Pipe Invitational Trials
Last updated December 8, 2015 by Surf-Stats
More than a few of you have asked for details regarding the Pipe Invitational (AKA Pipe Masters Trials). Here are some quick facts to help you understand how it works and why they won’t be able to run the Masters on the same day.
Pipe Invitational Quick Facts
- $100,000 total prize purse ($10,000 1st place, $2,000 last place)
- 1st and 2nd place awarded Wildcard entries to the Billabong Pipe Masters
- 32-man field
- 4 Rounds (R1, QF, SF, F)
- No Byes
- Round to round seeding determined by Heat place only
- 4-man Heats of 30 minutes (Final = 35 minutes)
- Must be completed prior to the Pipe Masters
The Field
The competitor field is determined as the following:
- Top 5 Hawaiians on the QS
- Top 16 from Volcom Pipe Pro earlier in year (January QS)
- Top 5 Hawaiian Regional Rankings
- 2 Vans seeds
- 4 Billabong seeds
Here are the statistics from last year’s Pipe Invitational:
2014 Pipe Invitational Stats
| Name | AHS | Points | Place | High Heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Smith | 6.67 | 6.67 | 16 | 6.67 |
| Billy Kemper | 5.6 | 5.6 | 16 | 5.6 |
| Danny Fuller | 13 | 13 | 16 | 13 |
| Dylan Goodale | 6.26 | 6.26 | 16 | 6.26 |
| Ezekiel Lau | 6.73 | 20.2 | 5 | 9.04 |
| Gavin Gillette | 3.67 | 3.67 | 16 | 3.67 |
| Granger Larsen | 1.9 | 1.9 | 16 | 1.9 |
| Hank Gaskell | 8.41 | 33.64 | 4 | 15.5 |
| Ian Walsh | 5.07 | 5.07 | 16 | 5.07 |
| Isaiah Moniz | 5.12 | 10.24 | 9 | 6.67 |
| Jack Robinson | 9.42 | 18.83 | 9 | 13.5 |
| Jamie O'Brien | 11.35 | 45.4 | 3 | 18.4 |
| Joel Centeio | 7.88 | 15.76 | 9 | 14.73 |
| Joshua Moniz | 4.14 | 4.14 | 16 | 4.14 |
| Kai Barger | 6.18 | 18.54 | 5 | 7.93 |
| Kaimana Jaquias | 1.9 | 1.9 | 16 | 1.9 |
| Kaito Kino | 10.34 | 10.34 | 16 | 10.34 |
| Kalani Chapman | 4.22 | 8.44 | 9 | 6.1 |
| Kalani David | 6.17 | 6.17 | 16 | 6.17 |
| Keanu Asing | 1.83 | 1.83 | 16 | 1.83 |
| Kiron Jabour | 4.67 | 4.67 | 16 | 4.67 |
| Landon McNamara | 5.68 | 17.03 | 9 | 8.27 |
| Makai McNamara | 8.88 | 35.52 | 2 | 12.1 |
| Mason Ho | 4.39 | 8.77 | 9 | 7.64 |
| Nathan Florence | 3.63 | 3.63 | 16 | 3.63 |
| Olamana Eleogram | 4 | 4 | 16 | 4 |
| Pancho Sullivan | 2.63 | 2.63 | 16 | 2.63 |
| Reef McIntosh | 8.17 | 32.69 | 1 | 12.6 |
| Seth Moniz | 5.47 | 10.94 | 9 | 7.1 |
| Shane Dorian | 5.09 | 10.17 | 9 | 6.17 |
| Sunny Garcia | 4.53 | 4.53 | 16 | 4.53 |
| Tanner hendrickson | 3.3 | 6.59 | 9 | 5.26 |
Here’s the 2015 Heat Draw:
R1 features 8 x .5hr Heats for a total of 4 hours. The QF are 4 x .5hr Heats at 2 hours, SF are 1 hour and the Final is 35 minutes. Considering they run non-stop with no Heat restarts, the entire trials is 7 hours and 35 minutes of competition. While that’s an entirely feasible load for one day, tomorrow offers Oahu only 10 hours and 52 total minutes of daylight. The World Surf League is only permitted to run 4 days out of the entire waiting period (8th-20th December) – this means that they won’t be able to run a half day and still complete all necessary Heats for the Masters.