Kelly Slater, 54, posts 19.06 to eliminate Gabriel Medina at Tahiti Pro
Kelly Slater, 54, scored 19.06 to defeat Gabriel Medina at the Tahiti Pro at Teahupo’o on Tuesday, eliminating the Brazilian from the event. The 11-time world champion has previously won the notoriously treacherous contest five times.
Slater entered the contest on a wildcard and was competing in pumping conditions that produced an eight-to-10ft swell. He is returning from hip surgery late last year and only recently resumed daily surfing, making his performance notable within that recovery context. Medina is a three-time world champion and a two-time winner of the Tahiti Pro.
During the heat Slater rode two deep barrels that were scored 9.73 and 9.33, contributing to his near-perfect display. His 19.06 total fell short of the perfect 20 heat totals he has produced twice at Teahupo’o and the 19.77 he posted in 2014 against John John Florence, who matched him in an unforgettable semi-final.
"I definitely had to settle in. I knew going against [Medina], he’s just so savvy as a competitor," Slater said. "I tried to push a bit deeper. I started doing breathing exercises, calming down, and getting the heart rate down.
"Part of me was thinking he’d come back, and part of me was thinking it would be super cool if he did, because it would make the heat such a good story. But I settled back out there and went, ‘Let’s think about putting him in a combo situation. Let’s maximise what’s out here as opposed to just surfing a smart heat.'
"Everyone knows Gabe’s been through a lot lately, highs and lows. It’s tough to come all this way and lose to someone who’s not in the title race. I’m on the other side of that now, so I feel all those emotions, the toughness of the travel, being away from family. When you have a loss, it sucks. That was a very emotional heat. I almost started crying afterward."
Slater, whose sustainable apparel brand is the main sponsor of the event in Tahiti, said he had felt additional motivation from criticism of his wildcard. "Obviously, you see the comments, a lot of people doubting me or saying they should’ve given the wildcard to a local, and I get why people say that," Slater said. "Without pressure, you’ve got no diamonds. It fired me up, and even after all this time, yeah, I have something to prove. I need to go out and show it went to the right guy. I think I can [win this contest]."
Slater will next face Australia’s Jack Robinson in the third round after the Olympic silver medallist advanced from a high-scoring heat with Callum Robson, 18.20 to 17.40.
Medina entered the heat as a three-time world champion and a two-time Tahiti Pro winner, including his 2014 victory over Slater in the final, leaving Slater’s progression to the third round to set up a high-profile next match.