Jeremy Flores on his way to beating seasoned Hawaiian campaigner Kieren Perrow in the final of the Billabong Pipeline Masters this morning.

About an hour ago in Hawaii, 22-year-old Frenchman Jeremy Flores beat 33-year-old Byron Bay nice guy Kieren Perrow in the final of the Billabong Pipeline Masters, bringing the curtain down on a strange, crazy year of pro surfing.

If you know a little of Flores, you’d be forgiven for thinking the waves must have been pretty small for the final, but the bloke has come a long way from the overhyped petulant Eurogrom of old, and – take your hat off to him – he beat Kelly Slater in the semis, and won the event with some classy barrel-riding. Hats off also to Perrow, who’s always – always – been a standout in Hawaii and lives for big third reef Pipeline days, and to Joel Parkinson, who won the Triple Crown this year after missing most of the season with injury, and Ace Buchan, who almost took it from him.

Video and highlights at the Vans Triple Crown site.