Kelly Slater ASP World Champion 2011

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2011 ASP WORLD CHAMPION ONE MAN: 11 ASP WORLD TITLES

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011

quiksilver pro gold coast, australia

all images Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

snapper

Characteristically coy about his seasonal plans, Slater opened up the season with a victory at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and put the ASP Top 34 on notice: he wasn’t going anywhere.

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

“I’m having a lot of fun. It’s pretty easy. You go out and surf Snapper by yourself, it’s pretty fun. To get to surf a contest is a bonus.” – Slater

© ASP / Stephen Robertson

CHALLENGER 1:

© ASP / Chris Carey

Taj Burrow finished Runner-Up with electric surfing and looked like a real contender this season: “I’m excited about the tour for 2011.” - Burrow

Š ASP / Steve Robertson

bells rip curl pro bells beach, australia

The 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach scored epic waves, but Slater would fall in the Quarters to Brazilian nemesis Adriano de Souza.

Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

© ASP / Stephen Robertson © ASP / Stephen Robertson

“It’s not my day, not my week and that happen choices and you’re not in sync with it, I’m defini

© ASP / Stephen Robertson © ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

ns. For some reason you don’t make the right initely not in the zone this week at all.” – Slater

Joel Parkinson returned from injury to claim the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: “I definitely feel like I’m back. I feel like I’m surfing better than I was back in ’09 before I hurt my ankle.”

– Parkinson

© ASP / Stephen Robertson

© ASP / Stephen Robertson

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

CHALLENGER 2:

rio Billabong Rio Pro Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The maddening crowds and temperamental beachbreaks of Rio de Janeiro would serve Slater his worst result of the year – an Equal 13th.

Š ASP / Kelly Cestari

© ASP / Kelly Cestari

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

“A little left like this is going to play well for goofy footers.” – Slater

Adriano De Souza Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Kelly would ultimately fall to goofy-footer

© ASP / Kelly Cestari © ASP / Kelly Cestari

er Bobby Martinez in Round 3 of competition.

Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Billabong Pro Teahupoo Teahupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia

chopes

After an absence in South Africa, Slater returned to the singlet for the Billabong Pro Teahupoo where a historic swell delivered dramatic moments throughout the event.

all images Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

The surf pumped throughout the entirety Perfect 10s to injured ASP World Title con

y of the event, delivering everything from contenders to landmark tow-in sessions.

Š ASP / Stephen Robertson

CHALLENGER 3: Young Australian Owen Wright had been building momentum throughout the season and announced his intentions over the shallow reef at Teahupoo: “This wave is incredible. I’ve been preparing my whole life to surf at this level.” – Wright

“These are the best conditions this event has ever run in. It’s been a phenomenal week.” – Slater

Š ASP / Stephen Robertson

all images Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

“I thought it was an incredible Final. We both got really good w just happened to find ones that opened up a little better. Con

waves and I felt like I did what I needed to on them. Kelly (Slater) ongrats to him, and hoping I can get him in the next one.� – Wright

l ongb Quiksilver Pro New York Long Island, New York, USA

For the first time in history, the world’s best surfers did battle in New Yo

be ac h

York for a $1 Million Prize Purse… and the surf PUMPED!

© ASP / sean rowland

© ASP / sean rowland

meets the sea.

© ASP / sean rowland

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Where the city…

Š ASP / sean rowland

SLATER LOOKED UNSTOPPABLE… UNTIL HE WAS.

© ASP / sean rowland

“It’s funny, because I get nervous until somebody gets a good ride and then I know what I need to do. I almost enjoy it more when somebody gets a big score because it brings you to a level.

It opens the flood-gates for you.” – Slater

OWEN WRIGHT STOMPS NEW YORK – IGNITES TITLE RACE

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

“I feel like I’m in the hunt. I feel like this is achievable.” – Wright

© ASP / sean rowland

© ASP / sean rowland

all images Š ASP / sean rowland

trestles Hurley Pro Trestles, California, USA

The Hurley Pro at Trestles – the surfing world’s skate park.

Slater roared to life on the Final day, unloading the highest heat-total of competition, 18.40 out of 20 in the Semifinals, and maintained his lethal form throughout the day’s entirety with a consistent display of new-school airs and patented carves to clinch his unprecedented 48th elite ASP World Tour victory and third of the season.

Š ASP / sean rowland

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

THE RECORD

© ASP / sean rowland

Three consecutive events, three consecutive Finals. The Hurley Pro at Trestles is where Kelly Slater and Owen Wright made ASP history.

Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Kelly Slater takes the 2011 Hurley Pro at Trestles.

Owen Wright cements himself as the preeminent challenger.

all images Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Quiksilver Pro France South West Coast, France

hossegor

all images Š ASP / Kelly Cestari

The dreamy beachbreaks of South France can throw everything from pla

ayful ramps to thumping barrels and everything in between.

“I love France. I’ve been coming here for a lot of years and feel really comfortable here.” – Slater

Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Š ASP / Kelly Cestari

Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Despite

looking in-form throughout the event, Slater would fall in the Quarterfinals to a 17-year-old Brazilian

Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

newcomer.

CHALLENGER 4: Newcomer Gabriel Medina, in only his second event as an ASP Top 34 member, scalped the first win of his young career over rookie Julian Wilson: “Just two years ago, I was here competing in the King of the Groms and I won that event and now I’m here in the main event and I’ve won it. It doesn’t seem real.” – Medina

all images Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Julian Wilson Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

supert Rip Curl Pro Peniche, Portugal

In its third year as an elite ASP World Title event, the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Po

tubos Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

ortugal fired off perfect barrels for three consecutive days.

KELLY SLATER WAS NEXT LEVEL “These are the best waves we’ve had on tour all year.”

– Slater

Š ASP / Kelly Cestari

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

With Slater pulling away from the pack, all eyes were on the King to see when (not ‘if’) he would clinch the 2011 ASP World Title.

“Counting Portugal, there are still three events left and a lot of points way towards it but there are still quite a few guys remaining in the hunt

ts so it’s far from over. Obviously another result here would go a long t that are still in the event so we’ll see how it all pans out.” – Slater

© ASP / Kelly Cestari

Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

© ASP / Kelly Cestari

Slater’s South American nemesis from earlier in the season, Adriano de Souza, reared his head once again and emerged as one of the dominant barrel riders in the Supertubos of Peniche.

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

CHALLENGER 5:

© ASP / Kelly Cestari © ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

“Kelly (Slater) has been my hero ever since I h to be competing against him at this level is

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz © ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

heard about surfing. He is a living legend and s more than a dream come true.” – De Souza

Rip Curl Search San Francisco, Usa

Ocean beach

Despite apprehension from the surfing world, Ocean Beach delivered cle

ean rippable barrels for the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco.

Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Š ASP / Kelly Cestari

© ASP / Kelly Cestari © ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Clean weather. Clean Waves. Beautiful City.

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

The Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco

© ASP / Kelly Cestari

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

© ASP / Kelly Cestari

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

THE FIRST CLINCH

© ASP / Kelly Cestari

© ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

In gorgeous conditions at Ocean Beach, Kelly Slater defeated Daniel Ross in Round 3 of competition and was awarded the 2011 ASP World Title.

Despite the perfection of the moment, the victory was short-lived as a calculation error would reveal that the Champ was crowned one heat too early and the champagne was put back on ice.

Š ASP / Kelly Cestari

Š ASP / Kelly Cestari

After the calculation error,

Slater went on to best young Brazilian newcomers Gabriel Medina and Miguel Pupo in Round 4 of competition and officially confirm his 2011 ASP World Title in impressive fashion, lending credence to the claim that Kelly is surfing better than ever.

Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

THE RISING

Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Š ASP / Kelly Cestari

Gabriel Medina, 17, returns to the podium for his second elite tour victory in four attempts as an ASP Top 34 member. Is this the beginning of a paradigm shift in surfing?

Greatest surfer ever.

Greatest athlete ever.

Congratulations

Š ASP / Kirstin Scholtz

Kelly Slater 2011 ASP World Champion