Maui’s Kemper Advances to Round 3 at Pipe Masters

Billy Kemper rides through a tube on the way to winning his first-round heat Saturday in the Billabong Pipe Masters at Oahu’s Banzai Pipeline. Photo by ASP / KELLY CESTARI.

By Rodney S. Yap

Billy Kemper of Paia was the only Maui surfer to advance Saturday in opening-round action of the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons.

Kemper, 22, won both his heats Saturday, putting up a 11.00 score to defeat Association of Surfing Professionals world tour member Taylor Knox by 0.83 points in Round 1 and then later in Round 2, the former 2010 HIC Pro champion defeated Michel Bourez, another ASP tour surfer, 9.33 to 5.04.

Meanwhile, Lahaina’s Dusty Payne, Napili’s Granger Larsen and Haiku’s Tanner Hendrickson were all eliminated in the 6- to 8-foot surf at Pipeline, hosting the ASP Top 34 as they battled the local wildcards in an attempt to re-qualify for the 2013 ASP Top 34.

The 2012 Billabong Pipe Masters, the final stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), could crown the 2012 ASP World Champion as early as today, and will also crown the 30th anniversary VANS Triple Crown of Surfing champion.

Top seeds are expected to hit the water today, with all eyes will be on the three surfers in mathematical contention for the 2012 ASP Men’s World Title. Current world rated number 1, Joel Parkinson of Australia is in the box seat, with just 3000 points separating him from reigning and 11-time world champion Kelly Slater of Florida. Should Slater be eliminated prior to the quarterfinals, Parkinson would claim his first world title.

Former two-time world champion Mick Fanning of Australia, also has a mathematical chance, but must win the event and both Parkinson and Slater would have to be eliminated in their first heats (Round 3).

Kieren Perrow, also from Australia, is the defending Billabong Pipe Masters Champion. On Saturday, he got the best of a hard-fought heat against dangerous Pipeline specialist Evan Valiere of Honolulu.

The Pipeline Masters event tower. Photo by ASP / KELLY CESTARI.

“That felt like a final,” Perrow said. “I was expecting Evan (Valiere) to pull off some bombs. He’s an unreal surfer out here. We were out of position on those sets, but I’m glad we were and he wasn’t in position. It was a nerve-wracking heat being in the first one of the event and I’m just glad to get the win.”

Event organizers reconvene Sunday morning, Dec. 9, and Round 2 started at 8 a.m.

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 1 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 15.00 def. Evan Valiere (HAW) 9.50
Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) 6.50 def. Tyler Newton (HAW) 6.26
Heat 3: Kalani Chapman (HAW) 15.83 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 5.70
Heat 4: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 15.33 def. Flynn Novak (HAW) 9.76
Heat 5: Fred Patacchia (HAW) 8.43 def. Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) 5.93
Heat 6: Billy Kemper (HAW) 11.00 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 10.17
Heat 7: Adam Melling (AUS) 11.66 def. Bruce Irons (HAW) 7.73
Heat 8: Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 16.34 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.94
Heat 9: Shane Dorian (HAW) 14.50 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 9.83
Heat 10: Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 14.73 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 7.84
Heat 11: Dane Reynolds (USA) 11.34 def. Granger Larsen (HAW) 3.10
Heat 12: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 14.27 def. Glenn Hall (IRL) 10.77

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 2 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Kalani Chapman (HAW) 13.84 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 10.60
Heat 2: Billy Kemper (HAW) 9.33 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 5.04
Heat 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.17 def. Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 13.57
REMAINING BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 2 MATCH UPS:
Heat 4: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Shane Dorian (HAW)
Heat 5: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)
Heat 6: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Heat 7: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)
Heat 8: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Fred Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 10: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 11: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)
Heat 12: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) vs. TBD
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. TBD
Heat 6: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. TBD
Heat 10: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. TBD
Heat 12: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. TBD