Kelly Slater’s status as the GOAT continues to ring true.
The 47-year-old is again defying physiology, scoring the first and only perfect 10 of the 2019 Pipe Masters, on Oahu’s north shore break Pipeline.
The perfectly-executed deep, backdoor barrel ride helped Slater win through to the Round of 16 in ‘the Wimbledon of surfing’ event and set up a charge on the always-climactic final stop of the tour.
SEE SLATER’S PERFECT RIDE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER HERE
‘King Kelly’ put together a two-wave total of 17.33, taking down France’s Joan Duru (14.23).
While having his best year in several seasons, the 11-time world champ is not contending for Gabriel Medina’s crown, sitting currently 10th in the rankings.
The race for the world title is all but down to current leader Italo Ferreira and fellow Brazilian flyer Medina, with the latter chasing his third top gong.
The goofy-footer won this event in 2018 on his way to a second Tour title.
Plenty of surfing fans around the world, though, are hoping that Slater can stay hot and take out his eighth Pipe Masters crown – in his 27th appearance at the event.
And off the back of a strong finish at Pipe, the added carrot is qualification to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where, effectively, he needs to hold his rank and finish in the top 10.
Kelly, you’ve got this.
HERE’S SOME OF THE BEST REACTION TO SLATER’S PERFECT 10: