KEIKI

2012 IBA Pipe Challenge Day 3 Highlights
The flawless 6-8 foot Pipe and Backdoor waves made for one of the highest scoring finals
in the history of the IBA Tour.

Sacha Specker is the new 2012 IBA Pipe Challenge Dropknee Champion. The South African took top honours, defeating three Hawaiians,Bud Miyamoto, Miles Kauhaahaa and Kainoa McGee in fun three to four foot waves.

As the only non-Hawaiian in today’s dropknee final, South African, Sacha Specker, was a clear underdog. He had been in a final twice before but never tasted victory, until today. He sat slightly wide of the Hawaiians and went about picking off waves that were running along the inside reef at Pipe.

“It’s an incredible feeling winning this event. It’s a bit of a dream still. I think it’ll kick in tomorrow, when we play the Aussies in cricket”, said Specker.

 Well done Spex from the Keiki Crew and I’m sure all the other South Africans back home.
You and all the other boys did SA Body boarding proud this year in Hawaii!!!

Jeff Hubbard (Honolulu, HAW) has taken out the 2012 IBA Pipe Challenge for the fourth time. Defeating fellow Hawaiian and 11 times Pipe Champion, Mike Stewart in second place, Dave Winchester (Mullumbimby, AUS) in third and 21-year-old Sam Bennett from Port Macquarie, Australia in fourth. The flawless 6-8 foot Pipe and Backdoor waves made for one of the highest scoring finals in the history of the IBA. He left them all needing to replace their two best scoring waves until the final hooter.

“I’m on top of the world. I kept thinking all day, back-to-back, it’s possible to win two in a row”, said Hubbard.

Mike Stewart has lifted more winner’s trophies at Pipe than anyone else in the world. If it weren’t for an unstoppable Hubbard, he would have raised his 12^th.

 Although Winchester and Bennett both put on stand out performances, their impressive heat totals of 16.5 and 16.25 respectively was not enough to overtake Stewart or Hubbard.
Winchester has been a World Title contender for several years now and thanks to this third place result has a good start to what is looking to be a momentous year on the IBA GSS tour.

The 2012 IBA Pipe Challenge is Bennett’s first event as a Top 24 IBA GSS competitor.

Although only 21-years-old, the young Australian has put on a show-stopping performance throughout the event and is looking like a potential 2012 IBA World Title contender.

IBA 2012 Pipe Challenge
Event 1 of 8, Mens Grand Slam Series
Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii
Feb 15-24th, 2012
ibaworldtour.com

Wednesday, 15th February 2012, Ehukai Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii – Day one of the 2012 IBA Pipe Pro started off with two Rounds of Women in flawless 4 foot waves at Pipeline and Backdoor. Emma Cobb (AUS) was a standout amongst the ladies, drawing clean lines and negotiating through a long barrels, showing that she deserves a spot in the quarter finals. By mid morning the top 16 Women had been decided as a new Northwest swell started producing a constant flow of bigger sets. Round 1 and 2 of the Mens got under way in building 4-8 foot offshore waves.

The best wave of the day was ridden by one of the youngest competitors at the IBA Pipe Challenge today. Lewy Finnegan, 17, from Australia, took off deep on a six-foot Backdoor wave, pulled in and road behind the curtain, came out long after the spit, and raised his fist as he pulled off the back. The top seeded riders will have to keep their guards up if they don’t wanted to get knocked out by the youngsters in this event.

 Alistair Taylor was camping in a tent on the beach and living off a bag of potatoes when he surfed against Hawaiian Kainoa McGee, in what most people recall as the biggest waves ridden in a Pipe competition. Fifteen years later, Taylor, orginally from South Africa, lives in Hawaii with his wife and two kids. He won both his heats today and tomorrow he will get to relive the past in waves that are predicted to be over ten feet.

The youngest competitor in the event, Tanner McDaniel, 12 years old, listened to pointers from his sponsor, and 11 times Pipe champion, Mike Stewart, before he paddled out in the first heat of the Men’s event to compete against guys ten years older than him. McDaniel came up against Ruben Quiñones, a two-time runner-up and local, Micah Oh, and was not able to advance into the next round. 

Today, the swell is predicted to jump to over ten feet by the afternoon with the offshore winds predicted all day. The first heat will be in the water at 08h00 local Hawaiian time.
8pm for all the South Africans watching so go support the
boys at the Pipe Challenge tonight.

Keen to surf longer, recover better and improve your posture on your bodyboard?
Riptide magazine and Bio engineered present Tom and Alex Bunting showing you a couple of simple stretches you can do every day to help prevent any injury or strain when surfing.
Then check out this vid of  their set of simple stretches.

The Shaggy Show EP04.
I take my camera to the beaches, Foodland and the bike path,
and ask people who they think will win this year’s Pipeline event.

Jake Stone shreds on a skateboard and a bodyboard.
Jake Stone Hawaii 2012 Throwdown Teaser.
Dvd coming mid april, premiere dates up very soon…

A Holiday
Ben Player takes some time out in Bali to contemplate what his future holds. 
Filmed over 5 days in Bali in October 2011.
Shot on a Panasonic GH2 and Sony F3.
Enjoy!