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Andy Irons wins final event in Hawaii
by George Mojo
20/12/2005:// Outgoing world champion Andy Irons finished the 2005 World Championship Tour season on a high winning the final event in Hawaii.
Victory in the final of the Rip Curl Pro Pipeline Masters also earned the Kauaian the coveted Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title.
It was a rewarding ending for the 27-year-old who relinquished his ASP Men's crown to American Kelly Slater in Brazil.
Irons was in superb form at the infamous North Shore reefbreak and managed to leave Mick Fanning, his brother Bruce and Kalani Chapman trailing in his wake at the end of event.
Half way through the final, Irons, dropped into a freak set and scored a perfect 10 after he slipped inside two deep tube rides and finished with a massive but unsuccessful flying air.
"The wave came off the reef and doubled up a bit," said Irons. "I pulled in behind the section and came through it then managed to get back in another little barrel. I then tried a flying air and landed on the reef. It was one of the only waves in the final that came in clean."
Irons was extremely happy and looked almost relieved that the year was over. For him it has been a roller coaster ride as he did his utmost to stay in the title race right up to Brazil. To win today was obviously satisfying for him.
"This definitely has made it a lot easier that's for sure," said Irons of not retaining his world crown. "I was one heat away from bringing it to Pipe in Brazil and now I've got in the back of my mind a lot of what ifs. But I really wanted to do well here in the Triple Crown and Pipe and I achieved my goal."
Newly-crowned world champion Kelly Slater went out at the semi-final stage after receiving an interference call during his heat.
Sunny Garcia and Luke Egan ended their pro careers on a high. The pair are retiring from competition and both also reached the semis to go out on a high.
Both have been on the tour since 1986 and 21 years later they were bracketed to surf their last ever heat together in some tremendous waves at Pipe.
"It was really cool to surf in the semis with Sunny in my last heat," said Egan while on stage with good friend Garcia. "But not only that, to be mixing it with the young guys here, well I'm just really stoked with this old guy's effort and my effort."
They join Shane Beschen (USA), Lee Winkler (AUS), Renan Rocha (BRA), Kalani Robb (HAW) and Tim Curren (USA) on the retiree list.
Winning the best tube prize in the Foster's Expression Session was Hawaiian Makua Rothman with Miles Padaca coming in in second.
Final Men's WCT standings for 2005:
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 7962 2. Andy Irons (HAW) 7860 3. Mick Fanning (AUS) 6650 4. Damien Hobgood (USA) 6148 5. Phillip MacDonald (AUS) 6060 6. Trent Munro (AUS) 5748 7. Taj Burrow (AUS) 5512 8. Nathan Hedge (AUS) 5426 9. Bruce Irons (HAW) 5294 10. CJ Hobgood (USA) 5248
The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing final ratings 1. Andy Irons (HAW) 2. Mick Fanning (AUS) 3. Pancho Sullivan (HAW) 4. Jake Paterson (AUS) 5. Sunny Garcia (HAW)
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