Margaret River Pro: Day 3

Throughout history thinkers have focussed on and highlighted the essentially tragic nature of life. A vale of tears, as Dante described it in the Divine Comedy. Socrates, more hardcore, called it a kind of sickness. Both would have been impressed with the tragedy on display today as eight surfers got cut from the tour at various stages of their careers. Some...most, if recent history is a guide, never to return.

Kelly is gone. Not gone, gone. But off the tour full-time. Despite Joe Turpel's best efforts in the post show, we did not hear the retirement word uttered from Kelly. He indicated interest in wildcards for Teahupoo, Cloudbreak, and Pipe and said he had been approached by Renato about surfing in the CS at Snapper. So it will be mere weeks until we see him in the jersey again. But his era is over, retired now in everything but name. Kelly choked up on the glass after the loss to Griff and he filled up again on the post show. Everywhere around the world where fans had gathered to see the last full-time showing of the GOAT, little frogs throbbed in throats, private tears were wiped away.

He didn't go quietly. His Elimination Round showing against Yago and Cole Houshmand was fire. The opening turn on the opening wave was close to the turn of the day, full rail and back into the hook. 270 degrees of vicious direction change against the grain - the hardest thing to do at Main Break. All day that dichotomy between carving against the grain and a vertical hit and drift played out. Neither approach gained an ascendancy. But Kelly sent Yago Dora packing and possibly back to the CS.

Never a fan of early morning surfs, Slater nevertheless came out firing in the third heat of the day, finishing second in his Elimination Round heat (WSL/Hughes)

The eight who got cut: Kelly, Kade Matson, Deivid Silva, Jacob Willcox, Fred Morais, Callum Robson, Eli Hanneman, Ian Gentil.

There's four more to go.

Of 24 surfers cut from the tour over the last two years, 6 have made it back via the CS, 5 have retired and the rest are mired in second tier purgatory. I see no reason to think this lot will be any different. The biggest tragedy of pro surfing careers remains the clock ticking down on genuine CT talent that gets relegated before showing its true potential. 

As he mourned on the steps, the hooter sounded for the next heat and the tour now moves on without Kade. There was, however, time for the photographer to capture his anguish (WSL/Ryder)

A brief riff on Kelly's career. He identified 1995/96 and 2008 as his competitive high points. He won 6 events in 2008, a phenomenal showing. Snapper, Bells, Fiji, J-Bay, Trestles, and Pipe. It was the undoubted highwater mark of both Kelly and the Dream Tour.

My favourite period came a little later. The two years after his last World Title in 2011. He won three events in both 2012 and 2013. Surfing good waves on mostly round-tail quads at a different level in his forties. Cloudbreak in 2013 being the peak of that post-title period. Feel free to add below your recollections of the peak moments of Slater's 34-year career.

There were no capitulations from those below the cut. Everyone fought hard, brought their best surfing - as a sporting spectacle it was close to as good as pro surfing gets sans epic waves. Tight heats abounded. Deivid Silva lost an opening exchange of excellent rides with JJF by 0.16 and gave the two-time champ a real scare with a high risk vertical hit and drift approach. John sat for ages before nailing another excellent ride with the final margin less than half a point. Chippo went down by less than a point to good pal Liam O'Brien despite the best wave of the heat, a result that LOB described as “such a bummer of a heat”. At 27-years old, how many more swings has Chippo got at it? 

Nine years of battling on the QS, three on the CS, where Chippo finally makes the jump to the CT, and he's gone in five comps (WSL/Hughes)

Zero-point-zero-three (0.03) separated Maui boys Ian Gentil and Imaikalani Devault after 35 minutes. That's coin toss stuff.

Emotions boiled over after Kade Matson lost on a buzzer beater ride by 0.6 of a point to Italo Ferreira. Kade's claim seemed to span minutes. Italo seemed confused in the shorebreak, perhaps thinking he had lost and slammed his board, then headbutted it multiple times. Later, in a sotte voce whisper of an interview, the victorious Ferreia choked up multiple times as he considered Kelly's career, coming to a conclusion that despite all the titles, “sometimes we just need to be happy”. He alluded to struggles over the last few days saying he felt like he was “on the dark side” and that he had been “praying to God to help me”.

Whoa, Mummas don't let your babies grow up to be pro surfers. For what does it profit a man (or woman) to gain the whole world (or world titles) and forfeit his soul?

Though his wave counts have been low - John rode just two waves in his clash against Deivid Silva - the highlights truly sparkled. Arms at 90 degrees to the turn, body below the horizontal, John directs all his forces onto that inside rail  (WSL/Ryder)

A common theme of exasperation at the lack of surfing opportunity so far this year was expressed by John Florence.

John seemed rattled by his brother's success at scoring on his so-called Slab Tour. Said he was sick of being "tested" - in reference to Coach Williams who said the lack of waves in his heat with Silva would be a “good test for John”. He said he “just wants to go surfing and get some good waves” before clarifying that the desire to compete and win was still strong.

How long before that contradiction is resolved depends on the forecast for the rest of the season. John will only stand getting skunked for so long.

Italo and Gabe saved their spots on Tour. Italo in a sketchy, emotional performance as mentioned. Gabe was much more composed. In an overlapping heat with Ryan Callinan he went to work early, not producing any keeper scores but running what must have been an annoying mosquito buzz for R-Cal. Somehow he ended up with an extra back-up score and when the crucial wave for wave exchange occurred judges gave Medina the nod by a point and change. Gabe and John open the Round of 16 with a blockbuster clash.

Composed in the water, Gabe was physically moved at the sight of Mig Pupo's backhand attack while he was being interviewed for his heat win (WSL/Hughes)

The Pupo brothers got through with super gritty performances. Sammy hit a couple of hard turns then literally dismounted on the bricks as if he had bailed on a skateboard bombing a hill at top speed. Somehow the sprawling awkward crash did not bust an ankle or knee. With both the brothers still alive in the draw it must be a proof of cruel and malicious Gods to match them up in the Round of 16, where one will perish from the draw and be cut from the tour.

Who will survive, Sammy, with his young career still ahead of him, or Miggy who will be masterful at Tahiti and Cloudbreak?

Phew, what a day.

Jack Robbo rounded it off with a tight but convincing win against Cal Robson before gazing into the Sunset at the presser and declaring he wanted action at the Box. That would make the 2022 champion a red hot favourite against Italo Ferreira, or anyone. Chances of heats at the Box? Almost nil.

Modern heat preparation: Jack visualising his heat win over North Coast tradie Callum Robson (WSL/Ryder)

Relief was the emotion Kelly said he felt most. No more sleepless nights, no more pro tour crowds, or working on specific waves and obsessing over boards.

Do we believe him?

Is this really the end?

And if Kelly wins Snapper, or wins Teahupoo?

Or the unthinkable happens and he gets a berth at the Olympics.

It remains almost impossible to see Kelly going gently into that good night.

Even at 52.

Even with a new bub mere months away.

Despite the fanfare, the tears, the declarations of love, this still feels like the beginning of the end, not the final page of the book.

//STEVE SHEARER

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Men’s Elimination Round Results: 
HEAT 1: Callum Robson (AUS) 12.84 DEF. John John Florence (HAW) 11.37, Otis North (AUS) 10.73
HEAT 2: Reef Heazlewood (AUS) 14.93 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.63, Barron Mamiya (HAW) 11.43
HEAT 3: Cole Houshmand (USA) 13.10 DEF. Kelly Slater (USA) 12.50, Yago Dora (BRA) 10.20
HEAT 4: Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 14.00 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 12.54, Rio Waida (INA) 7.13

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Men’s Round of 32 Results: 
HEAT 1: John John Florence (HAW) 17.13 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 16.70
HEAT 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.66 DEF. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 12.40
HEAT 3: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.27 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 13.77
HEAT 4: Samuel Pupo (BRA) 12.77 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 11.50
HEAT 5: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 11.87 DEF. Kelly Slater (USA) 6.17
HEAT 6: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 13.06 DEF. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 12.43
HEAT 7: George Pittar (AUS) 13.26 DEF. Cole Houshmand (USA) 12.87
HEAT 8: Liam O'Brien (AUS) 15.00 DEF. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 14.17
HEAT 9: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 14.33 DEF. Reef Heazlewood (AUS) 11.37
HEAT 10: Seth Moniz (HAW) 10.60 DEF. Connor O'Leary (JPN) 10.10
HEAT 11: Jordy Smith (RSA) 13.77 DEF. Frederico Morais (POR) 12.83
HEAT 12: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 13.50 DEF. Crosby Colapinto (USA) 10.97
HEAT 13: Jake Marshall (USA) 11.84 DEF. Eli Hanneman (HAW) 11.33
HEAT 14: Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 13.73 DEF. Ian Gentil (HAW) 13.70
HEAT 15: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 10.93 DEF. Kade Matson (USA) 10.33
HEAT 16: Jack Robinson (AUS) 13.83 DEF. Callum Robson (AUS) 10.77