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Banzai Pipeline, O`ahu, Hawai`i (Dec.17, 1996) -- Shane Dorian of
Kailua-Kona knows the Pipeline Break on Oahu almost as well as Banyans.
Today, in the Chiemsee Gerry Lopez Pipe Masters, the final event of the Red
Dog Triple Crown of Surfing, Dorian once again proved his skill in
maneuvering the breaks surrounding Pipeline and like most of the surfers in
this particular contest, Dorian elected to use the rights at the Pipeline
break, called Back Door. In so doing he earned the nickname "Back
Doorian," for his adept maneuvers at that location.
Today, Dorian faced former world champion Damien Hardman and for the first few minutes of the heat Dorian and Hardman engaged in a paddling, rather than a surfing duel trying to find the right spot in the diminishing waves. The next wave that came through, Dorian picked up a small, three foot wave and squeezed his 5'9" frame into a backdoor tube and got a 9.25 score, out of a possible 10. Damien matched him with a series of cutbacks and off the lips, but never quite caught up with Dorian, who eventually won the heat. Afterwards, he described his strategy....
Before the contest I was really scared, because I'm on the borderline of not requalifying before this contest," said Dorian. I was really hoping to have a good contest. Now that I've made it through a couple of heats I'm pretty secure for next year. It's really important for me to requalify and I'm really proud to represent Kona. I think it's great to have guys from Hawaii, the Big Island, on the tour and have a lot of fun." Dorian returns to Kailua-Kona after the Pipeline contest to produce his annual keiki contest. Here are some details: "It's 40 kids 17 and under and takes place next Saturday, December 28. It starts at 7 am and the 40 entries are already filled," Dorian said. "It's going to be a really fun day and hopefully we'll have some waves. Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Conan Hayes, Kalani Robb will all be there to sign autographs. We'll have an expression session, sort of like a demonstration, or whatever. It's going to be a really good day," said Dorian. "I think it's really great that Conan Hayes is doing so well this year. I want to congratulate him."
Hayes didn't make it out of his heat against Hawaii's John Shimooka and Flavio Padaratz from Brazil.
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"It's mostly rights out there, so I wanted to just get some
barrels," Dorian said. "I knew it would be hard for him to get barreled
out there backside, so I was hoping to get barrels out there. I had a
really slow start and he got some good waves at the start. I was just
trying to find a barrel out there and I found one. Then I got another one,
so...It was a tiny little barrel and right at the end it kind of crunched
too, so I kind of squeezed out of it."
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