Kelly Slater Wins an 11th Pro Surfing World Title
The sun was shining, the waves were clean and Kelly Slater won his 11th World Title. This accomplishment by Kelly Slater will never be duplicated. He is on a level that nobody will surpass. The undisputed greatest surfer of all time is Kelly Slater.
As the contest kicked off today in glassy conditions, all eyes were on heat 6 in round 3. Kelly Slater took on Daniel Ross in this much anticipated heat. The beach crowd filled in as always when Kelly paddles out. Kelly and Daniel were both rocking a white wetsuit . . . very interesting choice for Ross . . . Slater is the first to ever wear one.
Daniel Ross got off to a great start as he caught a wave right on the horn. Ross scored a 7.70 on his first wave with some great surfing. Ross would back that score up with a 6.70 pretty quickly to put Kelly in his rearview mirror. The only problem was that it was Kelly Slater gunning for him.
Slater would struggle with his first couple of rides. On his fifth wave he scored a 7.53 with classic Slater surfing. He shredded the wave with massive spray as he found his footing on this wave and was right back in the heat. From that point on, Slater had one hand on the World Title trophy.
He dropped into another wave in the closing minutes, which he carved into a perfect Slater sculpture scoring a 7.60, riding the wave almost to the sand and the roaring crowd on the beach. Slater has this knack for pulling slashes and hacks on small faces when the wave seems to be dying out.
On this last ride he did not let up and ripped his way into the winning score. Daniel Ross slipped into a barrel as time was running out, which would have pushed him ahead of Slater if he came out, but it was not be as he was facing ‘The King’. The barrel closed on Ross and history was made. Slater’s 15.13 beat Ross’ 14.40.
Kelly Slater is the 2011 ASP World Champion. This is Kelly’s 11th World Title. He is truly one of those elusive “living legends”. In pro surfing, no one else is close. What else needs to be said? I am just one of the many fans, blessed to witness such a dominant athlete at the pinnacle… a truly rare breed. Congratulations Kelly Slater on his 11th World Title!
~ P. Franklin / Guerrilla Surf – Guerrilla.Surfers@gmail.com
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