Kelly Slater electrified the crowd at the Billabong Pipe Masters on Tuesday, winning two heats to push into the quarterfinals and apply more pressure to the front-running Mick Fanning for the ASP World Tour championship that is waiting to be swept up by one of the two surfers.

Slater is gunning for an unprecedented 12th world title. Fanning is trying for a third and is in the catbird seat.

To get it done, Slater needs to win the event, which is the third contest in the Vans Triple Crown and the final stop on the tour. Fanning can capture the world crown by placing third or better at Pipe.

"In the situation I am in, I am pretty focused," Slater said after posting sizzling heat scores of 17.66 and 17.56 with incredible barrel rides at Pipeline and Backdoor. "It’s the last contest of the year and everyone wants to win this one event to finish it off, but there is no pressure for a lot of guys. That pressure is with me and Mick and I think he and I are going to be the most focused guys in the man-on-man heats."

Fanning, due to a third-place finish in his fourth-round heat in the 6- to 8-foot waves, needs a win against C.J. Hobgood in the fifth round to make it into the quarters, where a win would wrap it all up.

"My whole concentration has just been surfing Pipe and trying to get out there every day and see the different feels of it, just building that confidence in the water," Fanning said.

Hawaii’s John John Florence took the lead in the Triple Crown after early exits by Michel Bourez and Hawaii’s Fred Patacchia. Florence won two heats with last-minute waves on Tuesday to reach the quarters.

Yadin Nicol, who scored the only 10 on Tuesday, along with defending event and world champ Joel Parkinson are also through to the quarterfinals.

The next day of competition is expected to be Friday or Saturday, conditions permitting.