Several years ago, the license holder for the Pipe Masters informed the ASP that state sanctions on surfing events called for a certain percentage of Hawaiians had to be included in all events held in Hawaii. The ASP took this information to the surfers and, rather than lose the events, the surfers voted to tow the line in this case to retain Pipeline as an ASP World Title event.

The 12 slots are determined by the local Hawaiian surfers’ union and I believe they use the ASP Star event (the Volcom Pipe Pro) as their qualifier for these spots with the 12 highest-placing Hawaiians not already in the Pipe Masters awarded the spots in the event.

From the ASP’s standpoint, our priority is to serve the surfers. The surfers on tour (for now) want to retain the Pipe Masters as an ASP World Title event and are willing to make this concession for the time being. If, in the future, the surfers decide that they do not wish to contest the Pipe Masters unless it promotes the same format as all the other ASP World Title events around the world, then the ASP will support them in this measure. The issue certainly presents the sport with an interesting conundrum. On the one hand, Pipeline (and Hawaii as a whole) is a very special place within surfing. There are individuals who make their entire careers out of surfing Pipeline and these “specialists” certainly provide an extra dimension of entertainment to the event. However, on the other hand, the Pipe Masters is an ASP World Title event and consistency is something the sport should be striving for. With careers and potentially ASP World Titles on the line, there is a strong case that the Pipe Masters should be consistent with every other event of its caliber. As highlighted, the ASP’s priority is to the surfers and we will back them in their decision on this front.

Why in the last WT event in the year with the top surfers competing for points to stay in the tour you invite a lot of hawains “pipe exeperts” just because the event is in Hawaii.

Imagine a lot off portugueses wildcards in the supertubes, a lot off brazilian wildcards in Rio ‘s event,…..

Stop with this !! Hawains lives with “haoles money”.

Same rules , same numbers of wildcards in all events.

thanks, peace.