Mick Fanning Leads World Tour Rankings

In 1976, Peter Townend was named surfing's first World Champion. The odd part about that honor being bestowed on Townend was the fact that he didn't win an event that year. However, he surfed the most events and was consistent enough in those contests that the point system used by the then-IPS awarded him the trophy (even if the trophy was a fake). This year, we've got another Townend situation brewing, as Mick Fanning has been the model of consistency this season, reaching at least the quarterfinals of every event this year but failing to win one as of yet. We're at the mid-point of the tour, and Mick owns a narrow lead over Kelly Slater. Reigning World Champ Joel Parkinson, fresh off his dramatic win at Keramas, has catapulted himself into third place in the rankings after some disappointing results earlier in the year. Jordy Smith is currently slated fourth, while Taj Burrow rounds out the Top 5.

Who is the favorite to win the World Title this season? Your guess is as good as mine, as this race feels increasingly tight with every passing event. Nobody is separating themselves from the pack, but again, there are still five events to be surfed. Could Mick keep surfing well but missing out on wins and still take home the title this season? It's possible unless someone really tightens their game and puts up some big results. If I were Fanning, I would be most worried about Kelly and Parko, for rather obvious reasons. Kelly can win any event at any time, and if he decides to flip his killer instinct switch he could run away with this thing before anyone knew what happened. Parko, on the other hand, just got his first win of the season, and in doing so looked like the Parko of 2012. These three guys are the favorites right now in my eyes, though Jordy, Taj and Adriano are definitely in the mix. If you want a dark horse, then I'd go with Nat Young, who is surfing better than ever right now and has shown some serious consistency in his own right this season. Should be a hell of a race.

Bali Pro Down to Quarters

Hell of a day yesterday for Rounds 4 and 5 of the Oakley Bali Pro, as Keramas went off with some incredible barrels, and the boys went hunting for deep tubes (highlights below). The performance of the day undoubtedly came from reigning World Title champion Joel Parkinson, who put up a perfect heat in Round 5 against John John Florence's 19.20 in the best head-to-head performance of the competition thus far. Just going into that heat and knowing that one of those guys was going to be eliminated didn't feel quite right, but afterward it really seemed like they both deserved to advance. A vet-on-vet upset occurred in Round 5 when C.J. Hobgood ousted current number one Kelly Slater, and another stunner came one heat later when Nat Young bounced Adriano De Souza from the contest.

Here is a look at the quarters matchups:

Taj Burrow vs. Joel Parkinson
-What a heat this will be. Both guys looked seriously on their game yesterday, and it might come down to wave selection, which is why I'd give Parko the nod here. The champ hasn't won a contest yet this year, and it's really starting to feel like that streak is going to end.

Josh Kerr vs. C.J. Hobgood
Kerr had a fantastic Round 4 heat where to took down both Kelly and John John, so he's on a roll. His tube-riding has been better than I expected, as he's proving that he's much more than just an aerial guy. Will C.J.'s veteran savvy be enough here?

Julian Wilson vs. Nat Young
Julian is probably my favorite surfer on tour, though I felt he coasted a little yesterday and didn't love that. He'll need to compete harder to take down Young, one of the hottest surfers over the past few events. This is a great matchup of young guns and it's fun to know one of them will end up in the semis.

Michel Bourez vs. Mick Fanning
Normally I'd almost assume Mick is going to win this one, but Michel's game has looked tighter this week than I've ever seen it. He's becoming one of the more impressive power surfers on tour, and he's had a patient approach to this event that has netted him some of the best waves in the lineup. If pressed for a pick, I'd still take Mick, but I think it's much closer than you'd think at first glance.

Ho-ly Sh*t

Cloudbreak Comes Alive

The Fiji Pro got going again yesterday, and we saw why contest organizers were being patient in calling the contest on, as we saw some incredible waves comes through Cloudbreak. This quote from Kelly Slater (via ASP), a guy who has probably surfed this break more than any non-Fijian, really says it all about the conditions:

“That was unbelievable,” Slater said. “Those were some of the best waves I’ve ever had in a contest. On the 10, I was deep in the barrel and grabbed my rail, but I had to let go to get speed and then I hit the foam ball, I barely made that one. I did the turn and got another tube. On that one big one, it was so perfect and I just wanted to be in the right spot. As I was in the barrel, it spit really hard and there was lots of mist and I couldn’t see. The foamball pushed my tail up in to the wave and I just couldn’t come out the way I wanted to. I didn’t even care if I won or lost, because I’d get to surf again.”

That last statement was essentially the theme of yesterday's heats; the pros were so stoked and frothing at the sight of a pumping Cloudbreak that one of the sport's biggest events of the year boiled down to a simple and pure love for surfing. These guys are pros, but they were all little kids once that audibly oohed and aahed at hollow barrells and open faces. They still ooh and ahh, usually silently, but sometimes that little kid inside gets too excited an makes an appearance, and that's great to see. They're not surfing robots, after all, though sometimes their performance might have you suspecting otherwise.

We got down to the quarters yesterday, and here are the matchups:

John John Florence vs. Jordy Smith

Kelly Slater vs. Sebastian Zietz

C.J. Hobgood vs. Josh Kerr

Joel Parkinson vs. Mick Fanning

I've got to stick with my original pick of Kelly to win it all, but really several of these guys have surfed well enough thus far to make my confidence in that pick wane a bit, just because so many competitors have looked so good. John John has probably consistently surfed the best in the contest to this point, with Jordy a close second and Kelly probably right behind them, though Slater's Round 4 heat was absolutely insane. Zietz has shown that he can translate his Pipe skills to Cloudbreak without issue, C.J. Hobgood is one of the best lefthanded barrel riders in the world and always kills it in Fiji, Parko seems to finally be coming alive this season and Mick put together a 19-plus heat in the last round. This should be a great finish at what has probably my third-favorite event on the tour.

Volcom Fiji Pro Preview

The Volcom Fiji Pro's waiting period is set to kick off on Sunday, and there's reason to be excited. This is one of my favorite events on tour; I mean, it's set at one of the best lefts in the world. Cloudbreak is one of the coolest waves on the planet when it's on, as it can give incredible barrels and huge faces depending on the conditions, and Restaurants is a left that goofy footers like me dream of. Last year Kelly won the event in the biggest non-surprise of the year. Tavarua is essentially Kelly's home away from home at this point, and nobody on tour has surfed there more than the legend himself.

I hate to go chalk on a prediction, but let's just get that out of the way now. I can't in my right mind predict anyone but Slater to take home first at the Fiji Pro, but there are some guys that could challenge him. Last year Gabriel Medina made a nice run on his forehand before getting squashed by the king in the finals. The Hobgoods are always dangerous in any left-handed tube. Jordy Smith, fresh off his win in Rio, is a threat as well. He's been in Tavarua basically since Rio to prep for this event.

The real challenger to Kelly in this event, though? I think it will be Mick Fanning. I love how Mick has been surfing this year, and his consistent results prove that he's in top form this season. He's one of the most focused surfers on tour, and while Cloudbreak might not suit him perfectly, he's my best bet to take down Kelly. 

No matter who wins, these elite surfers will be treated to a week or two in paradise, surfing two of the best waves in the planet in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Cheers, boys. Nice life choices. 

Mitch Coleborn Making Run at World Tour Spot?

When 2010's Modern Collective came out, I remember thinking to myself, "Who is this Mitch Coleborn guy?" Coleborn's performance in the film was modern, progressive and aggressive, but I'd never really heard of him before then. Then as quickly as he'd been thrust in my mind did he begin to fade from it, but he never totally disappeared, which is why it struck a chord with me when I recently read that he'd won an ASP Prime event.

The 26-year-old will enter the Fiji Pro with the big boys next week as a wild card with a chance to really make a statement that he's more than just a highlight reel surfer. A guy that can do stuff like this is dangerous to any heat opponent:

Volcom Fiji Pro Teaser

Fiji Pro waiting period starts June 2nd. Event preview coming soon.

Jordy Wins in Rio

Jordy Smith has come into this season more mature and more focused after an offseason spent working on his repertoire, and the fruits of his labor are starting to show. The 25-year-old took down Brazil's own Adriano De Souza in the finals of the Billabong Pro Rio on Saturday to take home his first event of the tour season. The win, which followed up a third at Bells, puts Jordy in second place in the world tour standings right now, behind only De Souza, who leads Smith by a measly 250 points.

Adriano came out typically aggressive in the final heat, nabbing some early waves, but Jordy's patience eventually paid off. Smith's exuberance was on display after an 8.50 ride in which he linked together an aerial maneuver and a carving turn in one of the most seamless manners I've ever seen, as the South African was putting on an uncharacteristically big claim. But it may be Ariano's personality in the water that brings out the claims in his competitors. Personally, I'm not of fan of De Souza's attitude out there, but he certainly makes for fiery heats. Jordy put Adirano away for good when he busted a huge air with a grab that netted him a score of better than nine, and that was all she wrote.

One must remember that Smith was a legitimate world title contender in 2010 before struggling a bit the last two seasons. As one of the bigger surfers on tour, his power is unmatched in the water, something that puts him in elite company even among the best in the world. Could this be the year that Jordy breaks through and wins it all?

It's worth noting that Mick Fanning is right behind Adriano and Jordy in the season standings right now, as he's been the Peter Townend of the season through three events, not winning any contests but consistently contending and racking up points.  Thus far in 2013, Fanning has posted finishes of third, fifth and third, so he's in the hunt, as usual. Kelly is currently slated fourth, so as long as he's in striking distance everyone above him will be looking over their shoulders. Rounding out the Top Five is Taj Burrow, who is always near the top of the standings but never actually at the top despite his talent level.

A few other notes include the fact that Gabriel Medina finally had a strong showing this season, posting a third-place finish and showing that he's damn close to healthy if not fully there. He should be back in the title hunt within a few events; he posted a perfect 10 in the quarters that was downright naughty. Nat Young has been surfing really well this season, and he's currently ranked sixth. Reigning champion Joel Parkinson posted his second straight 13th, but it's too early to panic about Parko. Also Ace Buchan has surfed really well the last two events.

Here are highlights from the quarters on:

Billabong Rio Pro Completes Second Round

Finally, some surfing! The second round of the Rio Pro kicked off and was complected today in some stormy-looking surf at Barra da Tijuca. There weren't any real upsets in the round to speak of, so no surprises there.  Josh Kerr had the highest heat score of the day with a 17.94, and while the pros made the best of the conditions, only Kerr and Brett Simpson were able to crack a total of 15 in a heat.  For me, the most anticipated Round Three heats will be Taj vs. Kolohe (this could be a breakout year) and Julian Wilson vs. Sebastian Zietz.  Hopefully that will be tomorrow.

Watch: A Fly in the Champagne

Interesting documentary on the rivalry between Kelly Slater and the late Andy Irons.  Trailer and full movie below:

Last Lay Day?

Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day?  Well, rise and shine campers, because it's another lay day in Rio today. However, today's announcement does come with some hope.

“Only small surf on offer this morning so we’ve called a lay day for competition today,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge said. “We anticipate swell to begin filling in by tomorrow afternoon and will definitely recommence competition in the coming days. We’ll return in the morning to make another assessment.”

Hopefully we'll get the second round underway tomorrow or the next day. This is day eight of the 12-day waiting period, so it's got to happen soon.

Lay Day For Rio Pro

A lay day has been called for the Billabong Rio Pro today with just one to two-foot surf on the docket. Next call will be tomorrow morning, when perhaps we'll kick off the second round of the event. Round One highlights include Pat Gudauskas upsetting Josh Kerr, rookie Sebastian Zietz dominating a heat than included Taj Burrow, Kelly and Jordy looking very strong and Gabriel Medina posting the highest heat score of the round (18.00).

Rio Pro is On

The Billabong Rio Pro has been called on for today.  Watch the webcast below:

Lay Day Called For Rio Pro

Thanks to stormy conditions, a lay day has been called for the Billabong Rio Pro, the third event in the men's World Tour season. Organizers will reassess conditions tomorrow morning for a possbile 7 am start.  You can watch the live webcast here.

Rio Pro Preview

Tomorrow marks the start of the waiting period for the third event of this World Tour season, the Billabong Rio Pro. First thing's first; last year's winner, John John Florence, will miss the event with an ankle injury sustained earlier this season on the Gold Coast, so we'll have no repeat for the young gun this week. John John is undoubtedly already one of the top surfers on tour, despite his young age. It's a shame his world title hopes were dashed so early this season, but he's got plenty of years ahead of him. Last year, John John took down eventual World Champ Joel Parkinson in the final, so look for Parko to bring his best stuff to Rio once again, though that's really not going out on a limb considering the high level that Parko has been surfing at since coming back from his gruesome heel injury two years ago.

Obviously Kelly is always a threat, so no need to go into that, but I'd keep an eye on Taj Burrow. He's in the best shape of his career and has posted a third and fifth-place finish thus far this season. He currently trails only Kelly in points after two events, as does Mick Fanning. Mick is always a threat, though his best is not enough to beat some of the more flashy surfers when they're at the top of their game. I thought Jordy Smith looked really good at Bells, and I expect him to be legitimately in the hunt for the World Title this year thanks to a more mature approach.

As always, I'll be keeping a close eye on Julian Wilson, my personal favorite surfer on the World Tour since Dane Reynolds decided to focus less on competition and more on just being Dane (which I fully support). Julian has shown flashes of World Title potential, but he seems to get outmaneuvered (figuratively more than literally) pretty consistently by the tour vets, especially Parko. The conditions will dictate whether or not high-flyers like Wilson and Josh Kerr have a real shot at this thing.

Mick Fanning
Photo: Wikimedia (kanaka)

And you simply can't talk about any World Tour event without mentioning perhaps the highest of flyers, Gabriel Medina. I'm not sure how healthy his ankle is, but if it's close to 100 percent then it goes without saying that the Brazilian wunderkind is a contender. He and John John are going to be headlining the big boy tour for the next decade.

If pressed, I'd take Mick in this one, mostly on a gut call, but not completely without reason.  The Aussie has looked as solid as ever thus far this season and I think this event suits him well. He was edged out by Parko in the semis last year, and this time I think he goes all the way. You can watch the webcast of the event live here.

Billabong Pro Rio Preview Vid

Billabong Pro Rio preview. Waiting period starts May 8th.  Event preview coming soon.