Slater comes up short again

Owen Wright dumps Kelly Slater from the Rip Curl Pro

Photo: ASP CI Scholtz via Getty Images

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Tuesday, April 14, 2009 - 6:55 PM

Source: BigPond Sport

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Kelly Slater was bundled out of the Rip Curl Pro by Aussie wildcard Owen Wright, in pumping six-foot swell at Bells Beach, and his quest for world title number ten looks to be sinking.

Slater displayed his patented mastery of the Bells bowl, sliding into barrels and smashing the lip on several occasions, but failed to nail the exit on a scoring double-barrel wave to bow out by less than a point.

"It was reminiscent of a heat I had out here against Sunny Garcia in 2000," said Slater.

"I needed to come out of a second barrel to get through the heat and fell. Sunny went on to win the event and the World Title. Which is pretty dooming (for Owen) I suppose."

Slater's exit handed him a second successive 17th finish, in 2009, but the champion wasn't overly concerned.

"The magic hasn’t been there yet this season, like it was last year," offerred Slater.

"However, I just have to remember that it’s early in the season and there’s a long way to go."

Unsurprisingly, nineteen-year-old Wright was stoked his early backhand attack had netted him a big win.

"I'll be taking a lot of confidence into my next heat," Wright said after his win.

"I am just rapt with that heat and really happy to get one over Kelly Slater. There won’t be many chances like that one."

"It has been a long week waiting to surf against Kelly Slater. I have just been relishing it and waiting for it.

"Out there, I just stayed on my own game and really just concentrated on what I was doing. I just got the set waves and surfed them, then the ocean went flat at the end and I kept the win."

The win adds to an impressive list of triumphs in 2009. Wright has so far collected three ASP Pro Junior event wins and the No. 8 spot on the ASP World Qualifying Series.

Current ASP World No. 1, Joel Parkinson, dominated his heat with 2009 ASP Dream Tour rookie Michel Bourez.

Parkinson unleashed a flurry of fluid carves and explosive lip manoeuvres to secure the highest single-wave score of the day, a 9.23, and a lasting memory.

"There is nothing better than coming over the hill for Bells," said Parkinson of his fondness for Bells.

"Especially when you know you have an early morning heat, a low tide, it’s offshore and it is four-to-six foot.

"It has probably only happened two to three times in my career, so I will definitely remember this one for a while."

Mick Fanning was also in excellent form, securing the day’s high heat total (17.16).

"The waves are pumping right now. It is so consistent,” enthused Fanning.

At the end of a huge day, four Round-2 heats remain to be surfed.

Watch Rip Curl Pro 09 daily highlights and event teasers on BigPond TV

Rip Curl Pro - Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 16.00 def. Mick Campbell (AUS) 11.00
Heat 2: Taylor Knox (USA) 16.93 def. Chris Ward (USA) 10.67
Heat 3: Kai Otton (AUS) 12.67 def. Dayyan Neve (AUS) 12.50
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.76 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.66
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.16 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 15.27
Heat 6: Bobby Martinez (USA) 16.40 def. Tim Boal (FRA) 12.50
Heat 7: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.00 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 12.17
Heat 8: Owen Wright (AUS) 14.67 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 13.83
Heat 9: Adam Robertson (AUS) 16.10 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 15.84
Heat 10: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 12.57 def. Jihad Khodr (BRA) 9.67
Heat 11: Drew Courtney (AUS) 16.07 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.60
Heat 12: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 15.60 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.47

Remaining Round 2 Heats:
Heat 13: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)
Heat 14: Tim Reyes (USA) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 15: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Dean Morrison (AUS)
Heat 16: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. David Weare (ZAF)

Rip Curl Pro - ROund 3 Heats:
Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)
Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Bobby Martinez (USA)
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Owen Wright (AUS)
Heat 5: Adam Robertson (AUS) vs. Tom Whitaker (AUS)
Heat 6: Drew Courtney (AUS) vs. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)
Heat 7: TBA
Heat 8: TBA