"Pipeline Classic Next," by Ron Haworth, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Dec 10, 1971

Six surfers are waiting for the Hawaiian Masters Championships now that the Duke Classic is 

The sextet is led by Mr. Pipeline, Butch Van Artsdalen. a surfer who belongs in a Pipeline curl like a hot dog in a bun. Van Artsdalen didn’t fish the Pipeline out of virgin ocean, but he did put is between the covers of surfing magazines when Hawaii was still an outpost of adventure for most readers.

The other five are Gerry Lopez, Jock Sutherland, Corky Carroll, and Jim Blears, all considered top Pipeline surfers.

The contest is sponsored by Continental Airlines, which has put up a $1,000 purse. The winner’s share is $500.

Carroll is the lone challenger not from Hawaii, but the old California pro could waltz off with the winner’s pot. The Pipeline suits his style.

And watch Blears, who has been pining for a chance to go left in a pro contest where his goofyfoot stance will be to his advantage. He is the only member of the famous Blears family who didn't get a share of the Smirnoff World Pro-Am and he might go all out to show the family he still has it when it’s needed.

Fred Hemmings will direct the Continental contest and predicts spectacular displays of high-performance gut surfing during the two-hour show.

"Hakman Wins at Pipeline," Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Dec 16, 1971

Jeff Hakman, who just won his third Duke Kahanamoku Classic last week, zeroed in on the Banzai Pipeline yesterday and came up with the $500 first prize in the initial Hawaiian Masters Surfing Championships.

Riding six- to eight-foot waves almost flawlessly and for a solid hour under windy conditions, Hakman topped some of the best big-wave riders in the business.

If Hakman’s victory was no surprise, Michael Armstrong, a newcomer who had been an alternate in the tournament, jolted surfing buffs by taking second and $250.

Third place and $150 went to Corky Carroll.

The other finishers in the six-man field were: Jimmy Blears, fourth, $75; Billy Hamilton, another alternate, fifth, $50, and Jock Sutherland, sixth, $20

The top three finishers are automatic returnees to next year's tournament.

The contest was sponsored by Contiental Airlines and Fred Hemmings directed the event.

Excerpt from "Masterpiece Theater: the Pipeline Masters Turns Twenty-Five," by Matt Warshaw, Surfer's Journal, Winter 1995

On December 16, event organizer Fred Hemmings showed up on the beach at Pipeline with a card table, a roll of bunting, a megaphone that he probably didn’t need, some folding chairs for the judges, and $1,000 in prize money donated by Continental Airlines. [The event was officially called the Continental Airlines Hawaiian Masters Surfing Championships.]

The contest format was simple: one heat, six surfers. The 60-minute event probably took place around noon, but nobody remembers exactly. Wave conditions were subpar. SURFER and 

 magazines didn’t print a word on the contest —not even results. The Expression Session II, held at Pipeline a few weeks later, was a different story: big, perfect surf, lots of coverage.

Hakman earned $500 for his Masters’ win (“rent money, for sure; but rent was $125, so it probably got me through to spring”). Jock Sutherland, six weeks after his return from the Army, got $20 for 6th place.

The big question of the day: What happened to Gerry Lopez? The story as received over the years is that Corky Carroll, earlier that morning, in an effort to improve his own starting position, told Lopez the contest was off. Lopez drove home and wasn’t heard from for the rest of the day. “I talked with Gerry a year or two ago about that,” Hakman recalls, “and I think he’s still a little pissed off. I asked him, ‘Where were you?’ And he went, ‘Aw, man, I’d been waiting and waiting, then Corky said it wasn’t on, and you guys just snuck out there and had the thing.’”

Carroll sighs when asked about it. “That story’s been j around for years. Of course I didn’t do it on purpose. Gerry and I were standing there in the morning and the surf was pretty lousy, and he said, ‘What do you think?’ And I said, ‘They probably won’t have it. What do you think?’ And he said, ‘Probably not.’ So we both split—except I went over to Mark Martinson’s house, right nearby, and Gerry drove all the way back to Town. Two hours later I was sitting around watching TV and somebody ran over and said the contest was on. I told Fred to wait for Gerry. Fred said something about it was Gerry’s responsibility to be there on time, rules are rules, blah blah blah. And then an hour later the whole thing was over, just like that.

"People think I pulled this great stunt, getting Lopez out of the contest. I almost wish it did happen that way. It’s a good story."

With an extra slot to fill, Hemmings looked around and saw a goofyfooter get a nice ride. Mike Armstrong was called to the beach and asked if he wanted to take Lopez’ spot. Armstrong did—and finished runner-up.

1971 Pipeline Masters

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