And they're off...

The ASP's biggest stars held their pre-event press conference yesterday in preparation for the 2010 world tour kickoff. The Quiksilver Pro gets underway Friday on the Gold Coast of Australia.

While these press events are usually a river of canned responses, 2009 World Champion Mick Fanning did trade a good barb or two with 9-time world champion Kelly Slater.

After Slater told the press on hand that he'd be happy to win the Quiksilver pro again, and wouldn't mind having another title, he joked that he may have to kick Fanning and Parko in the knees to make that happen.

Fanning spoke about his simple plan. "Just surf, that's all you can do...I starte working on a new formula last year and it seems to be working."

When Slater inquired about details, Fanning revealed one secret, "Not talk to you, and beat you."

The joke was lighthearted, but there's plenty of truth to it. Slater is a master of the mind games. He lulls others into letting their guard down with his classic duck on the pond approach; visibly calm, cool, and care free above the surface, while his serious kicking work is being done where others can't see it.

Fanning--to his credit--wasn't fooled by any of it last year. He stayed on his own program and away from the Slater's mind games. Meanwhile, Slater got snagged in an ASP net by advocating for serious change, which to his credit, he didn't shy away from at the press conference.

"Definitely, I'm open to change is surfing, whether that's with the ASP or someone else," Slater said.

Some feel that approach may have hindered Slater's shot at a 10th world title, and is likely to again this year.

Meanwhile, Joel Parkinson says he's recovered from his ankle injury that cost him the world title last year. Parko was enjoying one of the biggest leads in tour history when the his ankle gave out on him. He spent the better part of a month trying to deny there was anything wrong but it was painfully obvious that that wasn't the case.

The final three wild card slots should be determined on Friday (Saturday in Australia) but Quiksilver's Julian Wilson will not be one of them. Wilson is recovering from his own injury.

Fantasy Action Sports League players will be sifting through all the heat draws and gossip as they close in on their final picks for the event. FASL has taken the fan-based participation to a new level by giving fantasy players a chance to compete for pride, or piles of cash.