There will be no GOAT sighting in Fiji. Photo: Hannah Anderson//WSL
After Kelly Slater’s more-than-memorable three-heat performance at the Tahiti Pro, it only made sense to allow him to bend the laws of physics for middle-aged men once again. But there will be no encore. The World Surf League released the heat draw for the upcoming Fiji Pro, and Slater’s name is absent.
Instead, the WSL awarded a men’s wildcard to the junior champ Jarvis Earle, who will make his second Championship Tour appearance after competing at Margaret River in 2023. The other men’s wildcard went to local trials winner Teo Degei.
It’s unclear whether the WSL offered Slater a spot. The league didn’t immediately respond to our request for comment.
Given that Outerknown, the brand Slater co-founded, sponsored the Tahiti Pro, it appears that the 11-time world champ contractually had the option to enter the event — not to mention that he loves the wave. That turned out to be a win-win for everyone. Last year, Slater similarly entered the Trestles event when Outerknown was a sponsor.
While Outerknown was the title sponsor of the Fiji Pro in 2017, this year the event doesn’t feature a partner at that level.
So, barring any last-minute changes, we’ll have to live without Slater at the Fiji Pro. We’ll survive, but after what we saw in Tahiti, I don’t think anyone would have complained about extending the 54-year-old another invitation.
