Eleven time world surfing champion Kelly Slater has stunned the surfing world after landing an amazing 540 aerial during a ‘layday’ at the Moche Rip Curl Pro tour event in Portugal.
The impressive feat is believed to be the first time the move has been caught on video and has been described as “arguably the best air ever made”.
Slater’s efforts even surprised himself, with the sports most decorated athlete remarking, “I was really surprised when I was still on my board. Like ‘Woah, cool, I made it.'”
“I was just going fast and Kolohe was talking about this crazy wind air, so I just hit this close-out and spun as hard as I could and I ended up backwards and I thought, ‘Oh I might make this thing’, and I just spun out and [thought], ‘Oh cool.'”
The incredible feat has drawn comparisons to skating icon, Tony Hawk, landing the first ever documented 900 in 1999.
There is however some conjecture over whether it was a 540 or a 720, as Slater rotated 180 degrees on the landing.
Slater himself, was unable to offer any clarification, “I don’t know, I don’t have a name for it. It’s an aerial.”
The 42 year old veteran is gunning for his 12th World Championship this season – he is currently placed third in the overall rankings.
After winning the tournament in Portugal, Australian Mick Fanning (second place) and Brazilian Gabriel Medina (first place) will battle it out with Slater in December to determine this year’s champion at the final event of the World Tour — the Billabong Pipeline Masters.
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