Kelly Slater knows Fiji well. He knows competition well. He’s a good guy to talk to about a contest in Fiji. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
The Lexus WSL Finals in Fiji are just around the corner. The window opens on September 1, and with any luck, the event will run at one of the best lefts in the world: Cloudbreak. With a little less luck, Restaurants will play host to the five men and five women. Kelly Slater is a man who’s known great success at just about every wave that’s ever been on tour, and in this video from the WSL, he breaks it all down.
The format has changed, which might feel a bit confusing. After the WSL came under new management last year, it was fairly obvious to those watching that the controversial final five format would be scrapped for 2026. Then came a press release that announced changes to the format for the Finals in Fiji.
“The updates are aimed at giving the top-seeded surfer an advantage in the final five event,” wrote Cooper Gegan. “The most significant change is that, if the number one seed wins the first heat of the best-of-three World Title match, they will win outright — no second or third heat needed. In addition, the top-seeded surfer in all will start with priority in every match.”
Slater didn’t become the GOAT of surfing by only surfing well. He did that, definitely, but he also knows the ins and outs of competition — of using the rules to his advantage and playing the smart, long game. He’s no longer on tour, but that certainly doesn’t mean the GOAT doesn’t have some insight.
