Who won the Oakley Pro Bali surf competition?

Joel Parkinson's bid for a second consecutive world surfing title is back on track after the Australian won the inaugural Oakley Pro Bali.

The reigning world champion caught a two-metre wave in the final minutes of Thursday's final to beat Tahitian Michel Bourez and claim his first ASP tour victory of the season.

Changing conditions on the last day of action failed to deter Parkinson, who earlier cruised past countrymen Taj Burrow and Josh Kerr in their respective quarter-final and semi-final battles.

The win has shot Parkinson up four places to number three on the world rankings and within striking distance of the title midway through the season.

Fellow Australian Mick Fanning now sits atop the ladder, despite losing to Bourez in the quarter-finals to finish equal fifth.

He has overtaken Kelly Slater as the current world number one, after the veteran bowed out in the fifth round.

Parkinson says his success in Bali will provide a much-needed spark for the remaining five tour events.
"This gives me heaps of motivation moving forward," he said.

"I've had two bad results and I knew I could change it around, but I'm glad I did it now rather than later.

"This win is so special because the event had such a good vibe and such good energy about it. This was huge. It was one of the best events I've been involved in."

While Fanning was happy with his result he concedes he has got more work to do in the back half of the year.

"It's just fired me up more for the next events," he said.

"It would have been good to get some more points, but it's still a result."

The next tour event starts on August 15, the Billabong Pro Teahupoo.



Source: abc.net.au