Former world champion Mark Occhilupo finished out his illustrious World Tour career with a Round 3 loss at the Pipeline Masters at Oahu, Hawaii, last week.

Occhilupo, 41, was beaten by fellow Australian Troy Brooks in the final seconds of their heat — his last as a full-time challenger on the Foster's ASP World Tour.

"It was emotional," Occhilupo said after being carried up the beach. "I was just feeling so good in my heat not thinking I was going to have to make this speech right now, but that's just how my year has been going so I shouldn't have been thinking like that."

Occhilupo, a legend in the sport of surfing, was the oldest full-time competitor on tour. In 1983, at 17 he finished 16th in the world.

The following year, he moved up to No. 3 in the world; the year after he would win at Pipeline.

In 1987 Occhilupo dropped off the tour. After 10 years of failed attempts to regain his winning form, he retook the ASP World Tour by storm and and finished second to Kelly Slater in 1997.

In 1999, Occhilupo won three World Tour victories to post one of the greatest comebacks in sports history by winning the ASP World Title at the age of 33.

A surfing phenomenon from the coastal town of Kurnell, in Sydney, Australia, Occhilupo first lit up the scene as an 11-year-old. Joining the local board riders club of Cronulla, he was junior champion from 11 to 13. His start into professional events was at the Beaurepairs Open in 1982. Occhilupo has competed in the best waves with three generations of surfing greats including world champions Shaun Tomson, Tom Curren, Tom Carroll and Slater. He is a legend and icon in Australia.

"I really love competing and I'll definitely miss that as much as my friends I've made on tour," Occhilupo said. "It's just been such a good ride, it's been about 15 years on and off, but the time I took off and then came back and won my world title, that was probably the best.

"No regrets, it's been sensational and just to have all my friends on the beach today, I know they probably had to get up early to make it down here this morning, but they're all there so that's something that I'll treasure and remember forever."

Other surfers who needed huge results at Pipeline to requalify but fell short were Brazilians Raoni Monteiro, Victor Ribas and Bernardo Miranda.

A few Australians who will also be bowing out included Shaun Cansdell, Mick Lowe, Josh Kerr, Troy Brooks and Phil Macdonald. Floridians Cory Lopez and Gabe Kling are two more competitors who did not make the cut for the 2008 ASP World Tour.

Surfers like Danny Wills and Ricky Basnett are also teetering on the edge having exited with 33rd-place points and other surfers left to compete deciding their fate.

Hawaiian Bruce Irons, who was inducted into the Surfers Hall of Fame this year, will also be waiting to see if he requalifies.

The 2008 World Tour promises to be an exciting year with fresh talent like Ventura's Dane Reynolds and South African Jordy Smith challenging the world's best.

Rumors that Andy Irons will be on sabbatical next year surround the surf community and talks about Slater's retirement are never-ending. But whatever happens, it's bound to get interesting.

— If you have any information regarding the local surfing scene, e-mail David Burroughs at runemason@yahoo.com. The Surfing Scene appears Tuesdays in The Star.