VIDEO: Kelly Slater's 9.4-Point BOMB in Tahiti Yesterday... & He Nearly Gets Clobbered by Stray Surfboard

This video shows 42-year-old Kelly Slater’s 9.4-point ride at Teahupo’o, Tahiti yesterday. The guy is 42 and is the best surfer in the world right now. He’s won 11 world titles. No one else has won more than 3. He’s the younger surfer to ever win the world title. He’s the oldest surfer to win ever win a world title. He’s good at surfing. He’s won this event 5 times.

Slater is currently ranked 6th in the world. If he wins in Tahiti, he’ll likely be back up to #1.

Kelly Slater on a bomb today at Teahupoo, Tahiti that got him a 9.4. — Kelly Slater on a bomb yesterday at Teahupoo, Tahiti that got him a 9.4. photo: ASP/Kristin Scholtz

Kelly Slater nearly getting taken out by another surfer's board... close one. He still gets a 9.4. photo: ASP/Kristian Scholtz — Kelly Slater nearly getting taken out by another surfer’s board… close one. He still gets a 9.4. photo: ASP/Kristian Scholtz

ABOUT TEAHUPO’O

Teahupo’o literally translates to “to severe the head” or “place of skulls” in Fijian. That right there is a strong introduction into the type of wave Teahupo’o is. And the name feels appropriate.

A bomb today at Teahupoo, Tahiti. — A bomb yesterday at Teahupoo, Tahiti. photo: ASP/ Kristin Scholtz

Teahupo’o is a bizarre ‘below-sea-level’ wave where the lip ends up looking like the entire ocean is above you. It’s an enormous tube and the lip can actually can be about 20 feet thick. This hasn’t been well documented, but we’d be surprised if any other wave has as large a lip thickness to wave height ratio.