For Kelly Slater, winning might not be everything, but losing is something he's obviously not good at.
In today's 3rd round action at the Quicksilver Pro, crowds swarmed the beach for the much anticipated match-up between 9 time world champ Slater, and event wild card Julian Wilson.
The last heat of the day, held in 3 foot semi-clean conditions at Snapper Rocks, lived up to the hype.
Wilson got out to an early lead taking off on a beefy set-wave. He unleashed a mean forehand cutback, then sped down the line linking stylish turns with power and fluidness, working the wave all the way inside where it reformed and offered a jacking face that Wilson destroyed. He copped a 8.5 for his efforts.
With 12 minutes left in the heat, Wilson had Slater combo-ed. Which means Slater needed 2 scoring rides to take over the lead. A position Slatz is more than comfortable in.
Riding his self shaped 5'3" board, Slater picked off a good sized set wave and carved a few signature turns, before slightly bogging his rail. It seemed his equipment was holding him back from doing what he does best.
He posted an underscored 6.17, and needed a hefty score to move in front of Wilson.
Wilson had wave priority, and with time ticking down it didn't look like mother nature was going to produce the goods for Slater.
Then, with 4 minutes left in the heat, Wilson let a decent sized wave go by. Slater pounced on it. In classic Slatz style he charged down the line throwing spray higher than the looming Point Danger.
He milked it inside, laying down a massive tail slide cutty, but it wasn't enough. With his early departure from the Quicksilver Pro, Slater's march for a tenth world title is off to a crumbling start.
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