Jack Robinson looked as comfortable in the Pipeline caverns as the whale breaching in deeper water at Ehukai Beach on Wednesday.
The 17-year-old from Australia, who is as “up-and-coming” as you can be in World Surf League circles, gained entry into the Billabong Pipe Masters with a victory in solid 10- to 15-foot waves at the Pipeline Invitational trials.
“I just wanted to get the best waves and go against the best guys, but it was so gnarly (out there),” Robinson said. “It was great to have my dad here and I had a lot of fun. Just wanted to go and get it done.”
Robinson caught only one wave in the four-man final, but it was a gem and it scored a 9.43. The regular-footer took a high line to find the Pipeline pit and came out of it on a downhill slope to the roar of the crowd on the packed beach.
Hawaii’s Jamie O’Brien, who won the Pipe Masters in 2004, also surfed into the main event from the 32-man invitational field. In the final, he got two medium-scoring waves with barrels that weren’t as critical as Robinson’s. The combined 8.70, though, got O’Brien to the promised land of the Pipe Masters, where the world’s best tour surfers will converge with the world championship and the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing titles on the line.
“I narrowly missed out last year, coming in third,” O’Brien said. “So I made it a goal here to get second (at least) and I’m excited with the forecast (for big waves in top-notch conditions) looking really good. I’m excited we got to put on a good event in unruly conditions at times.”
Robinson, who placed fourth in the HIC Pro (a Triple Crown qualifying event) and made the semifinals of the Vans World Cup of Surfing (the second leg of the Triple Crown) at Sunset Beach, was named the Triple Crown rookie of the year last week.
The Pipe Masters, the finale of the WSL tour as well as the Triple Crown, could start today, conditions permitting. Six surfers remain in the world-title race — Australia’s Mick Fanning (who won the World Cup), Julian Wilson and Owen Wright, Brazil’s Filipe Toledo, Adriano de Souza and defending world champ Gabriel Medina.
Australia’s Wade Carmichael, who won the Hawaiian Pro (the Triple Crown’s first leg) leads the Triple Crown standings and is followed by Medina, Hawaii’s Dusty Payne and Fanning.
