A series of small waves hug the inside of the reef at Margaret River’s Main Break. In the water in blue is Ramzi Boukhiam, in white Matthew McGillivray, and Griffin Colapinto in yellow.
Beside them, a 52-year-old Kelly Slater waits for just one more shot at a rippable right to avoid the tour’s dreaded mid-season cut. The wave never comes, the heat ends, and Kelly lingers in the lineup, taking it all in.
“Everything must come to an end,” said Kelly, holding back the tears after being chaired up the beach. “It feels like the end, but it’s the start of something else, the rest of my life.”
The End of an Era
For everyone else on tour, Kelly’s departure signals an end of over three decades of dominance. Since joining the tour in 1990, the G.O.A.T won 56 events, 11 world titles, and watched as his contemporaries and those younger retired.
His first world title came in 1992, which made him the youngest world champion in surfing history. From there, he dominated the sport, becoming the oldest world champion in 2011 at 39.
With Kelly Slater missing the mid-season cut off, there’s still an opportunity for him to earn a wildcard at the Corona Fiji Pro 2024. “I have put in for a wildcard for Fiji and we’ll see how that goes,” he said.
Still, surf fans everywhere remember when a 26-year-old Kelly retired in 1998 after winning five titles in a row from 1994 to 1998. He later rejoined the tour in the early 2000s to take on the late Andy Irons in a rivalry that surfing hasn’t seen since.
Other Surfers on the Cut
Along with Kelly to not make the cut are several world tour staples. Portugal’s Frederico Morais, Australia’s Jacob Willcox, and the USA’s Kade Matson now have to battle their way back on tour.
On the cusp are Japan’s Connor O’Leary, Brazil’s Yago Dora, and Hawaii’s Seth Moniz.
For the women, tour veteran Sally Fitzgibbons sits below the cut line. Fitzgibbons needs an excellent result in Margaret River to keep her spot on tour.
Tune into the WSL to find out who’s in and who’s out for the rest of the year.