Slater’s dominant Teahupoo debut highlights gender gap at Tahiti Pro

Kelly Slater’s spectacular opening at Teahupoo stood in stark contrast to the women’s field, which still awaited its first ride in the famed tubes. The 54‑year‑old North‑American’s 9‑point score underscored a dramatic disparity on the same day.

Competing as a wildcard, Slater, a 54‑year‑old Norte‑American, earned a 9‑point rating out of a possible 10 in his heat, marking the most emphatic victory of the opening round. His performance demonstrated that age was no barrier on the challenging Teahupoo reef.

He accumulated 16.23 points from a maximum of 20, comfortably winning heat 4. In the same heat, Hawaiian Eli Hanneman, more than 30 years younger than Slater, managed only 4.53 points, highlighting the veteran’s superiority.

The win secured Slater a place in round 2, where he could meet Brazil’s Gabriel Medina, the current world‑rank 4 and holder of three world titles. This potential clash adds another layer of intrigue to the Tahiti Pro’s seventh stage of the 2026 world circuit.

The inaugural day at Teahupoo was dedicated solely to the men’s competition; the women’s athletes, including Portuguese surfers Kika Veselko and Yolanda Hopkins, were left waiting for their debut in the iconic tubes.

Teahupoo’s reputation was further amplified by its role as the venue for the surfing events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, cementing its status as a premier testing ground for elite surfers.

The event was reported by João Vasco Nunes, who documented the contrasting fortunes of the men’s and women’s divisions on this Saturday.