The final day of the event was run in 4- to 6-foot waves at Imbituba, Brazil.

Fanning won the contest, but actually clinched the world title earlier in the day when contenders Kelly Slater and Taj Burrow were eliminated.

"I woke up this morning and I just had a good feeling that it was going to happen today," Fanning said.

Fanning was in the water about to start his semifinal heat against close friend Joel Parkinson when it was announced that he clinched the 2007 world championship.

"It was so amazing to be out there with Joel," Fanning said. "When I realized I'd won, I went 'What do we do Joel?' and he was like 'I don't know!' I was just so stoked to share my first ever heat as the world champion with him."

Fanning went on to beat Parkinson in the semifinal, and then defeated Australian Kai Otton in the final.

It was Fanning's third victory of the year. The Brazil contest was the ninth of 10 stops on the 2007 World Championship Tour.

The final event of the tour is the Billabong Pipeline Masters on O'ahu's North Shore. Although the world title has already been determined, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing champion will be decided at the Pipeline Masters.

Fanning, 26, is the first Australian surfer since Mark Occhilupo in 1999 to win the world championship.