Kieren Perrow requalifies for the 2012 world tour, then wins the Billabong Pipe Masters.

Words and photos Ben Bugden
The waves for the final day of the Billabong Pipe Masters may have been a little smaller than for days one and two, but the action was anything but slow. Parko and Jamie O’Brien kicked off the finals action in some slightly morning sick conditions that had many questioning whether running the finals today was the right call. The last thing anyone wanted after the last two days was to see heats decided on luck rather than skill and commitment. In the wash-up it was Joel who got the edge, perhaps Luke Egan had stuffed a four-leaf clover in the pocket of Joel’s boardies before he paddled out.

It was quarter final number two however, that everyone was waiting for, and after the antics of John John over the first two days and Kelly being … well … Kelly, when the draw placed these two together it was a prospect worth salivating over. The ocean as it always does when the king paddles out, seemed to kick into gear, but it was John John who benefited from the Kellys pulling power, stroking into a pipe wave bigger than anything that had come through all morning, pulling into the channel with a neat seven point ride. He wasn’t done yet however, and after sneaking in and out of another long, heavy backdoor wedge John had earned himself a 9.70 and a tidy heat total of 16.70.

But as all those who have competed against the greatest surfer of all time can attest, you can NEVER count Kelly out. Holding priority, Kelly finally lucked into a quality wave and threaded the backdoor to a tune of 9.70, equalling John Johns highest score and leaving Kelly needing a 7.01 for victory – a dangerous scenario.

With just three minutes and twenty-five seconds remaining, John John held priority and what looked to be victory, before a large, but not quite right, backdoor wave reared. Perhaps showing some rookie nerves [hey … the kid’s only human] John John swung and dropped in. Only managing a light shampoo before kicking out, Florence had left Slater out the back with priority and you can guess what happened next. Cue throaty Backdoor pit with Kelly locked inside and being spat to victory. Kelly made sure to give his young opponent and Pipeline heir props though, saying “I’m just trying to hold John John at bay for a minute, this kid’s going to rule pipe for the next twenty years, I’m just trying to get a couple more before I’m done.”

But the day would ultimately be owned by Kieren Perrow – a man who first came to the fore with his approach to the waves on the North Shore, in particular the wave that resides next door at Off-the-Wall. If there has ever been a man who deserves to have a Pipe Masters trophy sitting on his mantelpiece it’s Kieren. He came tear-inducingly close last year, but had the dream snatched from him by Jeremy Flores in the dying seconds when victory looked all but guaranteed. You can bet that this has haunted Kieren for every one of the 365 days since then. The image of Jeremy Flores threading his victorious barrel forever burnt onto his retinas.

Since his opening heat you could sense the desire of Kieren to right the wrong, and he quietly set about putting together some of the best rides of the contest, including an 18.23 round three display that can only be described as ridiculous.

And now after surfing to victory in the final of the 2011 Billabong Pipeline Masters Kieren, can finally put the demons of last year’s loss to bed and tuck them in tight. Commiserations go out to Parko, a valiant opponent who surfed a stellar event, but you can bet he’s as stoked as anyone with Kieren’s victory.

A fitting climax to the year in pro surfing, and now if you don’t mind … Tracks has beer to drink!