As the start of the 2022 Championship Tour season gets set to kick off with the Billabong Pro Pipeline, we're counting down the most memorable championship moments from the past 10 years.
What elite athlete doesn't want to represent their country at the Olympics? When surfing was included in the Games for the first time, the dream was about to come true for some stars of the Championship Tour.
Trouble was, each country could only send two men and two women to compete in Tokyo. While some Olympics dreams would be made, others would inevitably be broken. And for several surfers, it all came down to the 2019 Billabong Pipe Masters.
World Title, Pipe Masters victory, VTCS championship and Olympic positions all decided on a historic day of surfing.
Championship Tour rankings were one of the ways athletes could qualify, and as the final event of the 2019 season, it was make or break for many aspiring OIympians on the CT.
For Italo Ferreira it was the cherry on top of a dream year; he won a World Title, a Pipe Championship and locked in his Olympic qualification for Brazil. This paved the way to him eventually winning a Gold Medal in Tokyo.
Kanoa Igarashi was another Championship Tour surfer in this event who went on to make history, securing a Silver Medal for Japan at the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games. Kanoa and Pipeline go way back to 2016 when he made the final as a CT rookie.
Kanoa Igarashi, who made the Final at Pipeline as a rookie in 2016, secured his Olympic qualification at the storied venue then went on to win a Silver Medal at the Tokyo Games. - WSL / Tony Heff
And after a result at this Pipe event secured his qualification for Australia, Owen Wright went on to take the Olympic Bronze medal. This was the crowning moment in what has been an illustrious career for Tour veteran Wright.
The urgency of surfing Pipeline to try and qualify for the Olympics was apparent in a decision by John John Florence to return to competition early while recovering from a knee injury so that he could surf the event and lock in his qualification against next-in-line 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater.
The stakes were so high that John John Florence returned from injury early to ensure he secured Olympic qualification - WSL / Ed Sloane
With Florence edging out Slater, he and Kolohe Andino narrowly topped the qualification rankings and took the two men's spots on Team USA. This was despite a phenomenal performance from Slater during the event, which saw him secure a Triple Crown victory.
With surfing set for a bright Olympic future, this was only the beginning. The venue for the Paris Olympics in 2024 is Teahupoo, in Tahiti, which is only going to raise the stakes even higher.
Kelly Slater won the Triple Crown in 2019, but even his great performance at Pipe wasn't enough to secure Olympic qualification - WSL / Kelly Cestari
The waiting period for the Billabong Pro Pipeline gets underway on January 29. Keep it locked right here at WorldSurfLeague.com for the latest news and info as we countdown the start of the 2022 Championship Tour.
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The waiting period for the Billabong Pro Pipeline gets underway on January 29. Keep it locked right here at WorldSurfLeague.com for the latest news and info as we countdown the start of the 2022 Championship Tour.
The Pipeline Top 10: Where Olympic Dreams Were Made Or Broken
Ben Collins
As the start of the 2022 Championship Tour season gets set to kick off with the Billabong Pro Pipeline, we're counting down the most memorable championship moments from the past 10 years.
What elite athlete doesn't want to represent their country at the Olympics? When surfing was included in the Games for the first time, the dream was about to come true for some stars of the Championship Tour.
Trouble was, each country could only send two men and two women to compete in Tokyo. While some Olympics dreams would be made, others would inevitably be broken. And for several surfers, it all came down to the 2019 Billabong Pipe Masters.
Championship Tour rankings were one of the ways athletes could qualify, and as the final event of the 2019 season, it was make or break for many aspiring OIympians on the CT.
For Italo Ferreira it was the cherry on top of a dream year; he won a World Title, a Pipe Championship and locked in his Olympic qualification for Brazil. This paved the way to him eventually winning a Gold Medal in Tokyo.
Kanoa Igarashi was another Championship Tour surfer in this event who went on to make history, securing a Silver Medal for Japan at the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games. Kanoa and Pipeline go way back to 2016 when he made the final as a CT rookie.
And after a result at this Pipe event secured his qualification for Australia, Owen Wright went on to take the Olympic Bronze medal. This was the crowning moment in what has been an illustrious career for Tour veteran Wright.
The urgency of surfing Pipeline to try and qualify for the Olympics was apparent in a decision by John John Florence to return to competition early while recovering from a knee injury so that he could surf the event and lock in his qualification against next-in-line 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater.
With Florence edging out Slater, he and Kolohe Andino narrowly topped the qualification rankings and took the two men's spots on Team USA. This was despite a phenomenal performance from Slater during the event, which saw him secure a Triple Crown victory.
With surfing set for a bright Olympic future, this was only the beginning. The venue for the Paris Olympics in 2024 is Teahupoo, in Tahiti, which is only going to raise the stakes even higher.
The waiting period for the Billabong Pro Pipeline gets underway on January 29. Keep it locked right here at WorldSurfLeague.com for the latest news and info as we countdown the start of the 2022 Championship Tour.
Read More:
The waiting period for the Billabong Pro Pipeline gets underway on January 29. Keep it locked right here at WorldSurfLeague.com for the latest news and info as we countdown the start of the 2022 Championship Tour.
Kanoa Igarashi
GWM Aussie Treble leader Kanoa Igarashi established himself at Margaret River with a convincing win over CT Rookie duo Al Cleland and
Featuring Filipe Toledo, Italo Ferreira, Liam O'Brien, Molly Picklum, Julian Wilson, Rio Waida, Griffin Colapinto, Bettylou Sakura Johnson,
A clash of event standouts and CT mainstays Kanoa Igarashi and Jordy Smith went back and forth in their Quarterfinal duel with Igarashi
The current World No. 10 Kanoa Igarashi just found his spark in 2025 with a massive performance over event favorite Ethan Ewing - posting a
The 2023 World Title contender Kanoa Igarashi put on a dominant display of power surfing against proven CT contender Liam O'Brien.
Billabong Pipe Masters
Check every 9 since 2018 as we gear up for a return to the North Shore at the Lexus Pipe Pro presented by Yeti. Featuring Kelly Slater,
At the World Title-deciding 2019 Pipeline Final, it's safe to say Gabriel Medina was the favorite … but Italo Ferreira had other plans.
You know if Kelly Slater claims a wave at Pipeline, it must have been a really, really special ride.
Carissa Moore announces her 2020 competitive plans, a recap of Italo Ferreira's road to victory, and Seth Moniz wins Rookie of the Year.
Italo Ferreira wins the World Title and the Billabong Pipe Masters, you can never count out the GOAT and JJF set for the Olympics.