John John Florence and Kelly Slater survive Round 3 of Billabong Pipe Masters – 2011 ASP World Tour
Hawaii’s John John Florence battled it out with America’s Damien Hobgood in the fifth heat, while the legendary American surfer and 2011 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour champion Kelly Slater squared off with the local talent, Marcus Hickman, in the sixth heat of Round 3 of Billabong Pipe Masters, the final stop of the 2011 ASP World Tour and last leg of Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, at the Banzai Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii, on Friday, December 9.
Florence once again left the crowd stunned with yet another incredible performance in the deadly barrels during the fifth heat. The epic effort allowed him to prevail over Hobgood and advance through into the fourth round, bringing the competition to a premature end for his rival.
The sixth heat saw Slater clinch the win despite a performance that was pretty disappointing by his standards. The Round 3 win carried him into the next round while removing his competitor, Hobgood, from the contention for the event title.
The 19-year-old Florence had left the crowd in awe a day earlier through his exquisite performance and he managed to do it yet again in his Round 3 battle against Hobgood in the fifth heat. Taking on the foreigner in his own backyard, the young Hawaiian surfer taught many surfers in attendance at the primary event site a thing or two about riding huge waves.
As the fifth heat got underway, Florence got off to a patient start before getting started with his onslaught. He caught his first business-wave late in the heat and utilised it to unload a series of stylish manoeuvres, posting a 9.17 on the score-board. A few minutes later, he locked yet another wave and this time showcased his skill to an even greater extent, earning a 9.93 for the effort, which served to take his heat-total to 19.10 points.
Hobgood put up a determined and rather commendable fight, scoring a 6.50 and 7.90 off his best two waves to finish with a heat-total of 14.40 points, but his effort turned out to be in vain as he finished in a 4.70-points deficit.
The sixth heat saw the iconic Florida-based surfer, Slater, take on Hickman. There was hardly any pressure on Slater as he had already clinched the 2011 ASP World Championship title and had little to lose in the final event. However, he did not let that interfere with his motivation to collect yet another victory and therefore took no mercy on his Hawaiian competitor.
As the 40-minute man-on-man battle got underway, Slater went through a series of waves to eventually land a 5.17 and 4.33-point wave, consequently finishing with a heat-total of 9.50 points.
Hickman, however, struggled to adjust to the 10-foot waves that the Banzai Pipeline had to offer and completely succumbed to the challenge. He eventually finished with a heat-total of 3.56 points, which comprised of a 1.23 and 2.33-point wave, getting eliminated from the competition as a result.
For more updates on Round 3 of the 2011 Billabong Pipe Masters, stay tuned to bettor.com.
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