According to an article by The Australian , 2X world champ Mick Fanning has pulled out of the last event of the season, the Billabong Pipeline Masters in Memory of Andy Irons.

Apparently the fit aussie has been secretly battling a bulging disc in his neck since the Tahiti event earlier in the year, and with the World Title already sealed up by the Kelly Slater guy, this is his only time to heal before next season starts.

Bummer for Mick, as he is always a standout in Hawaii and a threat for the Triple Crown trophy. Expect to see White Lightning back in full effect at Snapper in 2012.

Mick's BFF Joel Parkinson is also avoiding Hawaii, opting to stay home and hang with the fam. Sounds understandable, but remember Joel is the defending Triple Crown Champ, and could do some serious damage out there in his boardshorts. Parko will be back for Pipeline though, which begins December 8th.

What better way to cruise the streets, beach, trails; then to have the soundtrack to your life blastin in your ears.
Pro Surfer Mick Fanning collabs with Rip Curl and Skullcandy to create the ultimate hoodie, to do just that.

Video below is Fanning filmed in NYC showin off the goods.

Available at limited specialty retailers nationwide.

For more information go here www.ripcurl.com/fanningcollab and here www.skullcandy.com/fanningcollab

Costa Mesa, CA-(November 9, 2011): Rip Curl and Skullcandy teamed up to rally around mutual team rider and 2x ASP World Champion, Mick Fanning, to launch the first Signature Audio-Enabled Hoodie, boasting two removable speakers in the hood. The hoodie, designed and developed from start to finish with Mick's input, is a lightweight fleece with an MP3 player pocket plug-in, and is a true reflection of Mick's taste.

"Being able to work with my different sponsors to collaborate around a unique product to the market has been really exciting," Fanning said regarding the collaboration. "I hope people dig the hoodie and dial in a good soundtrack for while they wear it!"

The campaign was shot on location in New York City by Steve Sherman this past September amidst the packet streets near Times Square. The video and full photo gallery can be viewed on the product website: www.ripcurl.com/fanningcollab

To give you an idea of just how good Peniche's Supertubos is, the day started with Jordy Smith and wildcard Bruno Santos trading 6 gaping barrels back to back until one of them finally fell on a wave. Not all of them were scoring rides, but when's the last time you surfed a wave where you can get 6 tubes in ten minutes?

Round 2 was given the green light early this morning, in building swell and stellar conditions. With the swell peaking, today was a marathon of action, running a whopping 20 heats in ten hours.

Absolutely every competitor got barreled off their head today, which begs the question, did anybody really lose?

Well yes. Jordy Smith, Mick Fanning, Josh Kerr, and almost every single Brazilian, 5 of 7 in the draw, including a rampaging Gabriel Medina. In fact, Heitor Alves is the only Brazilian to make Round Four, with Adriano yet to surf Round Three. Typically the Brazilians dominate in the beachbreak events on tour, as their country is as famous for gutless beachbreak surf as thonged buns. Unfortunately for the passionate peoples, this is no ordinary beachbreak. As the name implies, Supertubos is far heavier than most sandbars, breaking almost right on dry sand with every bit of raw Atlantic energy intact when the wave detonates. It has even earned the nickname of 'Portuguese Pipeline.'

Keeping this in mind, it should come as no surprise that all 3 Hawaiian surfers in the event are slicing through the draw like butter. Freddy P took out World Number Three Jordy Smith in Round Three, with a masterful tuberiding display. Dusty Payne also looked very at home in the gaping pits, easily out surfing Jadson Andre. Not to be out-done, super-rookie John John Florence turned in one of the best performances of the year against poor Ace Buchan. His 19.53 heat total is almost as incredible as the fact that he threw away a 9.5, a 7.67, and a pair of 7's. His throwaway scores would have won every heat in Round Two. The youngster will now face title contender Owen Wright in heat 12 tomorrow.

Also of note, Kai Otton and Julian Wilson has an absolute slug-fest in their round 3 clash, with both surfers dropping 9 plus rides all heat before Julian was able to seal it with a 9.7 at the end. Poor Kai had a near perfect 18.40 heat total and still lost.

The swell is forecasted to taper off over the next three days, so look for another marathon day of tuberiding tomorrow.



RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 2 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.74 def. Bruno Santos (BRA) 10.97
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.10 def. Francisco Alves (BRA) 6.57
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.83 def. Justin Mujica (PRT) 8.64
Heat 4: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.77 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 15.23
Heat 5: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 14.43 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.90
Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW) 19.53 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.97
Heat 7: Heitor Alves (BRA) 15.50 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 13.20
Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 16.04 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 15.87
Heat 9: Kai Otton (AUS) 14.97 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 13.93
Heat 10: Dusty Payne (HAW) 16.63 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.27
Heat 11: Travis Logie (ZAF) 16.43 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.76
Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA) 13.73 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 9.30

RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.57 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 8.43
Heat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.33 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 15.30
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 19.13 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 18.40
Heat 4: Chris Davidson (AUS) 14.10 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 5.10
Heat 5: Heitor Alves (BRA) 12.77 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.20
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.86 def. Daniel Ross (AUS) 16.37
Heat 7: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 15.06 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.90
Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 18.33 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.17

RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL REMAINING ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 9: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 12: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. John John Florence (HAW)

Excitement is building as Spain's WaveGarden project has moved into the full scale pool construction. The original Pool shown here was drained the day after this to renovate it into 5+ foot barreling perfection. Here we have Mick Fanning and Owen Wright getting in a few last wiggles on the prototype pool.

I am beside myself with excitement.

Imagine how such an invention would change the sport. A man-made wave that is actually more perfect than any ocean wave. A flawless 30 second tube every time. Imagine the tricks that would be perfected, the possibilities for contests, even the Olympics. There is no telling what this kind of breakthrough would do for the sport. The wheels are already in motion to build this technology at locations in Hawaii and Europe. Stay tuned...



Mick Fanning: Wave Gardening from Mick Fanning on Vimeo.

Australia couldn't have asked for more. The 50th anniversary of pro surfing at Bells Beach saw two of the Lucky Country's favorite sons, Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson, rip their way into an epic final clash in solid 8-foot surf. With her best dress on for most of the day, Bells drew a record crowd for the occasion.


Fanning and Parkinson were undoubtedly the best surfers of the entire week, consistently reaching peak levels of performance. Fanning's seamless weaving, sticking and moving was all done in hyperdrive. His velocity made the rest of the field seemed to be moving in slow motion, save for, of course, Joel Parkinson.

Parko's artistry on the big Bells canvas was pure beauty as he torqued his way through round after round with stunning rail work.

It was perhaps fitting that as the two paddled out for their final clash they had to make their way past a wide spectrum of Bells legends, including: Terry Fitzgerald, Simon Anderson, Mark Occhilupo, Martin Potter and Kelly Slater, each who thrilled the crowd between the semis and finals.

Whether it was serendipity or not, surfing fans in Torquay were rewarded for their devotion to this event. That said, a few late comers did get locked out of the gate. For the first time ever the crowd at Bells reached capacity and they had to close the entire park.

Fanning was hoping to ring the Bells' trophy for the first time since 2001, when he won this hallowed event as a wild card. Parko, meanwhile, has two bells at home, one from 2009 and another from 2004. opened the final with an 8.53, and Mick had a rare falter on the end bowl trying to force a closeout lipper into a messy lip.

As the conditions finally fell apart in the final with some bumps on the face, Fanning was the first to show cracks in the armor. While conditions were clean, Fanning had no use for his shock absorbers, but the same approach suddenly didn't work as the wind came up.

Joel, meanwhile, seemed better prepared for the afternoon lumps and bumps. His foam climbing and rebounding was better fit for what was plaguing the lineup. "I was hoping he wasn't noticing what was happening," said Parko afterward. "He [Mick] was the most in form surfer of the event. Luckily for me he kind of fell out of rhythm."

Nevertheless, Fanning put himself within striking distance in the closing minutes, needing an 8.21. Mick did his best to lure Joel into a wave in the closing seconds, and he did, right into a 10 point ride that saw Parko pull into a rare Bells tube right as the buzzer rang.

The two mates embraced as they hit the beach, then Mick took Joel's left leg as he was chaired up the beach.

"This year's bell is like a gold-plated one," said Parko, directly after the final. "I can't wait to ring it."

Props to Joel, Mick and Bells...all three were golden.