Fanning refreshed, ready to catch Kelly

Reigning world champion Mick Fanning says he has discovered a renewed excitement for surfing and is ready to make up lost ground on world championship leader Kelly Slater.

Third-placed Fanning needs a strong result at the Billabong Pro in Teahupoo this week to maintain touch with Slater, who has won the season's opening two events at the Gold Coast and Bells Beach in Victoria.

The Penrith-born Coolangatta resident finished second and fifth in the two opening events respectively but took time out between them to marry his partner Karissa Dalton.

But with the wedding madness behind him and more than a month's rest between Bells and Tahiti, Fanning said on Monday he was now totally focused on defending his title.

"Those first two events I had a lot of things going on, I got married, so I was just enjoying my time really," said Fanning, who last year became the first Australian since Mark Occhilupo in 1999 to win the world title.

"But after having that break I've got really excited to surf again and now I'm getting really excited for the rest of the year."

Fanning finished second at Teahupoo last year, his best result in Tahiti and one that proved crucial in taking the title.

He said that experience had given him confidence heading into this year's event and believed Slater's scorching start meant he wasn't feeling the pressure of being the reigning world champion.

"It doesn't really feel different because Kelly has just taken over again, it's all back on him," Fanning said.

"He has had a couple of wins and I've had a second, and my back half of the year is always better for me anyway.

"So if I can just get a couple of results here (and at the Globe Pro in Fiji later this month), semis or better, than it should be pretty good.

"But Kelly, he hasn't won (the world championship) eight times for nothing, so it's obviously going to be hard."

Timid conditions continued to delay the start of the event on Monday but organisers are hoping forecast improved conditions will see the event get underway on Wednesday (AEST).

No Australian since Occhilupo in '99 has triumphed at Teahupoo, an event Fanning said was one every professional surfer wanted to win.

"If you can win one event, it's either here or Pipeline (Hawaii), they're the ones everyone wants on their mantlepiece," Fanning said.