Reunion Island / French hellman Amaury Laverhne won the TURBO Pipeline pro yesterday in epic conditions. Congrats Amaury ! Amaury surfed reall really well throughout the whole event and smoked everyone in the final with a 10 and a 7.5
Final podium:
1. Amaury Lavernhe – Reunion Island / France
2. Diego Cabrera – Canary Islands / Spain
3. Jared Houston – South Africa
4. Damian King – Australia
The Pipe contest was the first of the 2010 IBA tour for the season. Waht an epic start to this news season !
Friday, 26th February, Banzai Pipeline, North Shore; Hawaii, United States of America – The 2010 Turbo Bodyboards Pipeline Pro presented by Body Glove has been won and run, with Pipeline saving the best for last with the competition wrapping up on the final day of the 2 week waiting period.
Conditions were epic, with perfect 8 to 12 feet Pipe and light offshore winds all day, keeping the thousands that lined the shore thoroughly entertained.
Amaury Lavernhe of the Reunion Islands was the one who came up trumps, blitzing through his final heats.
Lavernhe threw down the gauntlet to his combatants in the final with an outstanding combined wave total of 17.50, which included a perfect 10 for a huge pipe barrel to backflip. He then backed his perfect score up with a 7.5 for another huge barrel to roll.
Lavernhe took out Diego Cabrera of the Canary Island with 14.65, Jared Houston of South Africa with 14.20 and Damian King from Australia with 10.75.
“I am so stoked, I can’t believe it” Said Lavernhe
“I have been here for 3 weeks and I have been training for this day.
“I just took this heat by heat and I didn’t want to think too much about the final”.
Diego Cabrera, who has come off the back of a win at the last IBA World Tour event at Confital in December has continued his stellar competitive run.
“This is my dream, I am very very happy as this is the first time that I have ever been in a pipe final and the second time in a Grand Slam final” said Cabrera.
Though Jared Houston missed out on second only by .45 points, he was thrilled with his performance in the competition after spending over 3 months on the North Shore in preparation.
Originally excluded for the event due to surfing in an unsactioned bodyboarding event, Houston was the one who spearheaded the campaign to the IBA riders board to have the ban lifted at the end of 2009.
“I am so stoked, this is everything that I have been working towards this year so I am so happy that it has paid off” said Houston
Terry McKenna, the IBA International General Manager, who was also one of the key drivers behind this event is thrilled with how the comp rolled out in 2010.
“There was not a better way to begin the 2010 IBA World Tour season” Said Terry.
“Winning this event is only second to winning the world title, I am thrilled that Amaury has won this event as he is the deserved winner”.
The 2010 IBA World Tour now moved to New South Wales in Australia for the Soldier Beach Pro International from April 12 to 18.
