Parko and Mick celebrating after Tahiti. Photo: ASP/Kirstin
It’s probably a little too early to call the race for the 2012 ASP Men’s WCT Title a two horse (or man) race. But barring injury or a major upset in the early rounds of one of the five remaining Men’s WCT events, it is highly likely that either Mick Fanning (current ASP WCT #1) or Joel Parkinson (current ASP WCT #2) will grasp the World Title from the still warm hands of 11x World Champ Kelly Slater. With their current points lead, it is either Mick or Joel’s World Title to claim or to lose.
Considering Kelly Slater’s amazing competitive career accomplishments, he cannot be realistically counted out until he is completely mathematically eliminated from World Title contention. Kelly has been able to, and still is capable of, pulling off the impossible. However, as it stands now, Kelly will need to be near perfect for the remainder of the 2012 ASP WCT season, and since Kelly already has his two throw-away results due to INJ result at Brazil and equal 13th at Tahiti, Kelly will need to get some help in the form of self destruction on the part of Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson and John Florence in order to stay in possession of the ASP WCT Title come season’s end.
John Florence (currently seated comfortably in the #3 position on the ASP WCT) certainly cannot, and should not, be counted out of any serious 2012 World Title discussion. Look out if John remains in World Title contention when the tour moves to the North Shore of Hawaii for the ASP WCT season ending event at Pipeline. Pipe, as we all know, is John’s home and he owns his home out right – no lease, no mortgage – he flat out owns it.
The sentimental favorite in the World Title Race is clearly Joel Parkinson. Joel may very well be the greatest competitive surfer ever to not have won the ASP World Title, and because of this debatable fact, many surf fans will be pulling hard for Joel for the remainder of the 2012 ASP WCT Season. Joel deserves to win a World Title, now he needs to go out there and earn that World Title. He has a history of injury as well as competitive disappointments that have kept the World Title out of his reach; the most recent example being his injury plagued second half to the 2009 ASP WCT Season and subsequent competitive disappointment at the 2009 Pipe Masters, with a Round 3 man on man heat loss which ended his 2009 World Title Campaign.
Given all this, the odd’s favorites in this World Title Race have got to go to Mick Fanning. Mick already has proven he can win the World Title, with World Title wins in 2007 and 2009. He’s been the most consistent surfer on tour this year, especially since his uncharacteristic poor start of equal 13th at the first event of the year – his home break of Snapper Rocks. Add to all this, the fact that in recent years World Titles have been won by achieving multiple event wins – and to date Mick has won 2 of 5 events on the 2012 ASP WCT Tour. Mick’s historical success at all the remaining events on the 2012 ASP WCT schedule also bodes well in Mick’s favor.
So to all you ardent ASP WCT followers, pick your horse for the World Title race, and enjoy the rest of what promises to be a great homestretch.
