Mick Fanning is back in his rightful place. The same place he found back in 2007, when he dominated with one of the most impressive win streaks in ASP history to earn his first ASP World Title. At the Rip Curl Search event in Portugal this morning he nabbed his third event in the last four tries, extending his ratings lead over Joel Parkinson in the process with just one event left to go.

Mick's huge advantage over Parko now is he's been here before. But after reaching the mountain top in 2007 Mick Fanning learned the hard way what it's like to wear the target. As a result, his 2008 season was almost over before it started. For the wind chill up on the mountain top is far more penetrating to the nerves, and finding your familiar comfort zone is almost impossible once you're so exposed. Just ask Kelly Slater, who went through the same process back in 1993.

The world title made Mick a national hero in the sport's crazy town of Australia, where being a celebrity is a lot handle. His feet hadn't found solid ground again until midway through this year, when all the weight of his country was transferred over to the shoulder's of his buddy Joel Parkinson. After Parko's early dominance this year some in Australia were already planning his coronation...book deals were in the works, documentaries being planned...and natrually, Parko's ankle essentially cracked under the weight of that pressure.

Meanwhile, back on firm ground Mick Fanning was able to find his winning ways again. And today, wiser for the wear thanks to his journey up to the mountain top, he has what looks like a radar lock on the task at hand. The Fanning Focus is back, and he's galloping toward the finish in silky-smooth stride.

Lest you think it's all over though, understand this...Parko's third place finish says a lot. He's dealt with more in a single season than most deal with in a career. And while his brief journey to the top yeilded him plenty of arrows to the body, he's got dressing on his wounds now, and he's going to be ready for one more good fight at Pipeline. It should be one hell of a climax.

I don't know about you...but I'm enjoying this season.

Mick Fanning won the Rip Curl Search over fellow Australian Bede Durbidge at Supertubos today. Fanning has won 3 out of the last 4 events with his win today in Portugal. You can bet that Eugene will be making an appearance in Peniche tonight. Joel Parkinson got equal 3rd, which means the World Title race will be decided at the Pipe Masters in December. Joel and Mick are very close in the ratings, though now Mick has a slight edge. I can barely count, but luckily someone oover at the asp can, and the scenario is apprently this: If Mick makes the final at Pipe, he wins, if he gets a 9th or worse, Joel needs a 3rd or better to win. The Pipe Masters begin on December 8th.

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH FINAL RESULTS:
1 - Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.67
2 - Bede Durbidge (AUS) 9.87

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.60 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.27
SF 2: Wright Withdraws Due to Injury, Fanning Advances

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10 (Following Rip Curl Pro Search):
1 - Mick Fanning (AUS) 7140 points
2 - Joel Parkinson (AUS) 6772 points
3 - Adriano de Souza (BRA) 6148 points
4 - Bede Durbidge (AUS) 6146 points
5 - C.J. Hobgood (USA) 5748 points
6 - Taj Burrow (AUS) 5524 points
7 - Kelly Slater (USA) 5514 points
8 - Bobby Martinez (USA) 5421 points
9 - Damien Hobgood (USA) 5116 points
10 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 4828 points

The shifty sandbars of Peniche, Portugal, offered up some fun surf in the 4 foot range this morning, but just as the contest was set to run Round 3, a heavy fog rolled in and put a stop to that. Luckily, Round 2 was finished up yesterday at the backup venue of Belgas, with clean 4-5 foot peeling lefts for the final 3 heats. Contest organizers are expecting some solid surf on the horizon, hoping to get underway at the primary venue of Supertubos tomorrow, with Jordy Smith taking on CJ Hobgood in heat 1. Its looking like we may finally get to see Supertubos live up to its name. Fingers crossed...

REMAINING RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 14: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 15.17 def. Ben Dunn (AUS) 8.83
Heat 15: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.00 def. Jihad Khodr (BRA) 10.07
Heat 16: Tim Reyes (USA) 13.06 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 9.50

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Heat 2: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Heat 3: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Drew Courtney (AUS)
Heat 4: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Heat 5: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)
Heat 6: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 7: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 8: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Tim Reyes (USA)

Now that we're left to sift through the wreckage of his attempt for a 10th world title the autopsy on his less-than-stellar season is underway, and what's most revealing is there was never much of a real effort. Kelly Slater simply had too much on his plate this year.

We knew on Thursday that he would have his hands full with Owen Wright. The 19-year-old Wild Card from Australia has been on a phenomenal tear in 2009. And as expected, Wright got past Slater by taking the above the lip route which is typical of all the surfers that are half Slater's age. What we didn't predict is Wright would do it in come-from-behind fashion.

With his win Saturday, Wright has provided the bookends to Kelly's 2009 story. When he felled Slater at Bells in March it was Kelly's second early-round loss in a row, which seemed unimaginable after his 2008 domination.

Indeed, Kelly's PR machine was busy investing in his quest for ten. Both Sports Illustrated and ESPN took note of his chase for the double-digit. Hoping to strike while the iron was hot Slater's handlers began plotting to leverage their client's popularity into a pro surfing revolution. Thinking boldly, they started pitching the concept of a dreamier dream tour with Kelly acting as star.

Slater's passive involvement was a no-brainer. The ASP was stuck in a vicious hostage situation to its own board comprised of stakeholders in the status quo. He wanted actual change, but had no desire for confrontation, and wouldn't be caught dead at board meetings.

In fact, the only boardroom discussions Slater cared for were the ones taking place in the blue-walled shaping bays of Channel Islands, because his thirst for experimentation was unquenched. Slater was a late arrival to the surfboard renaissance, but he seems determined now to jump out in front of it. His journey into the design realm is what led to his 9th world title that made all the talk of ten possible. Deep down, Slater knows this.

That's exactly why as the 2009 season got underway he was more dedicated to his art than the potential of his new moment. That's exactly how and why he ends up on a tiny little 5'4" during the Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast. Hopelessly hooked to new feels he was stayed true to his larger quest for new limits--a vital part of that particular design journey--but the timing of his threshold beat down was unfortunate.

The only difference between his Australian campaigns of 2008 and 2009 was the logic of his boards. He sealed his 9th title on pragmatic designs just as his new openess began. But by the time he arrived at Pipeline, after clinching his title, he was armed with a mangy dog of a board. Nevertheless, his Pipe win got more hype than anything else because of the hideous beast.

The press praised his deep-six as if it were a breakthrough. But it wasn't. It was, however, a piece of crap. Sure it got him down the face and behind the curtain, but so did Gerry's boards 35 years ago. Slater couldn't turn to save his life on that thing. That he won on it says much more about his dominance out there than anything else. But his success there is what led to the goofiness that followed ealier this year.

His subsequent back-to-back losses in Oz months later put a damper on the ten talk just as it was getting started. Then at stop number three in Tahiti rumors of "Kelly's New Tour" started spreading. Boy, that didn't go over well. It might have if he were actually in the lead at the time, but he wasn't, and however well intentioned the whole thing was the poor timing gave the movement the distinct aroma of a sour grapes campaign.

While trying to climb back into a title race Slater stuck his neck out politically, and some of his relationships were strained as a result. If his team got their way there was no telling where most of his peers would end up, not to mention the ASP staff. Today, if you wanted to argue that Slater paid the price with the judges there's certainly enough video evidence to open a case.


Kelly Slater pleading his case with Contest Director Mike Parsons after his loss in Mundaka. The two would later confront the judges with their mutual concerns. Photo: Lucia Griggi

Yet Kelly's distractions finally came to an end during this endless European leg. All the "rebel tour" talk was silenced after the ASP wisely turned inward and placated its critics with some modest changes. And on Saturday the plug was finally pulled on his quest for 10.

Now Slater can get back to his primary quest, which, of course, makes us wonder what the hell he'll be riding at Pipeline this year. Lord knows he can win there riding the hood of a Toyota Prius, but if he does, just think of what that would lead to on next year's tour....that is, if there is one for Kelly.

We'll broach that one later.