Though it's been around for a long time, the two wave total hasn't always been the chosen scoring system for the World Tour. There's been best of five waves, four to the beach, and through the 1990s the road to victory was decided via the best of three waves. The system endured for a decade and only once in that time was a perfect 30 out of 30 heat score registered: awarded to Shane Beschen at the Billabong Pro, February 16th, 1996 - 22 years ago today.

Starting its life as the Billabong Surf into Summer Pro in 1985 (won by Hans Hedemann at Duranbah), 'Bong took their franchise to Hawaii in 1986 where it was won by MR the first two years, then Kong in 1987, Barton '88 (his world title year), Cheyne Horan '89, and Nicky Wood in 1990.

After that stellar run Billabong brought their baby back home and concentrated on their roots.

In 1991 there was 18 rated events on the CT, none were sponsored by Billabong. In 1992 the number was 11, with 31 QS events, and still no sponsor by the 'Bong.

This is partly explained by the early-90s recession, but also Billabong's focus on home. In 1992 they re-launched the Billabong Pro as a local pro-am (remember them?) on the Gold Coast. Tim Baker recalls that comp:

"In a bold, community-minded experiment, free surfers were allowed to surf through the contest area as long as they gave right of way to competitors. It worked brilliantly, and the locals gorged and the pros rejoiced while the contest rolled on in four-foot tubes."

The Billabong Pro featured both a waiting period and mobile status. It was the rudiments of the soon to be realised Dream Tour.

That first contest was won by Munga, Pottz took it home in '93, Sunny Garcia in '94, and Jake Paterson in '95 - contest director Rabbit had nailed a series of forecasting bullseyes and the pros came, not for the prizemoney, but the chance to surf pumping Kirra.

In 1996, Billabong promoted the event back to World Tour status. The opening rounds were held in small surf but on the evening of the 15th contest forecaster Mike Perry taped a note to Rabbit's door: "You won't recognise this place tomorrow."

And he was bang on. In Round 3, clean 3- 4 foot barrels rifled down the point with US Pro Shane Beschen scoring the first and only perfect 30 out of 30 heat. In fact, on his fourth wave Beschen scored 9.90 as a throwaway. His hapless adversary, Brazilian Fabio Gouveia, paps to current CTer Ian, could do little in reply.

The following video belongs to Fabio and features that heat - skip to the 5.00 minute mark - and for those too young to remember it also shows Coolangatta pre-Superbank. Where's all the sand..?

Postscript: Born just seven days apart, Shane Beschen and Kelly Slater grew up rivals, the best surfers of their generation from the US west and east coast. Their rivalry spilled over later in 1996 at the US Open when Slater faked going right only to snake left and take off behind Beschen forcing an interference. Until the '96 Billabong Pro Slater had the record highest heat total - 29.70 from the famous "high five" heat against Machado at the '95 Pipe Masters - but Beschen eclipsed that with his perfect heat. Now that scoring has changed it's one record Slater can never hold.