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Adriano De Souza of Brasil (pictured) winning his Quarterfinal heat at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Photo: WSL/Laurent Masurel
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Adriano De Souza of Brasil points to the sky after his Quarterfinal victory at the Buillabong Pipe Masters. Photo: WSL/Laurent Masurel
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Adriano De Souza of Brasil winning his maiden WSL World Title at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Photo: WSL/Laurent Masurel
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Adriano De Souza of Brasil winning his maiden WSL World Title at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Photo: WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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Adriano De Souza of Brazil winning his maiden World Title by winning his Semifinal heat to eclipse ratings leader Mick Fanning (AUS) at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Photo: WSL / Cestari
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Adriano De Souza of Brazil already having won his maiden World Title by winning his Semifinal heat defeated fellow countryman and outgoing World Champion Gabriel Medina in the final to win the Billabong Pipe Masters. IMAGE CREDIT: WSL / Cestari PHOTOGRAPHER: Kell CestariSOCIAL MEDIA TAG: @wsl @kc80The images attached or accessed by link within this email ("Images") are hand-out images from the Association of Surfing Professionals LLC ("World Surf League"). All Images are royalty-free but for editorial use only. No commercial or other rights are granted to the Images in any way. The Images are provided on an "as is" basis and no warranty is provided for use of a particular purpose. Rights to an individual within an Image are not provided. Copyright to the Images is owned by World Surf League. Sale or license of the Images is prohibited. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Adriano De Souza and Gabriel Medina during prize giving. Photo: WSL / Kirstin
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Mick Fanning of Australia winning his Quarterfinal heat at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Photo: WSL / Masurel
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Mick Fanning of Australia takes a moment to look up to the heavens before his quarterfinal heat against Kelly Slater (USA) at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Photo: WSL / Kirstin
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Mason Ho of Hawaii finished equal 3rd at the Billabong Pipe Masters today, 17 December 2015. Photo: WSL / Cestari PHOTOGRAPHER: Kell CestariSOCIAL MEDIA TAG: @wsl @kc80The images attached or accessed by link within this email ("Images") are hand-out images from the Association of Surfing Professionals LLC ("World Surf League"). All Images are royalty-free but for editorial use only. No commercial or other rights are granted to the Images in any way. The Images are provided on an "as is" basis and no warranty is provided for use of a particular purpose. Rights to an individual within an Image are not provided. Copyright to the Images is owned by World Surf League. Sale or license of the Images is prohibited. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Gabriel Medina of Brasil winning his Semfinal heat at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Photo: WSL / Masurel
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Gabriel Medina of Brasil prays before his Quarterfinal Heat at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Photo: WSL / Kirstin
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Gabriel Medina winner of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, placing runner up at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Photo: WSL / Kirstin
2015 on the World Surf League’s Men’s Championship Tour couldn’t have finished any better. Sure, maybe you had your guy, your pick, or even somebody you didn’t want to see hoisting the trophy at the end of it all. But from a purely objective point of view – if you were rooting for a dramatic finish – this was about as good as it gets.
Brazil holds back-to-back CT titles. Three of the four competitors entering the semifinals were surfing for the number one spot, but of course only one man could win it all in the end. There were several scenarios at play that just couldn’t be scripted. And now that the dust is starting to settle, here are some images of those final moments, the celebrations, and the ultimate glory of Adriano’s first World Title.