(Reuters) – Days short of his 50th birthday, Kelly Slater scored a near perfect tube on the buzzer to advance to the quarterfinals of Hawaii’s Billabong Pro Pipeline on Tuesday, further cementing his reputation as the greatest pro surfer of all time.
Slater, who won his first Pipeline title 30 years ago, trailed young Hawaiian hot shot Barron Mamiya for most of their heat before catching a giant Pipeline barrel with just three seconds left on the clock.
He disappeared deep behind the curtain, weaving through the tube and emerging with his arms outstretched for a 9.23 out of 10.
“That’s why we do it, you know, having that kind of moment,” an emotional Slater said on the beach shortly after.
“I know it’s early in the contest, but Barron is the next generation out there. It was just a pleasure to surf against him.”
The Floridian, who turns 50 on Feb. 11, won the first six of his unprecedented 11 World Titles before Mamiya was born in 2000.
“It’s just crazy thinking back on 30 years, how many times that has happened to me, just gone my way,” Slater said. “I don’t know what to chalk it up to, except for spending my life in the ocean.”
Slater’s prospects for an unlikely 12th title were improved after reining World Champion, Brazil’s Gabriel Medina, withdrew from the start of the world tour, saying he needed to focus on his mental health and well-being.
But Slater has been warned by Australian officials he will not be allowed to compete in upcoming events there if he doesn’t get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Slater, who hasn’t revealed his vaccination status, defended tennis world number one Novak Djokovic last month after the unvaccinated Serbian was detained and later deported by authorities ahead of the Australian Open.
Slater will take on Japan’s Olympic silver medallist Kanoa Igarashi in the quarters when the Pipeline competition resumes.
Other top World Title contenders including South Africa’s Jordy Smith and Brazil’s Filipe Toledo and Italo Ferreira were knocked out in the round of 16.
Hawaiian champ and tube-riding savant John John Florence looms as heavy favourite after notching up the highest heat score of the day.
(Reporting by Lincoln Feast in Sydney; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
