Kelly Slater’s visit to Australia is continuing to go awry, with the surfing icon relegated to the elimination round at the Margaret River Pro on Friday.
In wild conditions off the West Australian coast, Aussies Callum Robson, Jackson Baker, Ryan Callinan and Owen Wright all progressed to the round of 32.
But it was two-time world champion American John John Florence who set the standard, decimating the competition in his heat to firm as a favourite.
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Slater, 50, won his eighth Pipeline in February and after apparently becoming vaccinated against Covid-19, travelled to Australia to surf at Bells Beach earlier this month.
He couldn’t repeat his Pipeline heroics there, bowing out in the round of 32, and his quest to win a second event in 2022 hit an early snag on Friday.
In their opening round heat, Callinan (13.37) and Hawaii’s Ezekiel Lau (15.00) comfortably defeated Slater (9.20), who has been forced into the elimination round for the third time this year.
Aussies Ben Spence, Jack Thomas and Jacob Willcox are among those joining Slater there; Thomas drawing Slater’s heat.
The mid-season cut will come into effect at the conclusion of the Margaret River Pro, so the event looms as crucial for the surfers languishing towards the bottom of the rankings.
Slater has already made the cut so won’t be one of the 14 men eliminated after Margaret River.
The women did not surf on Friday, but eight will be sent packing at the end of the event.
Of the Aussie women, only Tyler Wright is guaranteed to survive the cut but Aussie men Callum Robson, Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewing have all already made it through.
More to come