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Saturday, December 16, 2000

By Pierre Tostee, Special to the Star-Bulletin
Bruce Irons of Kauai hangs on for dear life as he prepares
for a tube ride during round two of the Mountain Dew
Pipeline Masters at Pipeline yesterday.

Sullivan, Garcia
in surfing rematch

Garcia keeps Triple Crown
sweep hopes alive

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Star-Bulletin staff

Trialist Pancho Sullivan and world champion Sunny Garcia finished 1-2 in their first-round heat yesterday to advance in the Mountain Dew Gerry Lopez Pipe Masters surf contest at Banzai Pipeline.

The two Hawaii surfers were scheduled to meet again today in the second round.

Bruce Irons of Kauai also made it through the trials and the first round. He was to join his brother Andy, along with fellow Hawaii pros Conan Hayes, Kalani Robb and Shane Dorian, in round 2.

Hawaii's Shawn Sutton and Ross Williams failed to advance yesterday. The conditions were ideal, with sets of 8- to 10-feet.

The Pipe Masters is the final event of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

Garcia has won the first two events, racking up enough points to claim a record fifth Triple Crown title. If Garcia were to win the Pipe Masters, he would become the first person to prevail in all three Triple Crown events in the same season.

Two months ago, Garcia clinched the Association of Surfing Professionals world title.