It’s no secret; Kelly Slater’s in the twilight of his competitive surfing career.
At 51 years old, he’s the winningest surfer of all time, being both the youngest and oldest competitor to ever win a World Title…11 of ‘em in total.
And despite a rocky season on the 2023 Championship Tour – in which he was axed from the competition due to the Mid-Season Cut, then, subsequently was granted a wildcard entry for the remainder of the year – it looks like he’s still got some fight in him.
Need proof? How’s this disappearing act above from day two of competition at the Shiseido Tahiti Pro.
Sorta like a magic trick; now you see him, now you don’t (or wait…maybe the other way around); like he pulled a rabbit out of the foamball.
The clip comes from an Elimination Round heat in which Slater matched up against Aussie goofyfooter, Ryan Callinan. And the foamball stall to clean exit was enough to get Slater the win (a 7.60 paired with a 6.67 for a heat total of 14.27).
And Slater’s record at Teahupo’o is pretty remarkable – five event wins, seven perfect 10s, two perfect heats, and an average heat total of 16.29. Impressive, to say the least.
Then, of course, there was, what many call, the “greatest heat of all time” – in which Slater and John John Florence went blow-for-blow in maxing, perfect Chopes with perfect and near-perfect scores. It was one of those moments that will certainly go down in surf history. (And JJF wants a rematch this year.)
But, with things slowing down for Slater competitively, could this be his final event?
Imagine if he won it. That’s the way to go out.
***
Don’t miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We’re always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.
Whether you’re a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.