Slater´s Air Show Sets WSL Spirit on Fire in California

Kelly Slater in air-action. WSL World Surf League

Controversy took over the World Surf League WSL after Kelly Slater -11 time World Championship took on a radical air show at the Hurley Pro in Lower Trestles California. During a heat round against Mick Fanning Slater went airborne and took a backside air reverse. For a moment Slater lost control and then magically re-merged from the foam. Experts assured that the trick, the way it was performed and the recovery was a sign of sheer talent but Judges of WSL were not impressed and gave Slater a flat 4.1 of 10.

Live viewers and angered fans took over the social media evidently more than frustrated over the scoring and had no nice words for WSL and WSL Judges. The issue continued escalating as International Media picked up the news catching the attention to even media such as CNN. WSL released on September 14 a video interview between the Head WSL Judge and Slater explaining the maneuver and the reason for the low score but the video did not go well either with most viewers and fans who continued blasting away their disappointment in the social media.

"On his second wave of his Superheat Round 5 against Mick Fanning (AUS), Kelly Slater (USA) launched into the air and looked like he might alley-oop. Instead, he spun out and didn't land, but had some fun with it anyway. After disconnecting with his board, he rode it on his stomach, stood up again and rode out with a series of hacks. While the performance was an incomplete maneuver, its playfulness got fans to their feet," WSL described the ride coldly.

What is at stake and at the heart of the issue goes beyond radical airshows. The constant evolution of the World Surf League and what remains of the original spirit of the Elite Surf World Tour seems to be the central core. Those who have been riding it out for years since the days the WSL called itself ASP Association of Surfing Professionals and those who have witnessed the growth in sponsors, events, prices and the massive broadcasting of the sport are now looking in closely to how much has the WSL changed and if that change is good for the Spirit of the Surf Sport.

At California Lower Trestles WSL Athletes continued riding their talent on the Hurley Pro, the Swatch Women's Pro. Trestles also sawy an Expression Series which called for legendary surfers from way back in the day to show off what they still had today.

The Slater Incident dimmed out incredible perfomanced made by top international surfing athletes. Slater´s air show was not the only radical demonstration. The Brazilian Storm Riders at Hurley Pro took on as well heated air tricks and outstanding demonstrations. One of the constant changes of WSL is found in surfing heats and demonstrations. Athletes at Trestles showed that the sport is reaching new limits backed up by their hard work and their talent, now impossible to deny.

On September 12 WSL released an adrenaline broadcast titled Best Battle for No 1 with incredible moves. "Saturday at Lower Trestles saw some of the most intense battles of the Hurley Pro and Swatch Women's Pro so far. With the World Title race heating up, every point counts. Plus, five legends of the sport paddled out for an expression session, and Kelly Slater (USA) wowed fans (again).

"The type of intensity that comes with the road to the Quarters was heightened at the Swatch Women's Pro by the World Title race shuffle and at the Hurley Pro by mind-blowing acrobatics and heavyweight matchups.

The opening heat of men's competition was a showcase of Brazilian bombs. World No. 4 Filipe Toledo from Brazil reached his peak at Round 4 when he airlifted a 9.2. Toledo from Brazil later also took on a air-reverse.

Gabriel Medina also from Brazil matched up in Round 4 with Kelly Slater and Owen Wright from Australia. After a series of vertical hacks, the reigning World Champ took an early lead. Wright did his best ride obtaining a 9 but Medina had already early scored much of the points to take the lead and position into the Quarter Finals. Competition then took a break day.

There are old things and there are new things, in both sides some work and some do not. The Brazilian Storm Riders and their bag of tricks is part of the new school and few in the sport can get enough of it. The way WSL changed its name and took to massive expansion of the sport is also a new times adaption strategy but some fear that in this expansion the WSL might go too political and too commercial and loose contact with the original Elite Surf World Tour Spirit, even further down the line loose touch with the original Surfing Spirit which can not be put in words but is easy to spot out.

It really comes down to that. Fans and viewers worldwide continue to shape the sport and set the limits on what goes and that is a beautiful thing made possible thanks to social media. The Slater Trestles Incident and the Hurley Pro is a demonstration of these forces, forces of change, forces of adaptation and expansion of evolution and what goes in and what goes out.

In this evolutionary road it is all matter of time to see where the things go from here. Some say it is no big deal and riders and riding will always prevail.

By now on Day 7, September 15 a declined swell prevented competition in Lower Trestles. The Hurley Pro is expected to end September 20 and something tells us that there is still much more to come and that the WSL and its Athletes has yet to present Surfing Competition and its Highest Level to the World.

Ocean Life News in Brief

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