.
The pair shared a moment for Andy while in the water together. Whitaker, who essentially replaced Andy in the event after receiving his seeded slot, is father to a young boy.
“It was just an emotional heat,” Whitaker said. “Life’s not about getting through heats anymore, it’s about loving people. Little Andy was born this morning and Bruce was there. I’ve got a little boy now too, so we just connected. Today was always going to be an emotional heat.”
Two completed rounds and 24 head-to-head heats have narrowed the elite field to a final 24. Four Hawai‘i riders remain, including Fred Patacchia, who will face off with Australia’s Adrian Buchan in the fourth heat of Round 3. Patacchia knocked off American Gabe Kling in the second round.
O‘ahu’s John John Florence was victorious in his two heats on Wednesday, first knocking off Aussie Kai Otton — who thrilled with a 9.43 ride, but could not add a second substantial score — by a 14.50 to 12.20 count, then topping Dean Morrison 10.00 to 3.03.
“It’s tricky out there but there are still some good barrels,” Florence said. “I’m just happy to get to paddle around out there with only a couple guys and get some waves. I’m comfortable here and hopefully the waves improve in the coming days.”
His reward for a job well done? A solo heat with the 10-time world champion himself, Kelly Slater in the sixth heat of Round 3.
Local David Wassel is into the third round after surprisingly little resistance in his first two heat wins over South Africa’s Travis Logie and American Bobby Martinez. He will face off with world No. 2 Jordy Smith in the third round.
Dusty Payne is the fourth Hawai‘i surfer still competing after wins over fellow Hawaiian Kiron Jabour and Tiago Pires. The heat with Jabour gave Payne the highest total of Round 1 with a 15.10.
The heat against Pires also featured a late beauty.
“I nearly started the heat at Gums but decided not to and ended up at Backdoor,” Payne said. “Then I was watching these really good barrels come through up there and decided to head up there. There’s not any current at Gums so I was just sitting there by myself and Andy (Irons) sent me a good one. I didn’t think I was going to get barrelled in that heat, but there it was.”
He will now go up against Australia’s Mick Fanning.
The rest of the Round 3 heats will feature Taj Burrow vs. Matt Wilkinson, Owen Wright vs. Joel Parkinson, Bede Durbidge vs. Adam Melling (three all-Australia matchups), CJ Hobgood vs. Jeremy Flores, Adriano de Souza vs. Kieren Perrow, Damien Hobgood vs. Jadson Andre, Dane Reynolds vs. Patrick Gudauskas and Michel Bourez vs. Taylor Knox.
Parkinson made it through his second-round heat against Brazil’s Heitor Alves and remains a strong contender to notch his third consecutive Vans Triple Crown of Surfing championship, following his win at the Reef Hawaiian Pro and a quarterfinal appearance at the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing.
Hawai‘i’s Ian Walsh and Danny Fuller each won their first round heats before falling in the second.
Fuller knocked out Kaua‘i’s Roy Powers as a number of local favorites were topped in the opening heats, including Kamalei Alexander, Jabour, Shane Dorian, Kalani Chapman, Granger Larsen, Joel Centeio and Bruce Irons.
The third round will cut the field in half to 12 remaining surfers who will then be split into four three-man heats for Round 4.
Event organizers will reconvene this morning at 7 a.m. to assess conditions for a possible 8 a.m. start.
The Vans Duel for the Jewel, a specialty event with a $55,000 prize purse that features the top four women contenders based upon accumulative Vans Triple Crown standings after the first two events, did not begin Wednesday.
When it occurs, the heat will feature Kaua‘i’s Alana Blanchard, O‘ahu’s Coco Ho and Australians Stephanie Gilmore and Tyler Wright.
Highlights from the Billabong Pipe Masters will be available via triplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters/
Surfline, official forecasters of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, are calling for overhead North swell to continue today.
Quotes provided by press releases from Ocean Promotion and ASP.
