Parkinson master of the waves at Bells Beach

JOEL PARKINSON is surfing's Picasso. A degree of artistry exists in everything he does. He painted enough flawless lines across epic two-metre waves at Bells Beach yesterday to win the Rip Curl Pro and take a runaway lead in the race for the world championship.

He beat Victorian Adam Robertson in the final as thousands of spectators on the sand and cliff gave the only appropriate response: "Phwoar".

Picasso had his "Blue Period" at the start of the 20th century. His results were sombre and downcast. A hundred years later, Parkinson has occasionally been dispirited by his inconsistent exhibitions given the copious amounts of flair coursing through his veins. But angst is out of the picture now that he's won the first two events of the year.

With perennial threats Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and Taj Burrow yet to reach a final this season, Parkinson is hurtling towards a maiden world title after winning Bells and the Quiksilver Pro last month just down the road from his home (sweet home) on the Gold Coast.

"Winning at home is probably the most special win you can have but this [the Rip Curl Pro trophy] is the most special trophy you can have," Parkinson said. "There is not another trophy in surfing that holds the prestige and honour that this has. I took confidence from home and from here I'll take more. People can get caught up in the whole world title race, but I always said I wanted to start the year with some results. I just never thought I'd start this well.

"There are a lot of really hungry, angry surfers that are behind me and will come out so strong in the next events. I've said since the Gold Coast that the world title is a marathon, not a sprint. There are still eight events left."

Finals day at Bells is as good as surfing gets; it's the day that gets the fans' blood pumping. Robertson was trying to become the first Victorian to ring the famous bell. He rode a blank board because he doesn't have a major sponsor. Win one more heat, and he could have named his price. He had an army of supporters on the beach but Parkinson's class shone through.

Beforehand there was the tantalising prospect of fire and ice, Fanning and Parkinson, meeting in the semi-finals. Two irrepressible forces were about to go for a ride but Fanning was knocked out in the quarter-finals by 21-year-old South African Jordy Smith.

Fanning and Parkinson are close mates. When the former won the world title in 2007, the latter celebrated long and hard at the party he helped organise in the car park at Kirra, but in the back of his mind was a nagging thought: "It could have been me."

This year, Parkinson is doing a Fanning. He's fitter than ever. Determined enough to bury his opponents in the sand.

Fanning triggered his shot at the title by winning the Quiksilver Pro then coming third at Bells. Parkinson has done even better. "I think it's his year," Jordy Smith said.

Parkinson's blue period is over.