World champions Steph Glimore and Mick Fanning (Photo courtesy of ASP)

It was a night of heartfelt speeches and mutual admiration, as the ASP officially crowned it’s 2009 world champions on the Gold Coast last night. 2009 might have been a year of threatened rebel tours, tense ASP meetings and feverish world title races, but there was plenty of love in the room at the Broadbeach convention centre.

World champs Mick Fanning and Steph Gilmore both made long, wide-ranging and masterful speeches - paying tribute to each other, Kelly Slater,  and, predictably, their families.

“Steph, I’ve seen you grow from a young beautiful girl to a strong amazing woman. I’m just really glad I got to know you,” Mick said. Of Kelly Slater, the two-time world champ observed, “You’re the pinnacle of our sport. You’re the Everest and what you’ve done for us coming through, it’s been amazing.” Mick also made special mention of men’s runnerup Joel Parkinson - “It really means a lot to me Joel, just to call you my friend” - and his mum Liz. “She’s never been afraid to be out there, but she’s really in here,” Mick said, putting his hand on his heart.

Steph attributed her success in 2009 to focusing on things other than surfing contests. “One of the best things about last year was the traveling. You never know who you’re going to meet and what you’re going to learn from them,” said Steph, showing remarkable maturity for her 22 years. “It was more about paying attention to the really little things along the way. All the little things that were usually irrelevant were really significant. Last year was just full of observing.”
But Steph wasn’t above owning up to some mercenary motivations, in calling for more prize money for the women. “Prize money was never a drawcard until I watched Serena Williams walk away from the Australian Open with a cool $2.2 million. It scratched an itch that I didn’t know was there.”

Men’s runnerup Joel Parkinson welcomed his good mate Andy Irons back on tour and predicted big things for the returning, three-time world champ. “It’s good to have Andy back on tour. Just throw some fuel on that fire and it will blow up,” Joel predicted.

Amidst the lovefest, it was left to a couple of predictable sources to inject some levity into proceedings. Dane Reynolds received one of the biggest ovations of the night in accepting the Most Improved award. “So you’re  saying I sucked before?” Dane quipped. “I hope to improve some more this year, I guess.”

And Mark Occhilupo made special mention of world tour rookie Owen Wright. “It’s good to have someone on tour who’s from a different planet.”

Keiren Perrow won the Peter Whittaker Award, which honours the late Tour Manager, for his contribution to the tour as a surfer rep. “This award is literally heavy,” Keiren commented, clutching his large glass bowl.

Women’s world junior champ Laura Enever gave special thanks to the notoriously brutal North Narrabeen locals for sparing her the worst of their traditional grommet abuse. “Thanks for not putting me in the dog cage like the rest of the groms,” she said.

And men’s world junior champ Maxime Huscenot, from Reunion Island, revealed that he had first learnt to surf during a family holiday to Australia seven years, in a surf lesson with coach Dave Davidson. Someone might have to have a quiet word to Davo about grooming such talented young surfers who then go and knock off our own best juniors.

Men’s WQS champion Dan Ross received a hearty ovation, and the soundtrack tune as he walked on stage summed up his 2009 campaign perfectly. “You know I haven’t got a pocketful of cash, but I got a tank full of gas,” the hip hop number blared.

Rather less appropriately, women’s WQS champ and rookie of the year Coco Ho took the stage to the strains of a charming little ditty by Lilly Allen discussing carnal pleasures.

Men’s rookie Kekoa Bacalso thanked Jupiters Casino for taking all his money earlier in the night, and Mick predicted Kekoa would soon be the new Occ of the tour. “Everything that comes out of his mouth, you just have to laugh.”

And in absence, seven-time women’s world champ Layne Beachley was given ASP life membership for her contribution to women’s surfing.

Oddly, amidst all the back-slapping and appreciation, that was one of the few references to pro surfing’s past champions made all night. 1989 world champion Martin Potter did a commendable job as MC but if you didn’t know your surfing history, there was no indication that this was one of the greatest surfers of the pro era directing proceedings. There was no mention of Pottz’s pioneering role in the development of aerial surfing or his mind-blowing free-surfing that helped expand the possibilities for the current generation. There was no reference to other great champions of the past in the audience - Barton Lynch, Damien Hardman and  Cheyne Horan - no tribute to the foundation work of the pro tour’s fore-fathers - Mark Richards, Rabbit Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson. For 1988 world champion Barton Lynch, it was his first ASP Banquet in 12 years  after becoming more or less estranged from pro surfing at the end of his competitive career. “It’s a bit daunting,” he admitted.

With Rabbit now departed as ASP President, there is no longer any link to pro surfing’s roots within ASP. For an organisation that spent much of the night trumpeting it’s grand plans for the future, it seemed a shame they couldn’t manage even a quick glance in the rear-view mirror to acknowledge where they’ve come from. - Tim Baker