Kelly Slater Misses Mid-Season WSL Cut, What Does This Mean For Next Season?

51-year-old Kelly Slater has been cut from the 2023 WSL Championship Tour.

Like it or not the WSL mid-season cut is inevitable. When the World Surf League first introduced the idea of a mid-season cut, many fans and athletes were upset. This means that some of your favorite surfers will be going home in mid-April. Now one of the biggest names in the sport is one of the ones going home and could have his Olympic hopes in jeopardy.

Kelly Slater lost his Western Australia Margaret River Pro in the Round of 32 match against Liam O’Brien. O’Brien knocked off the 11-time World Champion and sent him packing.

https://twitter.com/wsl/status/1649652297826439169

The WSL Championship tour is slated to return to Slater’s home turf in Lemoore, California at The Surf Ranch. Slater missing out on this event is a shame, but he has the opportunity to return at any time as a guest surfer, or wildcard.

Kelly Slater’s 2024 Olympic Hopes Are In Jeopardy

In addition to missing out on the rest of the 2023 season, and possibly the 2024 season, Slater was in the running for a slot on the United States Olympic team. Surfing will return to the Summer Olympic Games in 2024  at Teahupo’o in Tahiti. This mid-season cut makes his chances of making the Olympic roster that much harder. However, there may be a chance if the WSL brings Slater back for any events going forward. As for Slater, he is staying positive in defeat.

“Plans for the future? I want to get really barreled, there’s a big wave,” he said after his losing match “We’ll see how things turn out.”

When asked about his chances is returning next month at The Surf Ranch, he replied, “I know a guy.”

If this is perhaps the last time fans will see Slater put on his board shorts in a competitive setting then they will be saddened to know that he went out like this but will hopefully remember all the good times he had over his 30+ year competitive career.