In shifty four-to-six-foot conditions at the Banzai today, little known North Shore grom Finn McGill surfed through a stacked field of Pipe specialists and experienced competitors to earn a spot in the Pipe Masters while simultaneously throwing his hat into the ring as surfing’s latest teenage sensation. After scraping through the semis ahead of Nathan Florence with a last minute 9.5, the skinny natural-footer came out swinging in the final with the three highest scoring rides of the thirty-five-minute exchange, leaving fellow finalists Gavin Beschen, Joshua Moniz, and Victor Bernardo comboed and unable to play catch-up. Beschen finished second, and along with McGill, will join WSL wildcards Bruce Irons and Frederico Morais in Round 1 of the Pipe Masters.
With last year’s trials runner-up Mason Ho failing to progress through the low-scoring opening round and perennial Pipe favourite Jamie O’Brien having a shocker in the quarter-finals, it looked like the day would once again belong to young West Oz charger Jack Robinson. Robinson, who won the event last year, was on fire throughout the early rounds, showing impeccable tube nous on the tricky Backdoor rights, but succumbed to a slow heat in the semis and unfortunately bowed out of competition. This left the door open for a ramshackle group of remaining hopefuls, with McGill being joined in the final by Brazilian QS campaigner Victor Bernardo, Hawaiian underdog Joshua Moniz, and veteran Backdoor stand-out Gavin Beschen.
Judging by semi-final performances, it looked like it was going to come down to a battle between Beschen, who’d made good use of the Pipe lefts throughout the day, and Moniz, who seemed to be hitting his straps coming into the pointy end of competition. McGill, however, had other ideas, backing up a skilful opening barrel at Pipe with an even better one later in the heat to put his more fancied rivals way out of reach. The win adds to what has already been an impressive winter for the young local, who managed to make the final of the HIC Pro at Sunset earlier in the season, where he finished fourth behind high-profile North Shore performers Mason Ho, Jack Robinson and Makua Rothman. Judging by his performance today and the fact he stands to face-off against John John in the opening round of the Pipe Masters, it’s unlikely the sixteen-year-old will be little known for much longer, which seems only right considering what he achieved today at a wave many still consider the most dangerous in the world.
Men’s Pipeline Invitational Final Results:
1 – Finn McGill (HAW) 13.93
2 – Gavin Beschen (HAW) 6.10
3 – Joshua Moniz (HAW) 5.07
4 – Victor Bernardo (BRA) 4.16
Billabong Pipe Masters Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Julian Wilson (AUS), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Ryan Callinan (AUS)
Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (USA), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Heat 3: Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Nat Young (USA), TBD
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Keanu Asing (HAW), TBD
Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Kanoa Igarashi (USA), TBD
Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW), Jadson Andre (BRA), TBD
Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Conner Coffin (USA), Alex Ribeiro (BRA)
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Stuart Kennedy (AUS), Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 9: Filipe Toledo (BRA), Josh Kerr (AUS), Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 10: Kelly Slater (USA), Caio Ibelli (BRA), Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 11: Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Italo Ferreira (BRA), Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 12: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Michel Bourez (PYF), Davey Cathels (AUS)
