Slater Sent Packing, Again...

Pics from Round Two

More Pics from Italian Photographer Davide Zerilli

The early morning sun cast its gentle light across the cow paddocks and rambling hills as a stiff northerly wind combed the building six-foot sets that were unloading on the 'bowl' section of Bells Beach. It was a sight I welcomed after a week of below average surf and onshore winds.  

The strong offshore winds were molding raw southern ocean energy into perfect rows of corduroy on the horizon - a vision of Bells I had seen countless times in magazines and videos, but never up close and personal. 

It was barely light out, but I could feel the urgency building in me with each set that came in. While the rest of the media were getting ready for the start of round two of the Rip Curl Pro, I was slipping into my wetsuit and waxing up the nugget for a session at Winki Pop.  

I've been surfing the contest site all week because it goes off.  Apart from a few locals and a rotating crop of the top 44, the lineup has been relatively empty.  I'm finding this the most rewarding part of following the tour - getting to surf great waves with the best surfers in the world.  

Watching Mick Fanning paddle by, spot a meaty set wave and stroke into it - tearing down the line and utterly dissecting the wave - is a rare treat.  It's like watching the NBA finals court-side, pulling up a chair on the bench next to the head coach as the teams do battle on court.  

This morning was no different, as Jihad Kodr, Bede Durbidge, Drew Courtney and even Slater were out at Winki Pop getting loose before doing their own form of battle up the beach at Bells.

Jihad had a great session, sitting deep on the first peak and picking off a handful of gems.  He was having such a good session he almost missed his heat.  

I could hear the play-by-play commentary on the loud speakers in the lineup at Winki Pop - how Joel was surfing lighting fast, and Mick laying down his trademark gumby cutbacks.  After two hours in the soup I caught a wave in, grabbed my gear and went down to get a better seat for the remaining heats. 

I got down just in time to see the heat of the day, Kelly Slater matched up against wild-card Owen Wright.  Wright was visually amped and probably still buzzing off his win in round one, when he sent Dane Reynolds home early. 

Slater paddled out on what appeared to be a normal short board, in the 6'4"range, and was into a wave within seconds of the starting buzzer.  He looked fluid and driven, cranking his bottom turn to the limits before unloading a series of lacerations on the perfectly groomed wave face.  

Wright one upped Slater's wave, dropping into a sizable Bells peak and unloading the most intense backside hack of the contest to date.  He followed that up with three more critical maneuvers before snagging a ride back out with the water patrol.  It was a great starting wave and put him in first position.  

Slater was left chasing a 7.67 after what was arguably an underscored wave that saw him slinking into a tricky Bells barrel, but finding no exit.  As the southern ocean went soft, all Slater could do was wait and hope for one last set.  But it never came.  Owen Wright went on to win the heat, and Slater was sent packing for the second time in as many events.  It was a very close heat, and I'm glad I wasn't in the judges' seat making the calls.

The comp was moved down to Winki Pop as the tide pushed higher, but was soon shut down by a nasty southwest wind after only two heats ran.  There was a magic hour between the comp moving to Winki, right before the wind picked up, when I took advantage of the moment to slay a few Bells beauties of my own.  I'm still grinning ear to ear as I type this, salt water spilling out of my nose over my keyboard.