Mick Fanning takes ratings lead but Taj Burrow all smiles
DESPITE bowing out in round five of the Hurley Pro at Trestles in California, Tweed Head's Mick Fanning finds himself leading the ASP world tour going into the back half of the year.
Narrowly losing to South African Travis Logie at the famous American point break, Fanning made it further into the competition than either of his tour sparing partners, Kelly Slater and Joel Parkinson, leading him to leapfrog Slater on the ratings board.
It was an all Australian final with South Australia's Taj Burrow and Coolum's Julian Wilson battling it out for the trophy, the experience of Burrow getting him over the line by less than 2 points, winning 17.07 to 15.97 in clean, small waves.
The next stop on the tour will see things really heat up, kicking off on September 26, the Quiksilver Pro France has been a strong event for all of the top five ranked surfers in the past.
Joel Parkinson will be hoping to make up some ground after slipping to fifth on the ratings.
This year's tour is shaping up to be another cracking battle, potentially going down to the wire yet again at the final event in Hawaii, the Pipeline Masters.
