Warning: Pro surfspeak. Enter at your own risk! :-)
On December 14, 2006, one of the best ever pro surfing final went down at the Rip Curl Pipeline Masters. And I missed it completely!
Well, I shouldn't say completely. I was fortunate enough to shoot a few of the earlier heats that morning. But surf conditions were deteriorating and diminishing rapidly, while my workload at the office was rising by the second.
It was good, but at the same time not so good (unknown in Round 3), Neal Miyake photo
Back in cubicle life, I got so engrossed with work that I completely forgot about the contest, not even tuning into the webcast. It was only when I logged on at home that I realized something amazing had transpired. Kelly Slater (34) and Andy Irons (28) had another classic battle of the titans.
To put things in perspective, one must look back to 1992. That was when 20-year old Kelly Slater won his first ASP WCT world championship. It was also when a 14-year old Kauaian named Andy Irons (aka AI) started turning heads in the local amateur ranks. Since then, they have both continued to improve and dominate the competitive surfing ranks.
Andy at 14, Tracks, 1992, Neal Miyake photo
Interestingly, just like this year, a Slater/Irons matchup also went down in 2003 at the Pipeline Masters finals--a matchup that was even more significant. After a three-year hiatus from pro surfing (1999-2001), Kelly Slater (with six championships at the time) returned to competition and came back strong.
Through the time that Slater was away, Irons asserted himself, winning the tour in 2002. The 2003 title race went down to the wire between the two, culminating in a final battle in the final of the 2003 Pipeline Masters (read The Showdown - The 2003 World Title Decided In One Heat). That year, Andy went on to win the Pipeline Masters final and overtook Slater in the ratings, winning the event, the Triple Crown, and the world title. Slater took the loss hard.
Andy, winning in 2003 while Kelly congratulates, photo courtesy ASP World Tour
In 2004, Andy continued to assert his dominance and won the tour for a third time in a row, cementing his status as one of the best ever.
The rivalry between Kelly Slater and Andy Irons has definitely been overhyped by the media (I guess I'm contributing to some degree). But the reality is that these two really are both fierce competitors, driven to win. There probably is deep down respect on both sides, but as far as competition goes, there is no love-loss between the two.
In the big picture, the truth is that rivalries are good for sports because it allows the fans to focus on specific and charismatic individuals. Anyway, a true champion is measured by the quality of his opponents.
The two wave warriors, photos courtesy ASP World Tour
Fast forward back to December 14th, 2006. Kelly Slater already secured his unprecedented eighth tour championship in October. And by advancing to the quarters, Andy already nailed down the 2006 Triple Crown title. The drama for those titles was gone. However, there was still that little Pipeline Master title to decide.
So with all the hype and drama, it once again came down to the finals. Like I said, I wasn't there, so it is better told by the ones who were there. You can even relive the final here. However, here it is in a nutshell.
Slater, projecting at Backdoor in the final, photo courtesy ASP World Tour
Slater held a commanding lead over Irons, Cory Lopez and Rob Machado, with six minutes to go and a two-wave high scores of 9.0 and 8.73 (one at Pipeline and the other at Backdoor). However, Andy never gave up and scored an 8.53 at Backdoor, followed by another insane Backdoor ride for 9.87, miraculously taking the lead. Kelly had a chance to win it, but only scored an 8.73 with a Backdoor right. There was one last chance for Kelly, but Andy out-jockeyed him, scoring a perfect 10-point ride in the process. Pipeline Master!
"I couldn't think of a better way to lose the title," said Irons
Andy wins the final, photo courtesy ASP World Tour
Remember back to that unknown 14-year old kid from Kauai in 1992. I'm sure he was inspired by young Kelly winning the championship. It is amazing that after 14 years, the two of them are still redefining competitive surfing.
For the record, personally I'm torn between the two. I've always appreciated Kelly Slater for his style and polish. At the same time I'm a Kauai boy so I've always rooted for the fiery Irons.
I guess it doesn't really matter. In the end, we, the collective surf audience, all win. These two (and all pros in general) are taking surfing performance to new heights and are giving the everyday surfer something to marvel at and aspire to.
...but I'm still bummed about not seeing the Pipeline Masters final! :-(
The two champions, by the numbers:
| (as of January 1, 2007) | Kelly Slater | Andy Irons |
| World Championships | 8 | 3 |
| Triple Crown Titles | 2 | 4 |
| Pipeline Masters Titles | 5 | 4 |
Bonus images:
Kelly in an early round, photo courtesy ASP World Tour
Andy in an early round, photo courtesy ASP World Tour
Phil MacDonald in Round 3, Neal Miyake photo
Stay stoked!
Neal Miyake
