Redemption was the word of the day at Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore as Australia’s Joel Parkinson clinched his first world title, over Kelly Slater, in a dramatic shootout on the final day of the Billabong Pipe Masters.

Flash back to 2009, the last time the world title went down to the wire at Pipeline. After a phenomenal first half of the season, Joel looked unbeatable and built himself a giant lead over the field. Then he suffered an ankle injury while vacationing in Bali that opened the door for best friend Mick Fanning to go on a hot streak, which ended at Pipeline, where Joel saw the title slip through his fingers.

The scenario leading into this year’s title race seemed eerily similar, with Joel holding a slim lead going into Hawaii. But today was different. As both contenders, Joel and Kelly, progressed to the quarterfinals, it became a heat-to-heat swing of momentum–as the first one to lose would lose the title. In the end it was Parko’s countryman Josh Kerr who was able to halt Kelly’s quest for the title by beating him in the second semifinal.

Joel would then go on to win the final over Kerr, marking his first Pipeline Masters trophy, and chairing him up the beach was none other than Mick Fanning. Consider this a friendship etched in stone–or a world title trophy.

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS FINAL RESULT:
1 - Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.17
2 – Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.83

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.30 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.63
SF 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.13 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 4.90

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Damien Hobgood (USA) 9.83 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 9.17
QF 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.50 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 9.40
QF 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.00 def. Yadin Nicol (AUS) 12.17
QF 3: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.73 def. Shane Dorian (HAW) 18.20

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Damien Hobgood (USA) 8.23 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 3.26
Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.94 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 8.00
Heat 3: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 13.00 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.00
Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.27 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.66

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.57, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.10, Kelly Slater (USA) 8.10
Heat 4: Shane Dorian (HAW) 6.53, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 5.83, Yadin Nicol (AUS) 4.23

2012 ASP WCT Top 5:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 58,700 pts
2 – Kelly Slater (USA) 55,450 pts
3 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 47,000 pts
4 – John John Florence (HAW) 44,350 pts
5 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 42,350 pts