The Rip Curl Pro Search is done for, and Mick Fanning won. Not before Supertubos threw some of the gnarliest waves on tour up to now, chewing up half a dozen boards and rupturing Owen Wright’s eardrum, who was on a roll until then. It also cleared the title race down to Mick and Joel, with Bede being the last man standing. Joel needs to be two places up from Mick on the Pipe Masters, so it’s not going to be a walk in the park for either.

If Mick Fanning were to win the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Search Portugal:

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, would need a 9th or better and Adriano de Souza (BRA), 22, would need a 3rd or better to prevent him from clinching the 2009 ASP World Title in Portugal.

If Mick Fanning finishes Runner-Up at the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Search Portugal:

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, would need a 17th or better, Adriano de Souza (BRA), 22, a 5th or better, Kelly Slater (USA), 37, and Bede Durbidge (AUS), 26, a win to prevent him from clinching the 2009 ASP World Title in Portugal.

If Mick Fanning (AUS), 28, finishes 3rd at the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Search Portugal:

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, would need a 33rd, Adriano de Souza (BRA), 22, a 9th, Kelly Slater (USA), 37, and Bede Durbidge (AUS), 26, will need a Runner-Up finish, and C.J. Hobgood (USA), 30, and Taj Burrow (AUS), 31, will need to win to prevent Fanning from clinching the 2009 ASP World Title in Portugal.

(via)

Given that a 10th title is nothing but a mathematical shot for Kelly (not that it looks he’s even caring), I’m rooting for Joel. Mick’s surfs like a aerobics class, Bede just surfs plain ugly (and has been average at the most all year) and the rest is plain unlikely. But, as the author states, sillier things have happened.

Watching Tiago Pires surf against Mick Fanning in R2, a cynical viewer might have gotten the impression that the judges decided the outcome of this heat before it began. Match-ups like this are like a coloring book: the outline and shape of the result is there on the page for everyone to see, including the judges. All the surfers have to do is catch a couple set waves that hint at inherent respective talents – hand the judges the right color crayons. They’ll fill in the expected picture from there. So for Tiago to win heats against world champs, he was to do more than make it close. He has to decimate Fanning. Tiago caught the bigger waves, committed to his gouges, and scored perhaps the hollowest barrel of the event. And like fellow Euro Tim Boal, he lost anyway.

Lewis Samuels is a caustic, loudmouth, “hey-look-at-me!” kind of surf writer. But here he is nothing but right.

I’m gonna put a sock in my mouth now!

~ C.J. Hobgood, leaving the commentators booth after Tiago “Saca” Pires’ more than dubious loss facing local hero Mick Fanning at the Bells WCT