Incredible KS, wins US OPEN

After receiving heavy criticism for missing the Billabong Pro in J-Bay, Kelly Slater used surfing’s biggest stage to remind us all why he’s earned the right to do, well, whatever he chooses. Slater’s victory in front of a record crowd at Huntington Beach was his second US Open victory—his previous victory being way back in 1996.

While the majority of his heats, including the final, were won in convincing fashion, only Taj Burrow and Dusty Payne made Slater work for the silverware on the final day. Burrow and Slater’s Quarterfinal match-up saw the two go back and forth exchanging scores on multiple barrel rides. In the end, Slater’s rides were deemed to be .23 of a point better than Burrows’.

As the large crowd began to unwind following the Slater vs. Burrow battle, Slater and Dusty Payne immediately put the beach back into a frenzy. Dusty held the lead for the majority of the semifinal, but with less than 10 minutes remaining and needing a significant score to take the lead, Slater launched a giant backside 360-air that earned a 9.77—the highest single wave score of the event.

“I think Dusty wanted to kill me after that heat,” said Slater in a post-heat speech. He also praised the Payne’s progressive surfing repertoire: “Dusty rips, and he does some of the craziest moves in the world, like big upside down air-reverses, and when I got on tour that’s where I dreamed surfing would be—and it’s cool to still be here doing this.”

Following Slater’s win over Payne, 17-year-old San Clemente phenom Kolohe Andino sparred Australia’s Yadin Nicol in a close semifinal heat that came down to Andino’s final wave. Needing a 6.95 to overtake Nicol, Andino took his game to the air on a lined up inside wall and milked the wave for all it was worth, but still fell agonizingly short—receiving a 6.37.

Unfortunately for Yadin Nicol and the thousands of fans watching, the final was a decidedly more one-sided affair. Within minutes of the buzzer, Slater earned an 8.5 for a big frontside air-reverse and for several turns to the beach. Then on Slater’s third wave, and with 20 minutes still remaining, he got his second scoring wave—putting Nicol in combo land and all but solidifying his victory. Nicol went almost the whole heat without a wave—posting his first score with under five minutes remaining.

“I told Yadin he was lucky it was a 35 minute heat,” said a joking Slater in his victory speech. “No, but honestly when you’re that guy and you’re leading, you’re just hoping time runs out. And I was just getting really frustrated for Yadin, because he was sitting on the outside waiting for the bigger sets while I got the smaller ones.”

Regardless, Nicol’s second place finish will boost him up in the one world ranking’s, making his qualification for the World Tour after the mid-year reseeding far more likely.

Burrow and Slater’s Quarterfinal match-up saw the two go back and forth exchanging scores on multiple barrel rides.