Kelly Slater’s life would appear to be as charmed as it appears to be. Last Friday, impeccably attired and with an impossibly beautiful date by his side, he threw down for some classic surf art at the silent auction of the annual Waterman’s Ball environmental fundraiser in Dana Point, California, and then accepted a lifetime achievement award for his good friend, board shaper Al Merrick; six days later in South Africa he slipped easily through today’s third round of the Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay. Slater, at age 38 and with nine surfing world titles under his belt, is perfectly poised to grab a 10th: He sits in first place of the Association of Surfing Professionals race and holds a significant point edge over number two Jordy Smith.

The contest got off the ground today in flawless six-foot surf, and if anyone can gain ground on Slater this weekend it’s South African Smith, who has been surfing the powerful rights of J-Bay since he was a wee grom. Smith is in just his second year on the pro tour, but has been extremely consistent this year, finishing second at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, fifth in Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, and fifth in the Billabong Pro Tahiti. First place is worth 1,200 points, so even if Smith pulls out a victory, Slater’s safe for now–but there are five events remaining on the world tour.

Slater, as four-time champion at J-Bay, should never be underestimated, even with defending champ Joel Parkinson withdrawing a week ago after suffering one of the nastiest surfing injuries you’ll ever see. Parko was training at Snappers Rock, Australia, when he pulled into a closeout tube. In the rinse cycle that followed, he sliced his heel nearly off. If you want to see the injury, click here for the photo…but it’s so gnarly I didn’t want to show it without warning. You might not want to look if you have a weak stomach. You can read an interview with him about the accident here, and here’s a news report on it.

Forecast for the next few days is good, with solid swell energy bringing more overhead surf to Supertubes. Follow the rest of the comp online at billabongpro.com and take a peek at Smith’s beautiful, smooth style on the wave he calls home:

Tagged as: surfing