Surfer Kai Otton riding high after breakthrough win on World Championship Tour Breakthrough: Kai Otton celebrates his win. Photo: Kirstin Scholtz When Kai Otton made a final in his first professional season, he didn't think he would have to wait seven years to finally clinch a World Championship Tour victory. Otton recorded a breakthrough victory when he won the Rip Curl Pro at Peniche, Portugal on Thursday, in what was just his second tour final having finished runner-up in an event in 2007. Now 33, Otton said not sweating on his performance had led to his best result. "I was confident this year and thought I was going to win one all year," Otton said. I have been surfing smarter heats. What's helped has been getting through close, grinding-type heats that aren't pretty. You seem to go on from it from there. I think I have finally realised that it doesn't really matter if you win or not. When you're young you are riding for sponsorships and it's all stressful. I also found out my girlfriend Sarah will be having our first baby next year. Fellow Australians Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson have been a continual obstacle for Otton to overcome. Fanning beat Otton in his only finals appearance in Brazil in 2007 after he had beaten 11-time world champion Kelly Slater in a heat. Parkinson defeated Otton in 12 consecutive match-ups before he finally overcame the 2012 world champion in France earlier this month. He won the final against American Nat Young - in his first year of the pro tour. "I led the whole way but it was close, he had been getting good scores all day," Otton said. I just stayed relaxed all day. I was calm and took the final as just another heat. I just felt really confident in the way I had been surfing and the decisions I had made. Winning is out of this planet. You are overjoyed but it's weird that I've really done it, I don't know what's next. You walk around a bit spaced out but with a big smile on your face. All the Australian guys were really pumped for me. Ranked a career-high seventh, Manly-based Otton is almost certainty guaranteed a top 10 finish for the first time in his career. He finished 22nd last year - 10 spots below his best from 2007. "It's hard making heats let alone winning competitions," Otton said. Especially with guys like Mick, Joel and Kelly Slater. These guys are animals especially in the finals of an event because they have all done it. The world title will be decided at the finale in Hawaii in December with Fanning and Slater in contention. The championship is Fanning's to lose, with Slater having to win the Pipe Masters and needing Fanning to miss the semi-finals to clinch another world title.