World surfing GOAT Kelly Slater’s competitive career looks to have ended in Margaret River
In the past few years the Margaret River Pro‘s status as one of the World Championship Tour’s most exciting stops has only grown thanks to its status as the cut stop of the year, ending the season for some of surfing’s best and brightest.
And yesterday it proved potentially the last (competitive) stand for surfing’s greatest of all time, Kelly Slater, who was eliminated by current world #1 Griffin Colapinto at fun-sized Margaret River mainbreak.
“As far as emotions, it’s almost hitting me. It’s right there bubbling. I couldn’t quite pull a miracle off this week. I’ve pulled a few off over the years and I still had that hope out there…” said Slater an emotional post-heat interview.
“But to lose to the world number one. Griff is the number one guy and I’ve been close with him for a long time. It’s been fun to be over 50 and still mixing it up with the guys and still feeling like I’m there with them. Seeing this new crop of guys and to finish with Griffin, as a full-time competitor that’s cool.”
Over an incredible 32-year career, Slater has won 56 events and a likely-never-to-be-toppled 11 World Titles, including being the youngest and oldest World Champ in men’s surfing history.
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Slater is joined by seven other surfers in missing the mid-season cut, including young West Aussie Jacob Willcox (pictured above), meaning they’ll have to go back to the Challenger Series to try and re-qualify for the 2025 World Championship Tour.
“But yeah, it is what it is, everything comes to an end and if you don’t adapt you don’t survive and my motivation just hasn’t been there to really put in that one-hundred percent that everyone else is now,” Slater admitted.
Margaret River’s Jack Robinson remains in contention after posting the highest scoring wave of the day with a huge air reverse in latter stages of the day.
Attention now turns to the remaining women’s and men’s rounds, with the women hitting the water this morning ahead of what’s shaping up to be an exciting last weekend of the competition window, which ends this Sunday.
Image Credit: Aaron Hughes/Beatriz Rider/World Surf League