Perth, Aug 11: Kelly Slater delivered one of the standout performances of the day at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA, defeating three-time World Champion Gabriel Medina in a heavyweight Round Two matchup on the third day of competition at Teahupo’o. The 54-year-old Event Wildcard posted a near-perfect 19.06 heat total out of a possible 20, marking his best result at the venue since his last event victory there in 2016.
The clash got off to a rocky start for Slater, who fell on several waves before finally locking in a 7.00. He then found his rhythm, delivering back-to-back barrels scored in the 9-point range, including a 9.73 that put Medina in a combination situation. Medina fought back with a 7.67 and then an 8.43 in the closing minutes, but ran out of time needing two fresh scores to overtake the American.
The win was just Slater’s third over Medina in 11 career matchups, and carried extra significance given their only previous meeting at Teahupo’o came in the 2014 final, which Medina won. Slater will face defending event champion and Olympic Silver Medalist Jack Robinson of Australia in Round Three.
Elsewhere at Teahupo’o, Griffin Colapinto of the United States produced the standout ride of the season, and arguably of his career, landing a Perfect 10-point wave against Indonesia’s Rio Waida. The 28-year-old backed it up with a 9.60 on a second big wave under priority, finishing with a near-perfect 19.60 two-wave total — the highest of his eight-year Championship Tour career.
Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam delivered one of the more emotional stories of the round, defeating close friend and current World No. 1 Leonardo Fioravanti of Italy. Boukhiam, ranked near the bottom of the standings coming into the event, converted one of the biggest and most challenging waves of the morning into an 8.17, combining it with a 7.50 for a 15.67 total.
In an all-Australian showdown, defending event winner Jack Robinson overcame Callum Robson in a high-scoring battle. Robson opened strongly with a 9.57, but Robinson answered with a 9.70 of his own. The pair later shared a wave under contested priority, with Robinson converting his backup ride into an 8.50 to seal an 18.20 to 17.40 victory.
Brazil’s Joao Chianca also impressed, edging out Australia’s Morgan Cibilic in a tightly fought heat that included a 9.50-point ride for Chianca and an 8.73 response from Cibilic. Chianca’s consistency, backed by an 8.33 second score, gave him a 17.83 heat total and passage into Round Three despite an injury sustained earlier in the event.
Other Australians progressed as well, with Ethan Ewing defeating countryman Joel Vaughan after finding a flaring barrel, while George Pittar earned an 8.33 to eliminate Cole Houshmand of the United States. Former event champions Italo Ferreira and Miguel Pupo, both of Brazil, also advanced with heat wins over 2026 Rookies Luke Thompson and Mateus Herdy.
Brazilian veteran Alejo Muniz closed out his final Teahupo’o appearance with a win over Kanoa Igarashi of Japan, securing his best-ever result at the event.
With Men’s Round Two complete, Round Three matchups are set, featuring Kauli Vaast against Alan Cleland, Seth Moniz against Barron Mamiya, and Connor O’Leary against Italo Ferreira, among others. Slater’s clash with Robinson and Colapinto’s meeting with Pupo headline the remaining fixtures.
The Women’s Round One draw has also been finalised, pitting Sally Fitzgibbons against Anat Lelior, Stephanie Gilmore against Yolanda Hopkins, and defending standouts Tyler Wright and Brisa Hennessy among the notable matchups to watch as the women’s draw gets underway.
Conditions at Teahupo’o remained heavy throughout the day, with trade winds ruffling swell in the eight-to-ten-foot range, producing four of the season’s top-10 heat totals, including the two highest scores of the year from Slater and Colapinto.
The next call for competition is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11 at 7:00 a.m. Tahiti time, with a possible 7:35 a.m. start.
The Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA runs within a competition window from August 8 to 18, forming Stop No. 7 of the 2026 World Surf League Championship Tour.
Watch live at WorldSurfLeague.com.
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