Kelly Slater was as dialed in as he’s been all year. But it wasn’t to be. Photo: Cait Miers//World Surf League
Kelly Slater could not make it past Liam O’Brien in the Round of 32 at the Margaret River Pro, meaning he has officially missed the mid-season cut and has fallen off the 2023 Championship Tour. Slater, 51, needed to at least make the final 16 in Western Australia to have a chance to continue his season as part of the main field.
O’Brien had Slater nearly comboed with 15 minutes left in the heat. But Slater chipped away, catching a wave under priority to get back within reach. The 11-time world champ then had priority on one more wave with a minute left for a shot to continue his campaign. His first turn was dynamic, past vertical, but on his second turn he came down funny and had to make a quick, off-balance recovery into a whitewater connection, which he landed. It wasn’t enough, though.
“I let him have a wave and he ripped the bag out of it and got a 7.8,” O’Brien said of Kelly’s wave under priority. “That’s why he’s one of the best to ever do it.”
In his post-heat interview, Slater was as coy as ever about his plans for the future. “Plans for the future? I want to get really barreled, there’s a big wave,” he said looking at The Box with a mic in his face. “We’ll see how things turn out.”
Despite missing the cut, this probably won’t be the last time we see Slater on tour this year. He hinted in the interview that he may get a wildcard into the Surf Ranch Pro (“I know a guy,” he said.”) His brand, Outerknown, is the presenting sponsor of the Tahiti Pro so there’s likely a wildcard waiting for him “at the end of the road” as well. Slater looked as sharp in Western Australia as he had all year – his surfing was especially spicy and on-point in the opening round when he broke out his vaunted power game.
Slater wasn’t pressed hard in the post-heat interview, leaving major questions on his future.Will he prepare to grind on the Challenger Series in an attempt to re-qualify (a scenario that’s tough to picture, if we’re being honest). Or will he finally walk away after the greatest career in the history of competitive surfing?
It was a wicked day on the men’s side in terms of the mid-year cut. Slater, Zeke Lau, Michael Rodrigues, and Kolohe Andino all missed the mark and are now off the CT. Barron Mamiya saved his season on a buzzer beater against Caio Ibelli.
It was an eventful run of heats, and we’ll know more as the afternoon unfolds.
You can watch the live event, and click back to see replays and interviews, here.
