If you were watching the World Surf League broadcast in which Kelly Slater, 11-time world champion, GOAT, etcetera, exited Western Australia, missing the mid-season cut, then you witnessed a tearful post-heat interview. Taken at face value, it seemed like a goodbye. He was bummed it had to end in bad waves. Seemingly heart broken it was all over after a decorated, decades-long career in which he influenced the entire ocean landscape like no other surfer. But, and this is a big but, the fact he was just given a wildcard to both Tahiti and Fiji in 2024 by the WSL should come as no surprise.
“It’s not necessarily the wave I want to end on,” he said of Main Break after his loss to world number one, Griffin Colapinto in Western Australia (see the interview, above). “I have put in for a wildcard for Fiji, so we’ll see how that goes. It is what it is, everything comes to an end. If you don’t adapt, you don’t survive and my motivation just hasn’t quite been there to really put in that 100 percent that everyone’s doing.”
Confusing? Maybe. Intentionally ambiguous. Also maybe.
Mr. Slater’s competitive run definitely isn’t coming to an end. But if you were left scratching your noggin after that interview, and all of the social media banter following Slater’s exit at Margs, you weren’t alone. He was a man who sounded as if it was over at the time, becoming visually emotional as he looked away from the camera.
The surf world erupted with praise, as if to usher him out the door, with everyone from Jack Freestone to Mick Fanning tipping a hat to the GOAT on social media. But the slippery squirrel simply let the congratulatory posts ensue without ever making a formal retirement announcement. Meanwhile, debate continued here at The Inertia. We’ve seen this play out before. It ain’t over till it’s over. Trusted correspondents emailed reminding us to never count out the GOAT, especially one like Kelly Slater, who absolutely loves this stuff.
João Chianca, definitely worthy of another shot. Photo: Tony Heff//WSL
Remember that rather obscure rule the WSL instituted in 2023? Where former world champs can garner points for re-qualification into the next season with wildcard entries? And only world champs? Well, that leaves just a handful of tour vets who qualify for that asterisk. Kelly being one of them. If the Floridian has a respectful showing at both left-hand classics, Tahiti and Fiji, then makes a few heats on the Challenger Series, it isn’t out of the question he re-qualifies for the 2025 Championship Tour on his own accord. Hence the lack of a retirement announcement.
Chew on that for a minute. From the WSL presser: “Slater will also surf in the first Challenger Series competition, the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM. The competition window opens on Sunday, April 27.”
And while Mr. Slater’s wildcard revelation dominates the headlines, the WSL also announced several other rather important get-out-of-jail free cards. Carissa Moore and Vahiné Fierro were awarded wildcards to Tahiti so things will certainly get interesting at the “End of the Road” in the pre-Olympic showcase.
And in much anticipated news, João Chianca was given a season-long wildcard, meaning he’ll get to finish this year (if he’s healthy) and be eligible for the first half of 2025 after suffering a brutal injury at Pipeline. How quickly we forget his stellar end to 2023 in which he reached the WSL Finals.
Lakey Peterson, who just hasn’t been able to get things going this year against the crop of talented newschoolers, was also saved from relegation to the Challenger Series with a season-long wildcard. To her credit, Peterson fought to the end, finishing 11th in the mid-year chase (just below the cutline) after a frustratingly early exit at Margs.
Filipe Toledo and Steph Gilmore were the other two season-long wildcards (announced earlier this year), both of whom are taking a sabbatical from the tour in 2024. Toledo will be in the spotlight come July when he represents Brazil at the Paris Olympics in Tahiti.
The announcement was important for fan favorites like Peterson and Chianca. But as previously noted, one name dominated this news cycle.
