How could Slater not go to Rio due to injury, when he almost won the Founders' Cup?

Analysis: The 11-time champion's injuries seem to be settling in based on the CT's next destination


May 13, 2018
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Pictured above: Slater applying pressure to his injured foot, surfing impeccably well during the Founders' Cup. Photo: WSL 

The last wave surfed at the Founders Cup, less than a week ago, was Kelly's. He surfed well! Team USA needed 9,20 and was given a nailed nine. He fell on his last move, an alley oop that he was far from completing, but the rest of the wave was a gem, as were almost all the waves surfed by the king in his castle.

And if there's one thing that's been learned from these exaggerated days of wave pools, it's that Slater's wave pool requires a lot of fitness to ride from start to finish. Every bit of your body needs to be working for you to start and finish a wave in good condition, as the 11-time world champion did.

So how can Kelly say he's not going to Rio because he's injured? In Rio he's going to surf waves that are certainly less demanding, less predictable too, it's true, but certainly waves that will require less physical effort (without discrediting Itaúna or Barrinha who have those tough days).

The WSL press release says Slater did not attend the event due to the foot injury “he has been carrying since JBay,” and does not detail whether it got worse over the past few days, or if it worsened during the pool championship. It does not appear to be the case; on social media, he can be seen in his pool alongside Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, skater Tony Hawk, and skater-snowboarder Shaun White.

And it is the WSL itself, the organisation that sanctions the professional world tour, that shows Slater standing, laughing and hugging his famous friends in what appears to be excellent health.

The thing is, a few days before the Founders Cup, the 11-time champion told BeachGrit that his foot was feeling better, that he was feeling a “little discomfort,” but that he was not planning on surfing on the tour until the Jeffreys Bay leg that takes place between July 2 and 13.

This is the third consecutive year that Kelly has not been to Brazil. In 2017, he missed the event due to injury and in 2016, he decided to pay the fine. Apparently, at that time, they were concerned about the quality of the water.

The WSL rulebook in Article 17 says that surfers are required to be present at all events, and that absences due to exceptional circumstances “including injury or pregnancy” can be considered by the commissioner’s office and a medical certificate must be submitted for review by the WSL doctor.

In its article 178, the rule book establishes sanctions of between $12.500 and $50.000 for missing CT events in different scenarios.

The WSL does not seem to doubt Slater's faith, quite the opposite.

The obvious question is what would happen if an X surfer who is seen surfing perfectly well decides to miss an event because he says he is injured. Would the WSL rule book apply in that case?

Founders Cup oi river pro kelly's pool Slater WSL