Despite Loss, Slater Clinches First World Championship
Kelly Slater clinched the Assn. of Surfing Professionals’ world title Saturday despite losing his fourth-round heat to Australia’s Tom Carroll at the $120,000 Alternativa Pro at Rio de Janeiro.
Slater, a Cocoa Beach, Fla., native and part-time Huntington Beach resident, earned enough points with his finish to hold off second-place Damien Hardman of Australia, the defending world champion.
Hawaii’s Sunny Garcia, the other title contender, lost in the fourth round to Australia’s Matt Hoy.
Slater, 20, became only the second American to win the world title, joining three-time champion Tom Curren of Santa Barbara. Slater won the 1989 Op junior amateur title at the Huntington Beach Pier and turned pro in 1991. This is his first full season on the world tour.
“I would like to dedicate the championship to myself,” Slater said. “I didn’t expect to win the title this soon in my career, so it is a great feeling. I definitely will be back next year to try and do it again.”
Slater’s consistency led him to the championship. He has won one event on the tour this year--the Rip Curl Pro in France--and has placed second three times and third once.
The Alternativa Pro concludes today, and the tour’s final event, the Marui Pipeline Masters in Hawaii, will be Nov. 27-Dec. 6.
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