Surfing: Fanning clinches world title

Mick Fanning clinched his second world championship tour surfing title when fellow Queenslander Joel Parkinson was eliminated from the third round of the Pipeline Masters in Hawaii this morning.

The close friends were the only men in contention heading into the season-ending event being held in perfect surf on Oahu's north shore.

Fanning, the 2007 champion who was leading the points standings, dominated his early third round heat, beating Hawaiian wildcard Torrey Meister 17.57 points to 6.27 while Parkinson later fell to another local wildcard, Gavin Gillette, 13.36 to 10.56.

In a quirk of the draw they were sitting together in the line-up as the hooter sounded Parkinson's demise and the start of Fanning's round-four encounter with the other Coolangatta Kid, Dean Morrison.

"I just sort of broke down," Fanning said later on the beach after losing to Morrison 16.76 to 13.16.

He was glad the three of them were together at the end of a tense week.

"We just sort of sat there ... chatting about what's been happening for the past few days and about how nervous we were."

The event was continuing with eight Australians making it through to the final 16.

- AAP