NORTH SHORE, Hawaii — Surfing legend Kelly Slater earned a perfect score on a wild ride in the Billabong Pipe Masters in Hawaii Wednesday.
The 11-time world champion nailed the ride on a Backdoor barrel in his round of 32 heat:
In his 27th #BillabongPipeMasters, @kellyslater just showed he’s still got it. Perfect 1️⃣0️⃣! #VTCS @billabong1973 pic.twitter.com/cRgN1ZUfvN
— World Surf League (@wsl) December 11, 2019
“That’s the best wave I’ve had out here in a few years, I think, at Backdoor. I kept trying to doggy door the thing and I couldn’t, and I was like, ‘No it’s not going to let me out, it’s not going to let me out!'” Slater told Surfer Today.
“I didn’t take the line I wanted because I was trying to come out earlier, but I just had to keep going and hope the white water didn’t get me before I got out.”
The 47-year-old is trying to make the final spot on the U.S. surfing team in the 2020 Olympics. This is his 27th time at the Pipe Masters.
Read more on the competition here.