How Mick Fanning Won The 2013 World Title - Stab Mag

Live Now — Episode 3 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

144 Views

How Mick Fanning Won The 2013 World Title

And, that’s it. Mick Fanning is officially the 2013 ASP World Champion. What moment does it come down to? Did it begin with his good pal, Joel Parkinson, winning the world title last year and reigniting something within Mick? Would it still have happened if Mick had lost a heat earlier in Bells, Tahiti, Portugal, or elsewhere? Does it come down to Mick having the foresight to drop in on John John Florence in round four, thereby putting himself against CJ Hobgood and Yadin Nicol, rather than Julian Wilson and, more importantly, John John Florence again? Or, in the first heat of the final morning, with one minute and thirty-five seconds remaining and trailing CJ Hobgood, when Mick rolled into, casually bottom turned under, and burned through the heat’s most perfect wave for a 9.50? Or most importantly, against Yadin Nicol, in the final seconds of his quarterfinal, when Mick needed a 9.57 he drove through a clean barrel to scoop 9.70 points and win the world title. It isn’t just one of these things, but all of them, and a whole lot more. And now, Mick Fanning is a World Champion for the third time, and Kelly Slater is not a world champion for the twelfth time. “The world title is something that takes a whole year, but sometimes it can feel like it boils down to the final day and the final heats,” said Mick. “I’m sure I gave my wife Karissa and my mum enough stress today to last a lifetime. I was never worried myself now that I think of it. I knew what I needed to do and if the opportunity came, I knew I could do it. That opportunity came in both heats today. It’s an incredible feeling. I’ve been having fun all year and to clinch on a day like this at Pipeline makes it that much more special.” Kelly, obviously deflated, managed to maintain graciousness in defeat. “I’m excited for Mick – it was an exciting finish,” said the Floridian. “Mick has been focused all year. It’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly where my year didn’t stack up. I got hurt in Tahiti and probably should have rehabbed more before Trestles. I didn’t surf very well through Europe. A world title is a yearlong thing. It was a great year for surfing and I’m excited we get to wrap up in great waves at Pipeline.” Above is a glance in the rearview mirror, at the most important moments that led to the big one.

news // Mar 8, 2016
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

And, that’s it. Mick Fanning is officially the 2013 ASP World Champion.
Fuel_TV_Insert
What moment does it come down to? Did it begin with his good pal, Joel Parkinson, winning the world title last year and reigniting something within Mick? Would it still have happened if Mick had lost a heat earlier in Bells, Tahiti, Portugal, or elsewhere? Does it come down to Mick having the foresight to drop in on John John Florence in round four, thereby putting himself against CJ Hobgood and Yadin Nicol, rather than Julian Wilson and, more importantly, John John Florence again? Or, in the first heat of the final morning, with one minute and thirty-five seconds remaining and trailing CJ Hobgood, when Mick rolled into, casually bottom turned under, and burned through the heat’s most perfect wave for a 9.50?

Or most importantly, against Yadin Nicol, in the final seconds of his quarterfinal, when Mick needed a 9.57 he drove through a clean barrel to scoop 9.70 points and win the world title.

It isn’t just one of these things, but all of them, and a whole lot more. And now, Mick Fanning is a World Champion for the third time, and Kelly Slater is not a world champion for the twelfth time.

“The world title is something that takes a whole year, but sometimes it can feel like it boils down to the final day and the final heats,” said Mick. “I’m sure I gave my wife Karissa and my mum enough stress today to last a lifetime. I was never worried myself now that I think of it. I knew what I needed to do and if the opportunity came, I knew I could do it. That opportunity came in both heats today. It’s an incredible feeling. I’ve been having fun all year and to clinch on a day like this at Pipeline makes it that much more special.”

Kelly, obviously deflated, managed to maintain graciousness in defeat. “I’m excited for Mick – it was an exciting finish,” said the Floridian. “Mick has been focused all year. It’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly where my year didn’t stack up. I got hurt in Tahiti and probably should have rehabbed more before Trestles. I didn’t surf very well through Europe. A world title is a yearlong thing. It was a great year for surfing and I’m excited we get to wrap up in great waves at Pipeline.”

Above is a glance in the rearview mirror, at the most important moments that led to the big one.

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Laird Hamilton on The Limitations of Being a Purist, Invention vs. Ownership + Why He Never Had a Sticker Deal 

Untold stories from his How Surfers Get Paid interview.

Jul 4, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

"The tribe has spoken," Dane Reynolds pronounced, and a surfer's torch was snuffed.

Jul 3, 2025

When Surfer’s Eye Is Actually Cancer

Erin Campbell's brutal journey from surf camp dreams to chemo drops, cryotherapy, and surgical horror.

Jul 3, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q2 Report

An assessment of surfing's vital signs throughout the second quarter of 2025.

Jul 2, 2025

What Actually Happened to Occy’s Mad Max Plunger Pool In Yeppoon?

Surf Lakes’ brass talks: internet hecklers, the unplugging of the plunger, and the Tom Curren…

Jul 2, 2025

Poor Goofy Foots 

Data shows that the world is stacked against goofs — they even make 15% less money than…

Jul 1, 2025

Britain’s First Wavepool Has Closed — What Really Happened?

Bankruptcy, social media hackings, debts unpaid — and yet, reopening looms.

Jul 1, 2025

Watch: Was Matt Meola’s Air Actually Better Than Hughie’s?

Watch the full Swatch Nines highlight reel and decide.

Jun 30, 2025

Houshmand Bludgeons Field To Win Second CT — Molly Picklum Tastes Blood, Snatches World #1 In Brazil

You can't argue with big surfing — that's Saquarema wrapped.

Jun 29, 2025

37 Years Old And World #1 — What’s Changed For Jordy Smith?

On rediscovering decades old surfboard templates, having a personality on the CT, and why this…

Jun 27, 2025

Tom Lowe Stars in ‘Let Me Live’

The wild, improbable ascent of Britain’s best big-wave surfer.

Jun 27, 2025

Saq Wrap: Italo Celebrates Mid-Heat, Griff Drops A Freestyle, Jordy + Yago Continue BBQing 20-YOs

Top seeds sow ruin, Final 5 starts to crystallize.

Jun 27, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 2

Our seven surviving surfers confront an oddly large California beach break.

Jun 26, 2025

SEOTY: The ‘Once-In-A-Decade’ Caribbean Swell That Kelly Slater Passed On

Michael Dunphy stars in Jimmicane's 'Blue Veil'

Jun 25, 2025

Who Owns Bingin? Legal Fight To Stop Demolition Begins

Eviction notices served for all businesses built on state land.

Jun 25, 2025

Tony Hawk Just Named Hughie Vaughan’s Internet-Breaking Air Because… No One Else Can

89% of our IG poll respondents claimed the 'stale fish flipper' was the best air…

Jun 25, 2025

German Surfers: AN INVESTIGATION

Truth is the light by which the world can see. 

Jun 24, 2025

“I Lost Everything I’ve Ever Owned, But This Board Came Back”

One month after the LA wildfires, a surfboard washed ashore.

Jun 24, 2025
Advertisement