Full coverage of Billabong Pro Tahiti Final Day
There were other surfers in major form. There were goofyfooters. There was the ultimate 6’4”-tall combination of both those things, Owen Wright, staring at him in the final.
But somehow, Kelly’s pulled yet another tour victory out of the hat.
Despite an odd start to the day in which he snapped a board first wave then got washed over the reef after a wipeout, the 10-time world champ worked his way back into the game in near perfect double-overhead barrels to hold a slim lead over O to the finish — yet again leaving his no doubt super irritated rivals in the spray.
Yes, there were fortunate
scores thrown his way, including a 9.0 against Josh Kerr in the semis that looked a point too big and a generous 9.5 in the final. Yes, he nearly got aced in the dying minutes after being suckered into an over-the-falls wipeout that left O holding priority and a chance at a comeback.But for every contest-day wackiness, KS seems to have an answer, and this win, at the end of the best event of the decade, just seems to prove that still, in World Title events, fortune favors the bald.
This was a contest that truly tested people’s limits and abilities. There were some amazing performances and landmark camera work for this contest. This is a brief wrap-up of the final day of competition. Kelly Slater, at 39, is once again back in the #1 position in the ASP World Rankings and is clearly on track for title #11. Total and complete dominance.