Mick Fanning rides dream wave to secure third world title in Hawaii Australian Mick Fanning celebrates clinching his third ASP World Title. THERE are times when a Hail Mary and some good old fashioned practice really can win you a world title. Just ask a tearful Mick Fanning. After surviving a 20-minute battering, a wave in the dying minutes of his heat delivered the Australia a third world surfing crown at the Pipe Masters in Hawaii yesterday. With 11-time world champion Kelly Slater biting his fingernails on the shore, Fanning hooked onto his scene-stealing wave just 90 seconds from the finish of his quarter-final to win the world crown. "I'm still pinching myself," a shocked Fanning told The Daily Telegraph. I just saw the set on the horizon, and I thought 'all right, whatever's going to come, I'm just going to try and pick the right one. You dream about these sorts of things as I kid but you never really expect them to happen like this. Fanning, who won just one World Tour event all year, only needed to make it to the semi-final to clinch the title while Slater had to win the Pipeline Masters - which he did - and rely on his Australian rival bowing out early. Mick Fanning of the Gold Coast, Australia (pictured) won the 2013 ASP World Title for the third time in his career at the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons at perfect Pipeline, Hawaii. Fanning's 9.7 point ride eclipsed Australian Yadin Nicol, who had been leading 16.9 to 9.53 just minutes from the heat buzzer. Practice helped Fanning onto the wave with the Coolangatta surfer also catching a last-minute winner in an earlier heat. Fanning is now just the fifth man to claim three or more world surfing titles, following in the footsteps of Slater, Tom Curren, Andy Irons and Australian Mark Richards. He need just one more title to equal Richards' Australian record of four. The people who have done that, three or more, I don't even put myself in the same category as them. They are my heroes," a humble Fanning said. It's all pretty overwhelming to tell you the truth. This world title feels so different from the rest because of the way it went down. I feel a little shell-shocked to be honest. Despite coming so close to losing the heat - and the world title - Fanning said he had been strangely calm throughout the day. "I was never really that freaked," he said. Maybe I was a little anxious near the end of that heat but I knew that if something came through I'd be able to get a good score off it. Mick Fanning holds his trophy after winning his third ASP World Title. But Fanning admitted winning in such dramatic style had made it special. "The world title is something that takes a whole year, but sometimes it can feel like it boils down to the final day and the final heats," he said. I'm sure I gave my wife Karissa and my mum enough stress today to last a lifetime. I was never worried myself now that I think of it. I knew what I needed to do and if the opportunity came, I knew I could do it. That opportunity came in both heats today. It's an incredible feeling. I've been having fun all year and to clinch on a day like this at Pipeline makes it that much more special. Great mate Joel Parkinson, who beat Slater for the world title last year, lifted a crying Fanning onto his shoulders for the traditional victory march up the beach. The final event of the 2013 ASP world championship was won by Slater, who defeated Hawaiian gun John John Florenece 16.37 to 15.90 in the final. Slater finished second for the year, with Parkinson third, South African Jordy Smith fourth and Australian Taj Burrow fifth. "I'm excited for Mick - it was an exciting finish," Slater said.