Which 49-Year-Old 11x World Champ Just Confirmed He’ll Compete In Lemoore Next Week?

Kelly Slater has confirmed that he will be surfing in the Surf Ranch Pro come June 18. As you may recall, The GOAT pulled out of the Australian leg of the Tour due to the foot injury he sustained in South Africa in 2017.

“I’ve been struggling with recent and ongoing injuries in both ankles since the Pipe Masters event, and I had a separate injury in my right hip (and maybe previously broken foot) this past week which has left me unable to surf,” Slater said in early March of 2021.

It also seems that Kelly has a trick or two up his competitive wizard’s sleeve for the event, which just so happens to be on his own pasture. According to the WSL:

He’s also been using his time away from the Tour to develop equipment tailor-made for the freshwater environment.

“We’re working with Kelly Slater on a design for the Surf Ranch. Nailing the design, fin placement, and construction is key when trying to find the right load and spring, which equates to the lively flex for that extra pop to translate into a feeling,” shaper Akila Aipa explained in an Instagram post.

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And in case the daily roster changes this week have been hard to follow, here’s an updated list of the adjustments.

Men

Mikey Wright will replace Kolohe Andino (ankle injury)

Liam O’Brien will replace John John Florence (knee injury)

Lucas Vicente will replace Jordy Smith (knee injury)

Pat Gudauskas will replace Julian Wilson (allergic to freshwater)

Eli Hanneman will replace Michael Bourez (neck injury)

Wildcards: Nat Young and Michael Dunphy

Women

Amuro Tsuzuki will replace Lakey Peterson (back injury)

Alyssa Spencer will replace Bronte Macaulay

Coco Ho will replace Macy Callaghan

Caitlin Simmers will replace Tyler Wright

Hey CT surfers, could you please stop getting injured and pulling out of the Lemoore event? Just surf that artificial wave as mother nature intended. And, please, say no to plastic straws.

Check out the full WSL Press release here.