The First Ever Women’s CT Event At Pipe Ran Today

The Billabong Pro Pipeline, will be the first time a women’s CT event has been held at Banzai Pipeline. The competition ran through Women’s Opening Round 1 and Elimination Round 2. Waves were on the small side, but Pipe and Backdoor actually looked, dare I say it… playful. 

So what do you need to know?

Well first up, the Hawaiians dominated.

Event wildcard and Pipe queen Moana Jones Wong got the jump on Brisa Hennessy and Riss Moore to nobody’s surprise. At the Triple Crown Award Night last week, Riss sarcastically alluded to drawing the Pipe Queen with a tone of enthusiasm.

Jones curbed that today, she charges, hustles, and is a problem for 5x World Champs, Olympic Gold medallists etc. “I started surfing Pipe when I was 12, and I’ve been coming here consistently since I was 18,” said Wong. “Surfing against Carissa pushes me to be better because she’s the best in the world. I look up to her and I want to surf as good as she can.”

Bettylou Sakura Johnson sent Caroline Marks packing in Round 1 after finding the doggy door on a peeling OTW runner, then Malia Manuel got a 8.17 for a throaty Backdoor nug for the first excellent score of the day. The Hawaiians home field advantage manifested itself in the opening round heat totals.

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After dodging the spicy cough for two years, Steph Gilmore’s positive test meant she could not compete in the event at Pipe. The all-Aussie fixture in Heat 4 featuring Steph, Tyler Wright and India Robinson, saw the latter two ladies stroll on to the Round of 16 unchecked. In their head to head standoff, Wright pulled the trigger first with a good tube on Backdoor for an early lead and solidified it with perfect positioning on a second right-hand barrel to build momentum heading into the third round.

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To replace Steph’s spot, the WSL called up Bethany Hamilton, the shark swatting, cone-packing charger from Kauai and the star of this year’s Da Hui Backdoor Shootout. Beth, who performed slob-grab pigdogs on Backdoor drainers caused the biggest upset of the day, eliminating 19-year-old wiz-kid, Caroline Marks in Round 2. 

Beth is pretty much our hero at this point.

Forecast for tomorrow is predicting a drop in swell, competition is likely to be called off for the day. 

Billabong Pro Pipeline Women’s Opening Round 1 Results:

HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) 7.73 DEF. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 4.90, Courtney Conlogue (USA) 3.76

HEAT 2: Malia Manuel (HAW) 10.67 DEF. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 4.40, Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 3.40

HEAT 3: Moana Jones Wong (HAW) 7.77 DEF. Carissa Moore (HAW) 7.70, Brisa Hennessy (CRI) 6.54

HEAT 4: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 5.50 DEF. Johanne Defay (FRA) 4.70, Luana Silva (HAW) 0.83

HEAT 5: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) DEF. Tyler Wright (AUS) 11.83, India Robinson (AUS) 2.94

HEAT 6: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 7.46 DEF. Lakey Peterson (USA) 4.00, Caroline Marks (USA) 2.07

Billabong Pro Pipeline Women’s Elimination Round 2 Results: 

HEAT 1: Brisa Hennessy (CRI) 10.73 DEF. Bethany Hamilton (HAW) 8.76, Caroline Marks (USA) 3.70

HEAT 2: Luana Silva (HAW) 6.77 DEF. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 6.70, Courtney Conlogue (USA) 4.47

Billabong Pro Pipeline Women’s Round of 16 Matchups: 

HEAT 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) vs. Malia Manuel (HAW)

HEAT 2: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. India Robinson (AUS)

HEAT 3: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) vs. Moana Jones Wong (HAW)

HEAT 4: Isabella Nichols (AUS) vs. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)

HEAT 5: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Bethany Hamilton (HAW)

HEAT 6: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) vs. Brisa Hennessy (CRI)

HEAT 7: Johanne Defay (FRA) vs. Molly Picklum (AUS)

HEAT 8: Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Luana Silva (HAW)