Kelly Slater, 54, rolls back years with near-perfect surf in monster Tahiti swell

Even at the grand old age of 54, the evergreen Kelly Slater’s mastery of surfing appears to know no bounds. Having been handed a wildcard for the Tahiti Pro, the American delivered yet another masterclass as he tamed Teahupo’o, one of the world’s heaviest waves, to knock out Gabriel Medina with a near-perfect heat score.

Slater, who is still regarded as one of the best barrel riders in the world, has won the notoriously treacherous event five times before. In pumping conditions on Tuesday that produced eight-to-10ft swell, the veteran rolled back the years with an imperious display as two deep barrels scored 9.73 and 9.33 for a heat total of 19.06 to blow his Brazilian opponent out of the water.

That total fell just short of the perfect 20 heat totals he has twice before produced at Teahupo’o, and the 19.77 he posted in 2014 against John John Florence, who matched him in an unforgettable semi-final.

Making his latest feat even more remarkable is the fact that Slater has been recovering from hip surgery late last year; the 11-time world champion only got back to surfing on a daily basis recently. And in Medina, himself a three-time world champion and two-time winner of the Tahiti Pro – including victory over Slater in the 2014 final – he was faced with a tough opponent.

“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.”

Kelly Slater in the water at Teahupo’o. Photograph: Hannah Anderson/World Surf LeagueSlater, whose sustainable apparel brand is the main sponsor of the event in Tahiti, took inspiration from those who questioned his invitation as a wildcard.

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“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.