Australia's Mick Fanning clinched the 2009 world championship of surfing at the Banzai Pipeline Masters contest today.

The third and fourth rounds of the Pipeline Masters were completed today in wave-face heights of 10 to 15 feet at the Banzai Pipeline off Ehukai Beach.

Fanning clinched the world title when fellow Australian Joel Parkinson lost in the third round.

Fanning entered the event ranked No. 1, and Parkinson was the only surfer with a shot at overtaking Fanning.

It is the second world title for Fanning, who won his first in 2007.

Kaua'i's Gavin Gillette scored the upset of Parkinson, thus clinching the title for Fanning. Gillette is not a member of the world tour, and qualified for the contest as one of the "Pipeline Specialists."

Parkinson can still win the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing championship. He is the current leader in the Triple Crown standings.

The Pipeline Masters is the final event of both the 2009 ASP World Tour and
the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

The famous Pipeline barrels were in near-perfect form today, and several surfers received high scores. Surfers scoring perfect 10 rides for long barrels were John John Florence, Hank Gaskell, Kieren Perrow and C.J. Hobgood.