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Joel Parkinson will soon board a plane on the Gold Coast and fly to Hawaii, land at Honolulu Airport, and drive to the North Shore. It’ll be the 12th time he’s made the trip as a WT surfer. And, maybe the last time as a man who doesn’t own a world title. He’s been close. He’s finished second in the world four times. Twice to Andy Irons, once to Mick Fanning and once to Kelly Slater. He now faces the latter two in a Pipeline decider for this year’s title.
Billabong surfer Joel ‘PARKO’, Parkinson has held the ratings lead for the majority of the year and is now looking his best chance to secure a Title after famously missing out in previous years due to freakish, ill- timed injuries.
Mick Fanning is an outside possibility, but it’s Parko and Slater who are the real contenders. Parko’s form in Hawaii has been extraordinary the past few years, he’s won the Triple Crown three times and made the final at Billabong Pipeline Masters last year.
But Slater is Slater, the best ever. Basically, Parko needs to finish at least two rounds ahead of Slater to seal the deal. Or win the event outright.
Due to the altered format for the Billabong Pipe Masters, all three surfers will automatically be seeded into Round 3 of competition and finish no worse than Equal 13th (1750 points).
ASP WCT surfers’ year-end rankings are based off their top eight finishes from the 10 ASP WCT events in 2012.
As Parkinson is the current rankings leader on the ASP WCT, the following ASP World Title scenarios will be based on his potential finishes at Pipeline.
Show your support for Parko as he chases his first ASP World Title by hashtagging all your online posts with #goparko . Photo’s of your local surf break, your board, your goodtimes or shots of the man himself…Nothing’s off limits. Let’s do this! #goparko @joelparko
2012 ASP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR RESULTS:
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast: Taj Burrow (AUS)
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: Mick Fanning (AUS)
Billabong Rio Pro: John John Florence (HAW)
Volcom Fiji Pro: Kelly Slater (USA)
Billabong Pro Tahiti: Mick Fanning (AUS)
Hurley Pro at Trestles: Kelly Slater (USA)
Quiksilver Pro France: Kelly Slater (USA)
Rip Curl Pro Portugal: Julian Wilson (AUS)
O’Neill Coldwater Classic: Taj Burrow (AUS)
Billabong Pipe Masters: TBD
Go Parko!
#GoParko
#GoAlana
Parko