But Ho's elation was quickly dampened when he learned that today he will surf against his brother, former world champion Derek Ho, and one of the Ho brothers will eliminate the other from the Chiemsee Gerry Lopez Pipe Masters.

After eight interminable days spent waiting for the bad winds and the big waves to sort themselves out, surfers vented their frustration yesterday by tearing apart the 5-to-7-foot waves at the Banzai Pipeline.

Their frenzied performance was heightened by the chance to earn a slice of $130,000 in prize money, and the prestige of winning the Pipe Masters.

The Pipe Masters is also the last event of the Red Dog Triple Crown of Surfing, and as if they needed further incentive, surfers were battling to win the Triple Crown title, awarded to the surfer who does the best in each of the Triple Crown contests.

It wasn't perfect Pipeline, as the north swell made the famous lefts vanish and forced competitors to shift over to the rights at Backdoor Pipeline. The waves had a difficult time deciding whether to break right or left, and often the thick, succulent waves closed out as they pitched concave onto the shallow sandbar, snapping boards and slamming surfers mercilessly.

But the trialist surfers didn't flinch as they plugged into impossible tubes for a certain beating, scrambling to make four slots in the main event, where they will join the top 44 surfers on the World Championship Tour.

Johnny Boy Gomes was on fire, plugging into deep barrels and gouging gashes into the waves, which bled fountains of white water as Gomes jammed off the bottom and slammed off the top of the waves in his assault.

At times Pipeline performed double duty, such as when Gomes went backside on a left while Kauai surfer Braden Dias rode backside on the right, both getting tubed on the same wave.

But in a day of stellar performances, Michael Ho stood out as a delight to older surfers everywhere as he relentlessly courted the elusive tubes.

In his final heat, Ho started with a deep tube at Backdoor, followed with a deeper tube, and was solidly winning the heat after his third straight tube ride.

Seconds before the horn sounded to end his semifinal trials heat, Ho plugged into yet another deep tube, emerged and switched stance to ride the white water to shore.

But Ho's heroics were wasted on Kauai surfer Kaipo Jaquias, who started the day leading the pack in a race to win his first Triple Crown title.

Jaquias was only concerned with his two closest Triple Crown competitors, Paul Paterson and Pancho Sullivan, and smiled when both came up a few points short of advancing to the next round.

Jaquias showed his gratitude by winning his heat and continuing his quest for his first Triple Crown coronation.

But troubled water awaits Jaquias. Sunny Garcia is eager to win his fourth Triple Crown title.

Unless, of course, Derek Ho seizes his fifth Triple Crown.