Dusty Paynes air on the buzzer got Parko pretty excited but the single move was gonna struggle to get the 9.something he needed to knock off Slater.

I like it staying tense, makes it so more exciting. Slater could easily of lost that heat until his last couple of waves.

Would love to see Parko finally get one but I get the same enjoyment watching Slater rack up titles against his younger competitors, he is just an absolute freak and something we'll most likely never see again.

Just a little update,Parko into the quarters Kelly relegated to round 5,Kelly was riding a quad and not surfing that well until a board change.

Indodreaming said...
Scary thing is that Slater has that knack of stumbling through an event then putting it all together on the final day.

Doesn't he just.

The top guys can just seem to produce amazing performances consistantly.

Others in the WCT can on their day beat anyone else but cannot perform consistantly at that highest level.

Slater starts at a base level of average that still above most of them.

He only has rare off days and then is surfing builds to almost freakish.

Anyway I am hoping for a trip up in round 5 and Parko getting through at least a semi and therefore gains some points. On that basis Parko would just need to finish higher than Kelly at Pipe

From nine msn -

Joel Parkinson ensured he'll lead the race for the world surfing title into next month's final event at Pipeline in Hawaii as he advanced to the quarter-finals in California.

Four-times a runner-up in a decade on tour, 31-year-old Parkinson won his fourth round battle against Brazilian pair Raoni Monteiro and Alejo Muniz in the ASP event in Santa Cruz on Tuesday (AEDT), edging a step closer to his maiden world crown.

The victory meant the Australian will bank a minimum of 5200 points at the penultimate event on the 10-stop world tour.

Consequently, even if his nearest rival Kelly Slater wins in California he'll still sit behind Parkinson heading to the season finale at Pipeline.

But the first assignment for Slater will be to bounce back from missing automatic qualification for the quarter-finals.

The 11-time world champion was beaten by Frenchman Jeremy Flores and Tahitian Michel Bourez in their round-four clash.

Slater now faces a fifth-round meeting against Brazilian Adriano De Souza to grab a place in the last eight.

But there were no dramas for Parkinson, whose cautious approach and selective wave choice allowed him to notch the day's highest individual wave score of 9.50.

"It was really slow at the start and I didn't get a wave for about 11 minutes," said Parkinson, who is yet to win an event this year.

"I figured I wasn't going to waste my time on small waves.

"I'd rather lose than see someone get the wave that I wanted.

"There's still a lot of work to do. It's great to have the title come down to Pipe. It's good for surfing."

In a good day for the Australians, 34-year-old veteran Taj Burrow and promising NSW surfer Matt Wilkinson also won directly though to the quarter-finals.

Burrow beat Brazilian teenager Gabriel Medina and South African goofy-footer Travis Logie.

Sydney-born Wilkinson, 24, ensured his best result of the season when he outpointed de Souza and American Damien Hobgood.

"This result is massive for me," Wilkinson said.

"It's the first time I've passed that third round this year. I'm freaking out."

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8560059

Oh well second part of wish didnt pan out with Parko out in quarter final to Travis Logie.

Taking out Parko and Slaters two worst results Slater is sitting 250 points ahead of Parko so all down to pipe and parko needs to finish ahead of Slater to seal it.

Fanning has a long shot but needs both Slater and Parko to exit early at pipe.

Ohhhhh so NOW you decide to win a comp Taj.

So it all comes down to Pipe.

If Kelly fails to make the quarters, Parko is champ. If both surfers make the quarters, its whoever finishes higher...

doggie said...

And they are both strong at Pipe, I think Ke11y might get it but I hope Parko wins

To paraphrase Taj:

"Kelly owns pipe, but Joel's scored 10s in both directions"

Hope Parko can do it but Kelly is pretty good at snatching victory.

Found this on swellnet by the looks of it pretty much in Parko hands, if he can finish above Slater he wraps it up and any result worst than 5th for slater will kill his chances.

Hope someone other than the ASP checked the math


, three surfers remain mathematically in contention for the 2012 ASP World Title: Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, Kelly Slater (USA), 40, and Mick Fanning (AUS), 31.

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.

If Parkinson finishes 13th, 9th or 5th at the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- Slater needs a 5th or higher to take the 2012 ASP World Title.
- Fanning needs to win at Pipeline to take the 2012 ASP World Title.*
*Contingent upon Slater finishing 5th or Lower at Pipeline.

If Parkinson finishes Equal 3rd at the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- Slater needs a 3rd or higher to take the 2012 ASP World Title.
- Fanning needs to win at Pipeline to take the 2012 ASP World Title.*
*Contingent upon Slater finishing 5th or Lower at Pipeline.

If Parkinson finishes 2nd at the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- Slater needs to win at Pipeline to take the 2012 ASP World Title.
- Fanning cannot win the 2012 ASP World Title.

If Parkinson wins the Billabong Pipe Masters, he will take the 2012 ASP World Title.

Wondering if Wilko was having a dig at Medina in the post heat interview "I'm pretty sad, but I'm not going to cry about it"

Good to see Wilko re qualifying

Talk about confusing

I was looking at the ASP rankings and taking out Slater and Parko's lowest two results and coming up with something different. Thought maybe they hadnt put new batteries in !

What they dont explain is the numbers we get are already adjusted so what they give us is their total points score less their worse result.

Now I understand why if Parko gets 13th Slater needs a 5th as I didnt need to take off another score.

Parko made the final last year at Pipe and lost to KP.

Go Parko !

Whoever wins I have found this year to be quite entertaining. Taj's win was great but not sure whether or not Wilko was ripped off..In any case, has been interesting to follow the comps ....I try and predict the scores and mostly I am way off.