Healthy Kelly Slater Surges To Claim Fiji Event

By  //  June 12, 2012

Victorious Again

(VIDEO: )

BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA – Apparently Kelly Slater’s injured left heel is feeling much better.

Kelly Slater returned from an injury to take first place in the Volcom Fiji Pro event at Tavura on Monday. (Image courtesy ASP)

Slater of Cocoa Beach, 40, an 11-time world surfing champion who was inducted into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame last month, returned to the winner’s circle Monday taking first place in the ASP World Championship Tour in Fiji.

It was Slater’s return to competition after having to skip an event in Brazil in May because of a bad cut he sustained in competition earlier this year.

His victory over Brazilian Gabriel Medina in the Volcom Fiji Pro event at Tavura boosted Slater back into title contention as he accumulated enough points to jump from eighth place overall in the ASP standings to second.

The win also was Slater’s 49 tour victory in a career spanning more than two decades.

Australia’s Mick Fanning leads Slater in the world championship point standings 24,750  to 23,700 after Fanning finished third in Fiki.

The next ASP Tour event is the Billabong Pro to be held at Teahupoo, Tahiti in August.