Kelly Slater wiped out in WSL cut after Margaret River Pro elimination

Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater faces an uncertain future after becoming the most high-profile victim of the World Surf League championship tour’s mid-season cut.

Slater needed to beat Australian Liam O’Brien in their third-round battle at the Margaret River Pro on Saturday to have any hope of surviving the cut.

Only the top 22 men and top 10 women will make the cut which follows the WA event, and Slater entered it in 26th spot.

World No 21 O’Brien, fighting for his own survival, put the heat on Slater by producing a two-wave total of 15.53. Slater clawed his way back into the contest with a 7.83 ride, and it left him needing a 7.70 to progress.

The 51-year-old took off with 30 seconds remaining in his heat and put together a solid three-manoeuvre ride that had the commentators pondering whether it would be enough. But the judging panel gave Slater a score of 5.77, officially ending his hopes of making the cut.

It might not be the end of Slater on the WSL main tour - and it’s not even necessarily the end of his title hopes for this year.

With two wildcards on offer for each remaining event, Slater has a window to compete and, unlike last year, accumulate points for those results. If he is handed regular wildcards he could still amass enough points to surge into the top five and vie for another world title at the end-of-season finals.

Slater can win back his spot on the main tour for next year by either finishing in the top ten of the second-tier Challenger Series, or receiving a main tour wildcard.

O’Brien thought Slater’s last wave might have been enough to beat him.

“You could hear the whole beach erupt when he finished it off. Luckily I sneaked through,” O’Brien told the WSL broadcast. “He’s such a good