The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, fueled by Monster Energy, has officially been called “ON” by Contest Director George Downing. The ASP specialty sanctioned event will kick off at 8am. Wave face heights are in the 25-35-foot range.

In Hawaii, the event will be broad live throughout the day on Oceanic channel 250 and HD1250, courtesy of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. News feeds of event highlights will be produced today, along with high-resolution images.

In addition to the major placings, Monster Energy will be presenting the Monster Drop Specialty Award for the surfer who makes the most critical and rides out of it during the event. The judges will determine the winner on the day of the competition and will present the chosen surfer with a unique Monster Drop Specialty Award Trophy.

QUIKSILVER IN MEMORY OF EDDIE AIKAU ROUND 1 HEAT MATCH-UPS
Heat 1: Andy Irons (HAW), Jamie O’Brien (HAW), Michael Ho (HAW), Peter Mel (USA), Kala Alexander (HAW), Grant Baker (ZAF), Carlos Burle (BRA)
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA), Ross Clarke-Jones (AUS), Mark Healey (HAW), Reef MacIntosh (HAW), Darryl Virostko (USA), Clyde Aikau (HAW), Pancho Sullivan
Heat 3: Titus Kinimaka (HAW), Shane Dorian (HAW), Keone Downing (HAW), Ramon Navarro (CHL), Bruce Irons (HAW), Brian Keaulana (HAW), Takayuki Wakita (JPN
Heat 4: Sunny Garcia (HAW), Noah Johnson (HAW), Greg Long (USA), Brock Little (HAW), Rusty Keaulana (HAW), Makuakai Rothman (HAW), Ibon Amatrian (EUK)

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The final stop on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Billabong Pro Maui, is on this morning in pumping eight-foot (2.5 metre) surf at Maui’s famed pointbreak of Honolua Bay.

The Billabong Pro Maui is not only critical to surfers’ campaigns on the bubble for requalification for the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour, but is also the final stop on the prestigious Vans Triple Crown.

The Billabong Pro Maui Trials will kick off this morning’s action and will see top up-and-comer Carissa Moore (HAW), 17, who claimed the last event on the ASP Women’s World Tour at Sunset Beach, battle for a spot in the main event against fellow trialists Felicity Palmateer, Paige Alms, Monyca Byrne-Wickey, Lani Doherty and Kati Minami. Competition will then launch directly into Round 1 of the main event and will continue through to Round 3 to conclude the day’s proceedings.

“We’ve got great surf this morning and are going to start the event off with the trials before ning Round 1 of competition,” Rodney Kilborn, Billabong Pro Maui Contest Director, said. “We want to capitalize on the great surf at Honolua today and plan on running through Round 3.”

The Billabong Pro Maui will at 8am local time and holds a waiting period from December 8 through 20, 2009. Event information, live scoring and heats on demand can be found via www.triplecrownofsurfing.com or www.billabongpro.com

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

Billabong Pro Maui Round 1 Match-ups
Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL), Bruna Schmitz (BRA)
Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW), Samantha Cornish (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Jacqueline Silva (BRA), TBA
Heat 4: Silvana Lima (BRA), Rebecca Woods (AUS), TBA
Heat 5: Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), Megan Abubo (HAW)
Heat 6: Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Melanie Bartels (HAW), Alana Blanchard (HAW)

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Over the last decade, Volcom has allotted millions of marketing dollars into the Banzai Pipeline, its locals, and adjacent real estate. And, announcing the new sponsorship of the 5-Star World Qualifying Series Pipeline Pro, the action sports brand is reinvesting into the North Shore community and Hawaii’s ‘QS surfers. At the same time, Volcom has never owned an ASP property.

“Pipe is extremely important to Volcom,” says Volcom Surf Brand Manager, Brad Dougherty. “We have positioned ourselves on the beach so that our team riders and the local chargers can take full advantage of what is out front. Careers are made out of Pipeline and Backdoor.”

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