Wednesday, 5 December 2018:
 | | ASP World Champion JOEL PARKINSON poses during a portrait shoot at Duranbah Beach in Tweed Heads, Australia. | |
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The prospect of a fourth Triple Crown of Surfing is fuelling Joel Parkinson's final circuit of Hawaii after 18 years on tour.
The Gold Coast favourite, who won a world title in 2012 and was runner-up on four other occasions, will call it quits after next week's season-ending Billabong Pipe Masters in Hawaii.
He says the nerves he used to feel before a World Surf League event are gone and he's looking forward to becoming just another fan watching from the beach.
But thought of bowing out with another Triple Crown title is enticing and a very real possibility.
Revered among the surfing fraternity, the Triple Crown is a series of three events surfed on a trio of Hawaii's biggest breaks - two on the secondary tour and the finale at the championship tour's Pipe Masters.
Awarded to the best-performed surfer across all three events, Parkinson won three straight Crowns between 2008-10.
Pursuit of a fourth started perfectly when the 37-year-old won the Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa late last month.
He has backed it up by safely reaching the fourth round of the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach as the wait for a better swell continues.
It will likely all come down to how well he performs at Banzai Pipeline from next week.
"I'm done with the jersey, with competing; the nervous energy I usually get isn't there anymore and that's when I knew I was done," 37-year-old Parkinson told AAP.
"But if I'm one heat away from a Triple Crown I'm sure it'll come back."
Hawaiians have been drawn to Parkinson's smooth, flowing style and respectful attitude ever since he turned up and beat their best locals as a junior.
"I treat it like my home and I feel for them; they get good waves the next few months and the whole surfing world descends on their local area," he said.
"I'd get frustrated - it happens to us as Snapper (Rocks on the Gold Coast) for a month and then everyone's gone - these guys have dealt with it for a long time.
"I've always been very thankful for them letting us come and enjoy their ocean here."
When Parkinson walks away from the Tour, he will continue to work with sponsor Billabong and act as a mentor of sorts for the next generation to take on the ocean.
And while he is hopeful of returning to his home away from home in Hawaii, it won't be with a jersey on.
"Next year I'll be the guy behind the barrier on the beach," he said.
"I can't wait."
