And it came to pass that Joel Parkinson came up against Gavin Gillette in heat 15 who got a 9 for one wave and would've got an 11 for this next one had he not just been clipped right at the last minute..
An absolute thumper I'm sure you'll agree. So Gav' has this 9 and a 4 something. Parko can't buy a decent wave as it's a fairly slow heat and time keeps ticking on. He needs a 6 something. A set rears in the last minute but it's not a runner Joel takes to the sky along with his world title hopes. Turns out that turned ankle has robbed him of his sure thing shot at a title. Next year he will come back for what's owed... Unless Kelly has some crazy 10th title in 2010 thing up his sleeve. Which is possible...
Just so happens that Mick was in the water at the end of Joel's heat as he was up against the third leg in the Cooly Kids tripod Dean Morrison in the opening heat of Rd 4. Sportsmanlike to the end the mates had a hug in the line up... Awwww!
Then Mick did a Parko. You'll notice he is enjoying himself. As to whether the fingers mean anything I'll let you decide but the left hand has two fingers out for two titles and the other has 1 for 'I'm number 1- yeeeeeeew!'
He got some decent barrels...
But the Dingo took the heat. Not that I think Mick here was too bothered by it...
The media risked all to get the shot...
And then Parko and co chaired Mick up the beach...
Slowly through the large Saturday crowd of surf fans and confused bus tour retirees from the Mid-West... That's Mick in the white hat.
The fellas at Rip Curl had the tee's at the ready. Thankfully they avoided the 'Lightening Strikes Twice' motif. For now...
Amongst all the commotion (and when Mick got back to the RC team house at Off The Wall there was lot of back-slapping, high-fiving, 'yeeeeeewing!' and general good times especially with Steph G in the World Champ club again as well) there was still a comp going on. The bald one booked a berth in the quarters by hammering Freddy P...
Bede continued his quiet march to the finals...
And CJ joined brother Damian in the quarters as well...
Gavin Gillette had a close shave (sorry had to fit it in somewhere) with Dane but couldn't top the Cali wonderkid whose looking awfully comfortable at Pipe for someone who supposedly doesn't like being in Hawaii...
No one knows if the finals will run tomorrow, the swells dropping off so we'll see first thing in the morning... But the finals match ups are as follows-
QF 1: Dean Morrison (AUS) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
QF 2: Flynn Novak (HAW) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
QF 3: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)
QF 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)
If it's small Backdoor then I'm calling Dingo, Kelly, Bede and Dane in the semis... With maybe Dingo for the win. Make a nice set that- Mick with the title, Joel with the Triple Crown and Dean a Pipe Master...
PS: For full sequences of some of the best rides of the day check out our FB page...
