McBoyd 355 Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 Kelly Slater won his 6th Billabong Pipeline Master's title in classic conditions, deserving of surfing's most famous break. The final heat was a tense affair and Kelly used all his skills and experience to combo Chris Ward. The final decided not only who would win the most prestigious event of the season, but also the Van's Triple Crown champion. Chris Ward needed to beat reigning world champ Slater to win both, otherwise Joel Parkinson would take the Triple Crown, leaving him with nothing. Unfortunately for him that turned out to be the case. One of the best Hawaiian seasons in years, culminated in fantastic waves, which pumped throughout the final day. After yesterday's storm the blue barrels were replaced by brooding brown pits and the wrong wave choice was heavily punished. Kelly Slater surprised everyone by riding a revolutionary, 5' 11" Al Merrick with a wide nose, long rails, and a pulled-in tail, called The Deep Six. This allowed him to get forward on the board and pump the tube for speed using his front foot. He blitzed Backdoor and Pipe with some critical, deep, barrel riding; scoring one amazing 10 point tube in the semis, making sections no-one thought possible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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