Mick Fanning wins Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal- Fanning, Slater and Medina Title showdown heads to Pipline
SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Monday, October 20, 2014): Mick Fanning has won the 2014 Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal, defeating Jordy Smith in clean 3-to-5-foot barrels at the iconic Supertubos in Peniche. Fanning’s third event victory this season, after wins at Bells Beach and Jeffreys Bay, moves him up to World No. 2 on the Samsung Galaxy ASP World Championship Tour rankings.
Following the event in Portugal, only reigning three-time ASP World Champion Fanning, 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater and current World No. 1 Gabriel Medina remain in contention for the World Title heading into the final event of the season in Hawaii.
Fanning looked in form throughout the contest, winning all but his Round 1 heat. The Australian surfed five separate heats on the final day, dispatching Alejo Muniz, Filipe Toledo, and Kai Otton, en route to the Final, where he faced Jordy Smith. Fanning overtakes Kelly Slater on the WCT Rankings, claiming the second spot going into the last event of the season, the Billabong Pipeline Masters.
Fanning built his scoreboard early in this afternoon’s Final before locking into a deep backhand barrel for a nine-point ride and the heat lead. The reigning champ backed it up with another barrel to net a 6.50 and seal the deal, winning a second event in Peniche, after his 2009 victory at the Rip Curl Search event.
“I am just so stoked,” said Fanning. “I didn't really think about a win to tell you the truth, it just happened. Jordy (Smith) surfed amazing, John John (Florence) surfed amazing, Kai (Otton) too. Everyone has been ripping this whole Euro leg and I’m just stoked I got to get a result out of it. It feels so good to get a win, it’s been five years since I won here, so I am very stoked. Going into Hawaii with a title on the line is so stressful, but I guess I will just deal with that when I get there. For now I’ll just enjoy the win here.”
A runner-up finish in Portugal is Jordy Smith’s second best result of the year, after a win in Lower Trestles, and sees the South African move up to seventh place on the WCT Rankings. Smith’s runner-up finish in Peniche and a previous. quarterfinal berth in the ASP Prime Cascais Billabong Pro solidified his position at the top of the Portuguese Waves Series and earned him the Cascais Trophy and the coveted bonus of $50,000 in prize money.
In the Final today Smith answered Fanning’s 9 with a good wave of his own, punctuating a smaller barrel with a powerful gauge for a 7.67. Unfortunately for Smith, a slow lineup didn’t deliver many other opportunities, and the talented regular-footer was left chasing a second-score for the remainder of the final.
“That’s incredible taking out the Cascais Trophy and the $50,000,” said Smith. “I’m definitely coming back next year. I am so excited and stoked. I didn't realize it until I came in after my Semifinal and a friend of mine said to me that I’d just won the Cascais Trophy. I was like, “are you kidding me”, I was pretty pumped. I like this place, I really like the waves around here and I love Portugal and the people here. It’s a really great place and I always love surfing here.”
Smith previously defeated one standouts of the event, John John Florence, in the Semifinal today. Despite posting the only two perfect 10-point rides of the event Florence lost his momentum and was eliminated after Smith posted two excellent scores, which were too much for the young surfer from Hawaii to overcome. Florence leaves Portugal in equal third place and the loss is the end of his 2014 World Title hopes.
“I’m super bummed, but at the same time I’m stoked to have made the Semifinals,” Florence said. “I’ve been on a fun, good run for these last few events. Jordy (Smith) got the good ones, so congratulations to him. I’m definitely excited to go into Hawaii as a possible spoiler to the World Title, I want to win Pipeline no matter what. The World Title is now out of my hands, so there’s no pressure on. I just can’t wait to go home and surf Pipe.”
Defending event champion Kai Otton was on the verge of a second consecutive Final in Peniche, but with only minutes remaining in his Semifinal heat Fanning the came back with two consecutive fast barrels to turn the heat and steal the win. Otton’s excellent campaign in Portugal marks a season’s best and will take the Australian up six places to 18th on the rankings.
“I just got bumped off on a lot of my waves,” Otton explained. “I think that one wave I had would have been a really high score, then I might have been in control of the heat. Mick (Fanning) fought his way back like a champion with that 7.17 score. It’s beautiful having the family here, and it’s great coming in from each heat, win or lose, and they’re there to cheer me up.”
Heading into the final event of the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP World Championship Tour, the Billabong Pipeline Masters, three surfers remain in contention for this year’s world surfing crown: Gabriel Medina, Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater:
- If Medina finishes 2nd or better at the Billabong Pipeline Masters, he will clinch the 2014 ASP World Title.
- If Medina finishes 3rd at the Billabong Pipeline Masters, Fanning will need to win the event and Slater will be out of contention.
- If Medina finishes 5th at the Billabong Pipeline Masters, Fanning will need to win the event and Slater will be out of contention.
- If Medina finishes 9th at the Billabong Pipeline Masters, Fanning will need to finish 2nd or better and Slater will be out of contention.
- If Medina finishes 13th or 25th at the Billabong Pipeline Masters, Fanning will need to finish 3rd to win or 5th to send the title race into a one-heat “surf-off” between himself and Medina. If Medina finishes 13th or 25th at the Billabong Pipeline Masters, Slater will need to win the event.
Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal Final Results:
- Winner: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.50
- Runner-Up: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 7.67
Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal Semifinal Results (1st to Final, 2nd finishes equal 3rd):
- SF 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.64 def. John John Florence (HAW) 7.27
- SF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.17 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 8.40
Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal Quarterfinal Results (1st to Semifinals, 2nd finishes equal 5th):
- QF 1: John John Florence (HAW) 17.83 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 11.83
- QF 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.27 def. Adriano De Souza (BRA) 12.23
- QF 3: Kai Otton (AUS) 14.80 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 13.17
- QF 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.07 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 10.10
Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal Round 5 Results (1st to Quarterfinals, 2nd finishes equal 9th):
- Heat 1: Adam Melling (AUS) 7.50 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 5.90
- Heat 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.60 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 9.63
- Heat 3: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.83 def. Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 8.33
- Heat 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.23 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 7.30
Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal Round 4 Results (1st to Quarterfinals, 2nd and 3rd to Round 5):
- Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) 17.27, Adam Melling (AUS) 13.96, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.03
- Heat 2: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 17.26, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 10.66, Brett Simpson (USA) 9.00
- Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 13.10, Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 6.66, Michel Bourez (PYF) 2.03
- Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.74, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 7.76, Kai Otton (AUS) 3.60
Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal Round 3 Results (1st to Round 4, 2nd finishes equal 13th):
- Heat 1: Adam Melling (AUS) 11.66 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 7.93
- Heat 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.83 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 8.83
- Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) 18.77 def. Dion Atkinson (AUS) 13.27
- Heat 4: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 11.07 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 6.67
- Heat 5: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 10.90 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 2.83
- Heat 6: Brett Simpson (USA) 12.50 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.06
- Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 12.00 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 6.30
- Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) 13.27 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 13.07
- Heat 9: Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.10 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 11.50
- Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS) 18.20 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 6.00
- Heat 11: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.00 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 13.17
- Heat 12: Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.10 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.33
Current ASP WCT Top 10 (following the Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal):
- 1. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 56,550 pts
- 2. Mick Fanning (AUS) 53,100 pts
- 3. Kelly Slater (USA) 50,050 pts
- 4. John John Florence (HAW) 47,950 pts
- 5. Michel Bourez (PYF) 43,750 pts
- 6. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 43,100 pts
- 7. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 42,900 pts
- 8. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 42,250 pts
- 9. Taj Burrow (AUS) 41,700 pts
- 10. Kolohe Andino (USA) 35,900 pts
Comments
This one will fire up the Mick haters. I should have put money on it as he was definitely the form surfer and went to bed thinking he was going to win it. Got the highest heat totals all the way through and his body language was that of a winner - super focused. Go Mick and deal with it Mick haters.
Stoked for Mick, I just hope he can stop Medina at pipe nothing against Medina, but the Brazzo Medina fans are just to cocky.
As opposed to the very humble American and Aussie fans?
Right...
PS: The latter have only one thing going for them, other than the Hobgoods, nobody shoves god down our throats...
Slater is a KOOK this is twice he could of capitalized and FAILED. Give up old man.
And im the biggest slater fan in the surf world.
Go Mick don't let a Brazzo win the title or the world will never be the same.
"...the world will never be the same".
I think they said the same back then when they were considering admitting black players to the NBA and NBL... they were right, it got a lot more interesting!
When I did the rounds of the surf sites yesterday all the talk was of Gabs and Slater, with the odd word about John John's chances. Nothing about Mick anywhere.
Now John John's gone, Slater is the rankest of outsiders, and Mick is closing in (still gonna be friggen hard though).
I was thinking this exact same thing. Shows how much people are swayed by the hype. Mick just gets it done.
Ironically, it's the KS model of how to win a world title.
Just put yourself in the position at the end of the year and know how to win when the chips are down. MF goes about it a bit differently but the concept is the same...
Anyone know when the draw for Pipeline is going to go up? I'm sure some of those scenarios aren't possible.
yeap well won mick , kai ottons tubes were 10,s in my book against taj , , was great event to watch tho , an roseies a 10 ? aussie surfers done well beach break sucky tubeos ripped it !!!
JJF beat GABS last years pipe round 3. Back 9 on Sunday boys...however Micks been at this rodeo before!
I wanna see the 'surf off'. We missed out on it in 2012 by one heat.
I wanna see Eddie Rothman punch someone, anyone.
That shouldn't be a problem, lets say high likelihood.
So is the format changed for pipe from overlapping heats to the stock standard ASP 36 man draw?
The format has changed to the Top 34 + 2. In the past they used overlapping heats cos they had an extra round to burn through. They can still run overlaping heats if they want, say if there's little swell and they're running out of time. That option is still available.
Hows this protest going to go down.....will the pipe specialist all boycott the trials????
If the format stays the same, it means Medina will get one of the trial winners (lowest seed) in Round 3 regardless.
Has there been a world title heat where the two contenders enter and one leaves the champ?
There was the slater machardo semi, but didn't slater still have to go on and win the final to take the title?
Thought that was bit of a let down in '12, how much better would it have been a slater-parko final for the title... Winner takes all last heat of the season.
AI and Slater, Pipe 2003. Though it was a four man final (Parko blocked Kelly to gift AI the win).
Does this mean even if Slater wins the Pipe event he can't win the title unless Medina and Fanning finish 13th or worse?
was there a recent thread about Australia's world title contenders in the men's predicting gloom and doom - inclusive of Fanning being overlapped by all the new breed - and yet now he's a real chance to win again and already the Girls have the title stitched?? Just wondering?
The one that discussed how the next 15 years don't appear to be nearly as fruitful as the last 15 years for the Aussies? Yeah, there was...
Why did Jordy gift those two waves to Mick when he needed a second score. Twice he had a look at a set wave and twice let Mick have a go under priority, just looked odd seeing how waves were hard to come by. Maybe he doesn't like Medina.
Has someone secured the chicks title already ?
Upnorth - I was wondering that but my guess is Jordy just just fkd up.
So, will it be Medina v. Slater on one side of the draw and Mick v. JJF on the other for a semi's faceoff? Not sure which would be worse.
I think Jordy was just a little too deep on those set waves and didn't think he would make them (or thought they were close outs). He coulda taken off just to keep mick off them but he needed a score... so a a heavy wipeout woulda just taken more time and energy away from him and given mick priority. That's the only reasoning that makes sense to me. It was similar to JJF losing in the semi, just never quite in position for the waves he needed while jordy was (though he did snag one that woulda been a 10 if he'd come out)
Reckon fanning should tow in just like kirra and get the job done.
How do they decided the heat draws for comps?
It is interesting because I'd say on current form (and by current I mean the last 3 or 4 events) John John is the hot favourite for Pipe (although Mick is "no slouch" at Pipe as Ross Williams would say). Now Medina's job looks tough if you assume Mick will win Pipe, but I think the safest bet is that John John will win so too analyse Medina's chances we should be looking at the points on the assumption Mick gets 2nd or 3rd and then consider what Medina needs in those two scenarios. Of course Medina and JJ may be on the same side of the draw (1st and 4th seeds?) and would meet in the Semis while Mick and Kelly (2nd and 3rd seeds) would meet in the other semi? So JJ could knock Medina out but if he beats Fanning in the final Medina still wins the title. Can't wait to see how it plays out is the takeaway point!
You any relation to Walter H White?
Going to Pipe and considering the history there in previous years, Mick has a clear advantage...
... Porta and his ever creative (read biased) interpretation of the judging criteria. Wasn't he the responsible for the outrageous "roll-ins are harder than steep take-offs" (how's the heartburn Yadin?)? He's kept KS from winning the title in the 2 previous years, I think he won't have any problem keeping it from Medina's hands.
It's on Mick not to drop the ball really...
P.S. Fanning 4x world champ... spare me another pro surf joke!
Wondered how long before the Mick haters would surface. Badinskas that is rubbish have a look at the vids again Micks was the better wave in my opinion however there wasn't much in it. I don't know Richie Porter from a bar of soap (although he comes from where I surf) but to read that much bias into the criteria is ridiculous. Next you'll be telling me KS is an alien (though you might be right there). This is competitive surfing and Mick is a tough opponent in his surfing ability, competitive drive, coolness under pressure and all the other aspects of a competitive sport. He is not the most creative but I still love watching him surf when he is on. So precise, focused and powerful.
Believe me, I'm not a Mick hater... I only hate when people get what they don't really deserve - and Mick didn't deserve that 3rd title. I wish he did but he didn't. Same logic went into Parko's title, he won so many early rounds that year that he should've lost he should never have been in a position to win the title when it came to Pipe. Porta is a douchebag of the worst kind.
BTW, all those qualities you highlighted about Fanno, all apply to... guess who? Adriano! "Nobody works, has more competitive drive, coolness under pressure and all other aspects of competitive surfing, maybe he's not the most creative" (well, he sure didn't call anyone a "fucking jew"), but you Aussies still hate watching him surf because he's not blonde and his passport says "brazzo", but his lonely quest is nothing short of homeric. I admire the (little) man and I think nobody deserves the title more than he does, but I'd still rather see him win it of his own doing than by having some moronic head judge in his corner!
As for looking back at the vids... I did, without any nationalistic bias involved whatsoever and Fanning lost, not by just by a bit but by a whole lot - Pipe and roll-ins, when did that became a thing?
Best regards
P.S. Disclaimer: I'm neither Aussie, Redneck or Brazzo so don't go labelling me as an "annoying brazzo"
I love Adriano's surfing, admire his ability to adapt and evolve, have expressed that view many times, and I'm an Aussie.
Sometimes I feel like I'm on a lonely, homeric quest too.
Thanks for proving me right and validating my continuous interest in the comments section of swellnet.
If there's one thing I still love about surf above some other sports is that some people are still able to see the surfer beyond the nationality and whatelse. All this bias gets to me as I've never been a club fan of any sport and I think national pride and fan support is better applied in other types of competitions.
It (surf) still is an individual sport and most surfers don't get much support from their national organisations (which is, for me, a good thing), making their career more of an individual achievement (more so in some countries). For national shit we've got the ISA which no one seems to care much about.
Australia's obsession with competitive surf, all that boardriders mambojambo and all the "soccer dads" pushing their kid phenoms gives me the fucking creeps... (same with the Brazilian new kids - Medina and Toledo with their annoying dads). I prefer guys like ADS, Tiago, Aritz, Logie, Jadson, (even Mick?) etc who made it through their own persistence.
But that's me, I've never surfed a heat, been part of a club or had any relatives surfing of pushing me into waves...
Surfing has some of the biggest sooks for fans like yourself.
Jumping on forums to write cry baby shit and suggesting these stupid baseless conspiracy theories.
Mick won last year fair and square just like Medina is current leader and favourite to win this year.
Judging in all sports is subjective and there's always going to be bad beats and different opinions.
If it upsets you that much you're an emotionally retarded pansy.
Geez... so much love! Very surfy surfy.
Love how the "community" accepts different poinst of view and replies with incentives like "cry baby shit"; "stupid baseless conspiracy theories"; "emotionally retarded pansy". Sorry to disrupt your little club (jumping on forums... what is that?) and spoil the one-point view that colours your pretty little world of Aussie bias!
Let me just inform you that if you go anywhere else in the world other than your local pub or boardriders club, you'll find many people who seem to find those "stupid baseless conspiracy theories" quite obvious. And, no, you don't need to go into Brazilian territory (they're just if not more biased in the opposite direction). I repeat, Porta's role as a "head judge" has pretty much rendered the 5 judges system totally irrelevant as he pretty much imposes his very un-objective view (like his statements have proved over and over again) on all the judging panel. The subjectiveness of judging is totally homogenised by his standards.
I actually "jumped" on "your" forum because I find that swellnet has an above average intelligent comments. You actually didn't contribute much to prove me right...
Cheers "mate"
Thanks Bakinskas I suppose we have to agree to disagree about Mick however I do agree with you about Adirano. Hard worker, lays down some of the biggest carves of the Zilla's and has improved immeasurably from his first couple of seasons. Seems to go a bit nuts sometimes in the hassling game when he gets overamped and can get a big ugly when trying too hard, but he is a dedicated and talented. I am interested to know why Porta is such a tool as I know nothing about him only that he comes from down here on the Mornington Peninsula.
Badinkas, your faith in Adriano though only 27 is great and he tears the bag out of small small waves. I don't think he can win a title and I doubt if he will ever place in the top 5 again, actually he is probably on the downhill slope now. While Medina has proven himself this year in waves of consequence, for Adriano heavy waves are his Achilles Heel. He spent most of the season surfing North Shore but failed at Chopes and France when it got big. He will get a boost with a fellow brazza winning a title with profile sponsorship etc. so will be on tour for a while yet.
Fanning put himself in the mix again, I wouldn't be writing off a 3x world champ.
Dear mick-free
You got me wrong. I don't have faith in Adriano, it's more admiration for the man and the athlete he is. I love his drive, his humbleness and approachability. Same things I also admire about Fanning.
I have absolutely no doubt that Medina is far more "talented" in the same way I think Parko is more "talented" than Mick. I also don't like Parkinson one little bit despite admiring his surfing style and ability and don't think he deserved to win his world title 2 years ago. Mick sure deserved to win his first 2 titles, the 3rd...
I never write off a 2x world champ. Hope he gets it if he deserves, no more roll-ins please.
I just watched the Micks world tittle winning heat again and still don't know.
Also just watched the Medina-Joel final at snapper, still don't know.
Both flip of the coin heats.
I thought Dion Atkinson beat Parko in round 3 at Snapper too, but its subjective eh?
Understand where you coming from Badfinkas, the standard at Pipe is taking off on the first reef and it was still the talk of the town when I was there at Christmas. It will be interesting how they judge the rollins.
The event winner is often not the form surfer of the event. I guess thats what your saying with the title too. Hard though if at the end of the year you are no.1 on the scoreboard. No one would say Bradbury was the best ice skater but fucker got a gold medal above his mantlepiece.
As predicted young Gab is up against an inform Hawaiian Go Dusty is all I can say!
Building swell got to favour old dog slat's and fanning has seen a couple of rodeo's and been putting time out at pipe.