If Kelly Slater wants to advance in the Tahiti Pro, he’ll have to get out of round one and then past Gabriel Medina in round two. Photo: Ed Sloane//WSL
Kelly Slater hasn’t competed in over a year. But after he received a wildcard for the Tahiti Pro, he will get his first taste of the WSL’s new elimination format. If the 54-year-old, who’s recovering from hip surgery, has any lingering competition rust, it could be a quick trip to Tahiti.
The lack of a non-elimination round, part of the WSL’s format overhaul in 2026, means there will be no heats for the GOAT to warm up. A handful of surfers on tour have been struggling with the do-or-die nature of the tour. Rookie Oscar Berry, for example, has lost all six of his first-round heats this season. Several others — on the men’s and women’s sides — only have a couple heat wins to their name. Even though Slater’s five Teahupo’o wins make him as experienced as anyone in Tahiti, he’ll have to bring his A Game from the start.
As the event wildcard, Slater got slotted into round one for the lowest-seeded surfers, where he’ll face Eli Hanneman. Hanneman is among those surfers who haven’t found his footing in 2026. He’s ranked 29th on the tour. But Hanneman, hungry to move up in the rankings into a requalification position, has every incentive to fight tooth and nail to turn his season around. Slater is just surfing for fun.
If Slater comes out swinging and fends off the 23-year-old Hawaiian, an in-form Gabriel Medina awaits in round two. Unlike Hanneman, who has never competed in a CT event at Teahupo’o, Medina knows every inch of the reef. He’s won the event twice and made the finals six times, not to mention earning an Olympic bronze medal at the 2024 Games.
Medina is sitting fourth in the overall rankings, eyeing a run at his fourth world title. He’s coming off a disappointing 17th place in Brazil and will surely do everything in his power to not lose his first heat again. If he gets past Medina, he’ll likely face Jack Robinson, the reigning champ at Teahupo’o.
In the WSL’s press release, Slater said he’s “hoping for great conditions in Tahiti to give us all a good challenge.” Huge Teahupo’o may be the equalizer for a chance to advance past Hanneman and Medina. Slater will be hoping for big barrels, where he can still hang with the best of them.
