With the 2024 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach about to start any minute now, here’s a lookback at one of the biggest moments to go down in Victoria competitive surf history.
The year was 2012. On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Gotye’s fluffy, catchy “Somebody that I used to Know” dominated; The Avengers broke records at the box office; later in the year, Barack Obama was elected to a second term in office.
In surfing, Australians reigned supreme, the last gasp before the Brazilian Storm began dumping. Mick, Parko, Taj, Jules, Steph, Sally Fitz – these were the names to beat. However, per usual, Kelly Slater was meddling, making things difficult for the Aussies.
Like, for example, at the 2012 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. In the final, Slater squared up against Fanning, and quickly, the 11-time world champion (then reigning champ) was in a combination situation and needing a massive score. Mick had him on the ropes.
But Slater came back with something big, something historic, something to potentially help dig himself out of the hole Mick was quickly burying him in. And so, Slater went to the air with one of his hail mary, go-for-broke, single maneuver showstoppers.
It was an aerial – a full rotation reverse, with a light touch on the rail midway through, with the tweak of a contortionist. And the score? A perfect 10. For one single maneuver. Don’t see that too often…although Slater had done the exact same thing the year previous, at the Quik Pro New York, and also received a perfect score for that one.
But alas, it wasn’t enough. Mick still won the final.
So, how about this year? With Slater in Australia for the recent run of swell on the Gold Coast – playing hooky from the Portugal CT event – it would appear that the GOAT might show up in Torquay. He’s in the heat draw, too, with a round one matchup against John John Florence and Seth Moniz.
Almost a decade later, and now 52 years old, does Slater still got it? Stay tuned.
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