Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro
\nStop No. 9 of 10 on the 2007 Foster\u0092s ASP World Tour Imbituba, Brazil Oct. 30 \u0096 Nov. 7, 2007
\n[img]http:\/\/64.78.18.131\/photos\/brazil07\/fanning_m1245brz07tostee_l.jpg[\/img]
\nIMBITUBA, Brazil (Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007) Australian Mick Fanning clinched his maiden Foster\u0092s ASP World Title after winning the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil today. Fanning was in the water about to surf a semifinal heat against childhood friend Joel Parkinson (AUS) when Taj Burrow (AUS) was eliminated by Tom Whitaker (AUS) and his lifelong dream was realized. <\/p>\n
\u0093I woke up this morning and I just had a good feeling that it was going to happen today,\u0094 Fanning said. \u0093It was so amazing to be out there with Joel. When I realized I\u0092d won I went, \u0091What do we do Joel?\u0092 and he was like, \u0091I don\u0092t know!\u0092 I was just so stoked to share my first ever heat as the World Champion with him. It was amazing.\u0094Fanning surfed a signature heat to beat Parkinson 18.70 to 12.84 in Semifinal 1 before defending his Brazilian title by beating rookie Kai Otton (AUS) in the final to win the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro. The win marks his 9th Foster\u0092s ASP World Tour event win.<\/p>\n
Americans Kelly Slater and Andy Irons have monopolized the World Title for the last five years but Fanning\u0092s win today makes him the first Australian to clinch a men\u0092s ASP World Title since Mark \u0091Occy\u0094 Occhilupo did so in Brazil in 1999.<\/p>\n
\u0093To take the reins over from Oc is incredible,\u0094 Fanning said. \u0093He is pretty much the legend of the sport. He\u0092s such a character and such a cool guy. Even when I\u0092ve been on tour with Andy, he\u0092s such a determined guy as well and I was there for his first world title. And then there\u0092s Kelly \u0096 the guy who gave inspiration to every kid who surfs today, he\u0092s amazing.\u0094<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old\u0092s ascent to ASP World Champion has not transpired without tribulation. Raised by a single mother who now manages his career, Fanning lost his older brother Sean, also a gifted surfer, in a car accident as a teenager. The two were extremely close and Fanning felt his presence in the water today.<\/p>\n
\u0093It was so cool with Joel out there in the final and there was a dolphin out there, I\u0092m not sure if it was my brother or what,\u0094 Fanning said. \u0093Every heat I\u0092ve had today there has been a dolphin right there in the lineup, just chilling.\u0094<\/p>\n
Born in West Sydney, Fanning, his siblings and mother moved to Coolangatta on the Gold Coast of Australia when he was very young. He grew up surfing with Parkinson and top rated surfer Dean Morrison (AUS) who are known collectively as the \u0093Cooly Kids.\u0094<\/p>\n
\u0093Joel and Dean are the reason that I train so hard,\u0094 Fanning said. \u0093When I was a kid those guys used to smoke me all the time. I was always trying to be better than those guys.\u0094<\/p>\n
Fanning made his Foster\u0092s ASP World Tour debut in 2002 after finishing No. 1 in the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) the year prior. An impressive 5th place finish his first year on the elite tour earned him highest rookie result of all time, an honor he now shares with 2006 Rookie of the Year, Bobby Martinez (USA).\t<\/p>\n
Fanning\u0092s six-year professional career has seen him make a steady ascent to the No. 1 position he held for the entirety of the 2007 season. After a 5th place debut in 2002, Fanning finished World No. 4 in 2003, World No. 3 in 2005 and 2006 and World No. 1 today. <\/p>\n
Fanning\u0092s lowest rating on the Foster\u0092s ASP World Tour \u0096 World No. 7 in 2004 \u0096 came about after he suffered potentially career-ending injury half way through the season. He tore his hamstring from the bone in a freesurfing incident, but came back from that injury to win the first event of the 2005 season at his home break in Snapper Rocks.<\/p>\n
\u0093That\u0092s what life is,\u0094 Fanning said. \u0093It goes up and down. You\u0092ve got to take the good with the bad and even though I was injured it was probably the best six months of my life. I didn\u0092t have to worry about surfing. I had fun with my friends and at the end of it I found the girl that I love and want to marry so even though it was bad for my body it was a million more times better for my mind and my heart.\u0094<\/p>\n
Fanning is engaged to be married to long-time girlfriend and Gold Coast Model Karissa Dalton in February of 2008. <\/p>\n
Fanning has epitomized consistency since winning the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay in South Africa in 2006, featuring in seven finals, three semifinals and two quarterfinals in the last 15 events. He won the 2007 Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro today, along with the 2007 Quiksilver Pro France, the 2007 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, the 2006 Nova Schin Festival Brasil, the 2006 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay and finished runner-up in Tahiti this year and in France in 2006.<\/p>\n
Parkinson, who didn\u0092t seem too fazed by his Semifinal loss was in the water when his close friend won and was moved by their heat together.<\/p>\n
\u0093It was pretty cool, we were speechless,\u0094 Parkinson said. \u0093It was me Mick and a dolphin was circling around us for ages, doing laps. We were like, \u0093Can you even believe this is happening!\u0094 He was talking about how the whole last week he\u0092s been stressing and how ironic it was that it was us in that heat together.\u0094<\/p>\n
Occhilupo arrived on the scene to congratulate Fanning after hearing the news.<\/p>\n
\u0093I get goosebumps just thinking about it,\u0094 Occhilupo said. \u0093Yesterday I wanted to go home, but when Mick won the title today I was straight in my car and then jumping over every single heat to give him a cuddle. It\u0092s been eight years and we\u0092ve got it back to Australia. I don\u0092t want to say too much, but I think it might stay there a long time.\u0094<\/p>\n
Otton was another Australian who shone today. Though he was disappointed to lose the Final, the rookie couldn\u0092t help but be pleased at cracking the Top 10 on the ratings and surfing in his first ever World Tour final. He\u0092s rated 9th now.<\/p>\n
\u0093It\u0092s been amazing,\u0094 Otton said. \u0093To make your first final feels good. I thought getting 3rd at Teahupoo was good, now to do this here is just incredible. With all of the circumstances today, Mick winning, it\u0092s just been a dream day for Australia really.\u0094<\/p>\n
Otton is now one place behind first-year surfer Jeremy Flores (FRA) and the two will have to battle it out for \u0091ASP Rookie of the Year\u0092 honors in Hawaii.<\/p>\n
\u0093All I wanted was a chance at \u0091Rookie of the Year\u0092 in Pipe so we\u0092ll see what happens,\u0094 Otton said. \u0093I got a bit rattled in the middle of the year thinking about it and I think that\u0092s what happened. Then I\u0092ve come here and I was thinking it was out of reach so I just tried to make heats and now we\u0092re going to Pipe, so we\u0092ll see what happens.\u0094<\/p>\n
Australian Tom Whitaker (AUS) earned a Semifinal berth against Otton when he beat Burrow in the Quarters and was in the water when Fanning clinched the title.<\/p>\n
\u0093I\u0092m really close with both of those guys,\u0094 Whitaker said. \u0093I gave Mick a big hug out there. Him and Joel are best mates and they were super stoked. Then I looked around and there\u0092s one of my best mates paddling over who I\u0092d effectively knocked out of the world title race.\u0094<\/p>\n
Though Burrow\u0092s title hopes were dashed by Whitaker earlier in the day, the current World No. 2 was on hand to celebrate with Fanning.<\/p>\n
\u0093It took me a little while to smile because I was kind of in shock but I\u0092m obviously really stoked for Mick,\u0094 Burrow said. \u0093It\u0092s an Aussie world champ and if it\u0092s not going to be me I\u0092m glad it\u0092s Mick. He\u0092s showed that much determination and focus that he earned it. I\u0092m really stoked for him and I\u0092m happy with my year. It\u0092s the best year I\u0092ve ever had and I\u0092m going to roll it into next year and realize its there for the taking.\u0094<\/p>\n
Eight-time World Champion Slater also had a longshot at the title before losing to Otton in Round 4. <\/p>\n
\u0093Part of me came here for Mick because I knew he had a really good shot at winning the title in Brazil,\u0094 Slater said. \u0093But I thought, if I\u0092m going to show up, I\u0092m going to give it my best shot. I had priority with 10 or 11 minutes to go and a left came and I thought there was a better one behind it so I let him go and it really sealed the deal right there. I got KOd, Kai Otton-ed. <\/p>\n
The last event on the Foster\u0092s ASP World Tour will commence in Hawaii on Dec. 7. Visit the media center online at www.aspworldtour.com for more details as well as www.ripcurl.com.<\/p>\n
Fanning\u0092s 2007 Foster\u0092s ASP World Tour Results:
\nHang Loose Santa Catarina Pro: 1st
\nQuiksilver Pro Gold Coast: 1st
\nRip Curl Pro Bells Beach: 3rd
\nBillabong Pro Tahiti: 2nd
\nRip Curl Pro Search Chile: 3rd
\nBillabong Pro Jeffreys Bay: 3rd
\nBoost Mobile Pro Trestles: 17th
\nQuiksilver Pro France: 1st
\nBillabong Pro Mundaka: 3rd<\/p>\n
Fanning\u0092s Year End Foster\u0092s ASP World Tour Placings:
\n2007: World No. 1
\n2006: World No. 3
\n2005: World No. 3
\n2004: World No. 7
\n2003: World No. 4
\n2002: World No. 5<\/p>\n
Fanning\u0092s Foster\u0092s ASP World Tour Victories:
\nHang Loose Santa Catarina Pro, Brazil (2007) Quiksilver Pro, South West Coast, France (2007) Quiksilver Pro, Gold Coast, Australia (2007) Nova Schin Festival, Imbituba Brazil (2006) Billabong Pro, Jeffreys Bay South Africa (2006) Rip Curl Search, Saint Leu, Reunion Island (2005) Quiksilver Pro, Gold Coast, Australia (2005) Billabong Pro, Jeffreys Bay, South Africa (2002) Rip Curl Pro, Bell\u0092s Beach, Australia (2001)<\/p>\n
Foster\u0092s ASP World Tour Ratings after Event No. 9 of 10, the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro:
\n1. Mick Fanning (AUS)\t8136 points
\n2. Taj Burrow (AUS)\t6782 points
\n3. Kelly Slater (USA)\t6516 points
\n4. Joel Parkinson (AUS) \t6156 points
\n5. Andy Irons (HAW)\t4966 points
\n6. Bede Durbidge (AUS)\t4799 points
\n7. Bobby Martinez (USA) 4582 points
\n8. Jeremy Flores (FRA)\t4580 points
\n9. Kai Otton (AUS)\t4378 points
\n10. Taylor Knox (USA)\t4309 points<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro Stop No. 9 of 10 on the 2007 Foster\u0092s ASP World Tour Imbituba, Brazil Oct. 30 \u0096 Nov. 7, 2007 [img]http:\/\/64.78.18.131\/photos\/brazil07\/fanning_m1245brz07tostee_l.jpg[\/img] IMBITUBA, Brazil (Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007) Australian Mick Fanning clinched his maiden Foster\u0092s ASP World Title after winning the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil today. Fanning was … Continue reading “MICK FANNING WINS IN BRAZIL TO CLINCH MAIDEN FOSTER\u0092S ASP WORLD TITLE”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[24],"class_list":["post-13624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-asp-surfing-news","tag-surfing-news-archive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13624\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saltwater-dreaming.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}