John John Florence won the 2012 Billabong Rio Pro, beating Joel
Parkinson in the final Wednesday. Florence is now ranked sixth in the
world, while Parkinson has taken over the top spot on the ASP World Tour
ratings.
Florence's victory furthers a string of good
results for the 19-year-old Hawaiian, and is proof he can succeed in any
and all conditions. In December, he was crowned the 2011 Vans Triple
Crown champion and won the Vans World Cup at Sunset Beach. Then in
January, he won the Volcom Pipe Pro, followed by a first-place finish at
the Drug Aware Pro in Western Australia in March, and most recently, he
posted an equal third-place finish at the Nike Lowers Pro. It would be
hard to argue that anybody -- even Kelly Slater, who now finds himself
sitting an uncharacteristic eighth in the ratings -- has been more
dominant over the past six months.
"I can't even
believe this right now," Florence said afterward. "I'm in shock. I was
just sticking to my game plan and not thinking about the other guys. I'm
so happy right now."
Meanwhile, Parkinson's rise to
the pole position has him poised for a title run through the second
half of the year. With the rise of the teen phenoms, some have noted
this year could be one of 31-year-old Parkinson's last bids for a title
that's elluded him throughout his otherwise stellar career.
"It's
a long way to go, and I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but
I'm stoked. I've had a couple of really nice, consistent results,"
Parkinson said. "I have been in this position before, though, so I'm
hoping to maintain my performance level throughout the rest of the
year."
Unfortunately for Parkinson, and everybody
else on tour, Florence isn't going anywhere. Fiji and Tahiti are the
next two stops on tour, which plays to his strengths. He's one of the
best tube riders on tour, and waves of consequence such as Cloudbreak
and Teahupoo are right in his wheelhouse. Adding Supertubes in Portugal
and Pipeline in Hawaii to the equation, there's a very realistic chance
he could end the year in the world title hunt.
The ASP World Tour now takes a two-week hiatus before heading to Tavarua for the Volcom Fiji Pro.
BILLABONG RIO PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1. John John Florence (HAW) 16.37
2. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.44
1. John John Florence (HAW) 16.37
2. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.44
BILLABONG RIO PRO SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.83 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.00
SF 2: John John Florence (HAW) 17.94 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.86
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.83 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.00
SF 2: John John Florence (HAW) 17.94 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.86
BILLABONG RIO PRO QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.90 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.60
QF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.57 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 5.90
QF 3: John John Florence (HAW) 14.94 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.43
QF 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.84 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.27
QF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.90 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.60
QF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.57 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 5.90
QF 3: John John Florence (HAW) 14.94 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.43
QF 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.84 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.27
CURRENT ASP WCT TOP 10 :
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 19,700 pts
2. Mick Fanning (AUS) 18,250 pts
3. Josh Kerr (AUS) 18,200 pts
4. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17,200 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15,750 pts
6. John John Florence (HAW) 15,750 pts
7. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15,700 pts
8. Kelly Slater (USA) 13,700 pts
9. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12,250 pts
10. Owen Wright (AUS) 12,150 pts
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 19,700 pts
2. Mick Fanning (AUS) 18,250 pts
3. Josh Kerr (AUS) 18,200 pts
4. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17,200 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15,750 pts
6. John John Florence (HAW) 15,750 pts
7. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15,700 pts
8. Kelly Slater (USA) 13,700 pts
9. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12,250 pts
10. Owen Wright (AUS) 12,150 pts