2011 Billabong Pipe Masters: Joel Parkinson settles score with Jamie O’Brien in first Quarter-final
The last 10 months had been nothing short of satisfying for the fans of surfing as they witnessed the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) elite battle it out for glory in some of the most exciting surf breaks around the globe. The final stop of the ASP World Tour and last leg of Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons, did not fail to treat the fans to yet another dose of thrilling action as the surfers squared off in firing Pipeline conditions at the famed North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.
The competition narrowed the field to top-eight surfers over a course of two days and kicked off with the Quarter-final battles on Saturday, December 10. The first two surfers to move into the battle-field in order to square off for the coveted Semi-final slot were Australia’s Joel Parkinson and Hawaii’s Jamie O’Brien, both of whom were undoubtedly in a deadly form.
The 30-year-old Parkinson had proved to be a force to be reckoned with throughout the latest season of ASP World Tour, with consistency being one of his most prominent and strongest tools. The three-time Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Champion was not competing to add another title to his name, but was instead hoping to end his elite tour season with a bang. Sitting in the top-five on the ASP World Title rankings, Parkinson had a golden opportunity to move just one place behind the 2011 ASP World Champion, America’s Kelly Slater.
The Hawaiian talent, O’Brien, found himself facing an in-form Parkinson in the first Quarter-final. The local knowledge of the waves had enabled him to become responsible for a number of upsets in the competition already. The first of these upsets came in the very first round when he brought the event to a premature end for America’s Dane Reynolds. He then went on to eliminate Brazil’s Raoni Monteiro from the competition in Round 2 and continued to create magic in Round 3, this time getting rid of Brazil’s Adriano de Souza.
Parkinson and O’Brien had already faced each other in the fourth round, where the latter had managed to get the better of the Australian, who was a heavy favourite for the heat. Due to this, the Haleiwa-based surfer enjoyed a psychological advantage over Parkinson prior to their Quarter-final clash, though the latter was expected to give it his all with the intended motivation of seeking vengeance.
As the man-on-man bout for the Semi-final slot got under-way, both the surfers got off to a slow start, staying clear of the more deadly waves to avoid risk of an early wipe-out. O’Brien soon began to show signs of aggression and caught a wave to attempt a flurry of tricks, but failed to have a total control of the wave and only managed to post a 4.83 on the score-board. He soon paddled towards another wave and locked it with the intention of going for a combination of manoeuvres once again, only to find himself failing in accomplishing what he was aiming for. Earning a rather disappointing 4.60 for the effort, he reached a heat-total of 9.43 points.
Parkinson, on the other hand, looked much more relaxed during the proceedings. It seemed that he had entered the battle with a carefully formulated strategy to make the most of the conditions at hand. He went through a couple of mediocre-waves before eventually riding a wave to post a 6.50 on the score-board. The Australian performed the coup de grace on his final wave of the heat, which earned him 5.50 points to carry him to a heat-total of 12.00 points. The score served to seal the fate of the first Quarter-final in his favour, sending him through into the next round while putting an end to what had been a truly sensational run by O’Brien.
With his success in the Quarter-final, Parkinson moved to the No.2 slot on the ASP World Title rankings. The season had indeed been a memorable one for the Australian and already declared him as one of the most formidable force to look out for in the 2012 season of the ASP World Tour.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: