Kelly Slater backdoors in the desert, WA

Oh, Kelly! You do please with ease. The champ was unfortunately knocked from the Drug Aware Pro recently, but not before he created webcast art with a bombing right barrel and huge frontside turn in what’d end for him as a 19.50 point heat. Anyhow, on Sunday Mr Slater paddled out at a known West Australian wave and did this.

“I swam out with one of my mates around midday,” says photographer Asher Samelko. “Joel Parko, Kelly, Alex Gray and Laura Enever were already out with a few others. There were long lulls between sets, especially the bigger ones. Alex Gray got the best one by far. But, Kelly backdoored this one from way behind the peak, and I just happened to be in the right place to grab the shot.”