Kelly Slater ruled round two of the Pipe Masters today

Today on the North Shore, only one round of the Billabong Pipe Masters could be completed due to some wild old conditions. And the most important thing to occur in round two happened in the first heat: Kelly Slater clocked a 17-point combined total and put himself into the third round. Meaning, if Gabriel Medina or Mick Fanning don’t make it through the third round for whatever reason, Kelly has a chance at another world title. But the likelihood of Gabs or Mick not making it through round three is very low, despite Gabs facing Hawaiian Dusty Payne who’s done nothing but surprise this winter, and Mick facing Jez Flores who’s strongest point is backside tubes of consequence. Just a few things for you to consider, anyhow.

“It was really challenging and really hard today,” said Kelly. “I just figured if I’m going to win this contest, which I have to do to win the title, I’ve got to get through the best guys. In all honesty, Reef is one of the best guys out here from four feet to 20 feet and whatever size it is. I thought to myself, there are only five minutes left, don’t blow this opportunity and just make the right decision. That wave came and after falling on so many waves I was paddling for it and wondered if I should even go. When I bottom turned I saw this huge foam ball right in my line and I just went ‘God, I hope that thing disperses as it pitches,’ and luckily it did and it had a nice little face on it afterwards.”

Kelly was the only person to really light it up, as you’ll see from the heat totals below. Which tells you just how difficult it was out there today. Other than Jadson Andre, no other surfer managed to get into the double digits on a combined total.

Oh, and Jordy Smith took a slapping on a Backdoor bomb and ripped his shoulder out. The exact injury he sustained is still unclear but judging by his walk up the beach (with 26 minutes remaining), he’s in some trouble. More on that as details emerge.

Get your heats on demand fix here.

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 2 Results (1st to R3, 2nd = 25th)
Heat 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.00 def. Reef McIntosh (HAW) 7.00
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) 8.33 def. Makai McNamara (HAW) 4.57
Heat 3: Dusty Payne (HAW) 4.30 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 4.30
Heat 4: Nat Young (USA) 8.50 def. Mitch Coleborn (AUS) 4.77
Heat 5: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 7.17 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 4.13
Heat 6: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 7.64 def. Glenn Hall (IRL) 7.07
Heat 7: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 3.47 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 1.30
Heat 8: Kai Otton (AUS) 7.16 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 6.83
Heat 9: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 6.90 def. Mitch Crews (AUS) 1.57
Heat 10: Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.70 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 2.73
Heat 11: Julian Wilson (AUS) 4.50 def. Dion Atkinson (AUS) 0.84
Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 4.13 def. Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 3.24

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 3 Match-Ups (1st to R4, 2nd = 13th)
Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 5: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Heat 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 7: Kolohe Andino (HAW) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Sebastien Zietz (HAW)
Heat 11: Nat Young (USA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 12: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)