"Why did you send him out at 54?" → Even after his surfboard shattered into pieces, he captured the world championship... The counterattack of retired 'Seo Ping (황제)'

*This content was translated by AI.

Retired 'Seo Ping (황제)' demonstrated his unchanged skill.

Reuters reported on the 11th (Korean time) that "54-year-old Kelly Slater defeated Brazil's Gabriel Medina at the Tahiti Pro and advanced to the third round."

The Tahiti Pro is one of the events in the Championship Tour, the top tier of the World Surf League (WSL). The 2026 WSL Championship Tour will visit nine countries worldwide and hold 12 competitions; this year's Tahiti Pro is being held at Teahupo'o on the island of Tahiti in August.

Teahupo'o is a world-renowned surfing spot famous for its rough and dangerous waves. It was also the venue for the surfing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

On this stage, Slater once again showcased the dignity of 'Seo Ping (황제)'.

Slater is a living legend who dominated the world surfing scene for a long period, becoming world champion an astounding 11 times during his prime.

But now he is 54, well past his prime. He retired from full-time touring in 2024 and recently underwent hip surgery.

Slater entered this tournament via a wildcard entry. However, some criticism arose regarding the granting of the wildcard due to his age and recent physical condition. Critics argued that instead of an older athlete well over 50, opportunities should be given to younger active competitors.

However, Slater silenced such doubts with his performance.

Reuters stated, "The competition conditions were harsh," adding that "Slater fell heavily on his first attempt amidst dangerous and tricky waves and suffered an even stronger impact on the second wave. Ultimately, his surfboard broke into two pieces."

Despite the crisis, Slater remained unshaken. He rode back onto the board and entered the sea, perfectly executing a long and deep tube ride. The judges awarded him an impressive 9.73 points out of a possible 10.

Slater continued to add high scores afterward, combining his two highest scores for a total of 19.06 points out of 20, thereby defeating Medina.

His opponent was no pushover. Medina is an active top-tier player who has won the world championship three times. Yet, Slater overturned expectations and secured the victory.

After the match, Slater revealed, "I saw the comments people left. Many doubted me or said the wildcard should have gone to another player."

He then emphasized, "Even though so much time has passed, I still have things to prove."

Meanwhile, the highest score of the second round in this tournament was recorded by Griffin Colapinto from California, USA. He received 19.6 points out of 20, among other achievements including a perfect ride scoring 10 points.

Colapinto was born in 1998. Reuters introduced him as "a player born six years after Slater claimed his first world championship title among his 11 world championships."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.