Mick Fanning Wins the 2012 Billabong Pro, Tahiti

Mick Fanning has beaten Joel Parkinson in the final of the 2012 Billabong Pro, Tahiti. Mick clocked a 9.37 and 9.50 to beat Joel’s 9.50 and 8.87 in what was as exciting a final as you could probably hope for. “I knew that 35 minutes was a long time and I knew they were gonna come, it was just a matter of when,” said Mick breathlessly, immediately following the final. “I just kept my patience, y’know, it’s the final, you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. I just tried to keep my composure. I had Raimana, from Raimana’s World, he was directing me around the traffic and called every single wave perfectly, so I was stoked.”

So, what happens when you need a back-up and the lineup switches to silent mode? “I guess you’ve just gotta sit there,” continues Mick. “It can turn on and off so quickly here and you can get two scores in a coupla minutes pretty quick. I just knew I needed one wave and I didn’t have priority on that last one, but I sorta made Joel go that first one. I didn’t know how that one was, it looked like a nuts one, then on that last one I tried to ride high and tight like John John.”

It was the second final this year for Joel, who lost to John Florence in the Billabong Pro, Rio. And for the most part, he thought he had it in the bag this time. “I led a 35-minute heat til the last four minutes,” he said. “One bad wave choice. I went one that I thought was gonna be a good one, and Mick just got that one on me. You can’t really dispute that he was one of the best surfers the whole event. It hurts for sure but I’m over it. I guess it keeps me coming back, whatever it is. I got my anger out, out there, I’m good to go now. I guess a result’s a result. It just would’ve been so sweet to have that Teahupoo trophy. I don’t have it but at least I’m back next year, and I’ll fight for it again.”

The win also puts Mick and Joel into first and second on the WT rankings, respectively. But, as Mick told Stab after the Volcom Pro, Fiji, he won’t concern himself with it just yet: “I look at it as a whole,” he said. “Once you get down to the last two or three events, you start looking at who’s in the race, but until then everyone’s just building points. If you can get third or better in each event, you’re doing pretty well.”

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 18.87
2 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.37

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) 18.93 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 18.10
QF 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.14 def. John John Florence (HAW) 15.17

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) 19.07 def. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 18.64
QF 2: Owen Wright (AUS) 18.90 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.60
QF 3: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.50 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 16.43
QF 4: John John Florence (HAW) 16.17 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 4.17

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 16.17 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 10.27
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) 18.96 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 10.70
Heat 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 15.66 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 9.50
Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW) 16.66 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.64

CURRENT ASP WCT TOP 5 (After Billabong Pro Tahiti)
1. Mick Fanning (AUS) 34,750 pts
2. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 31,700 pts
3. John John Florence (HAW) 27,450 pts
4. Kelly Slater (USA) 25,450 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 24,950 pts