By Kelly Slater standards, a two-and-a-half-year winless streak is a lifetime. Some began to wonder if King Kelly would ever find the CT winner's circle again. Well, he silenced his doubters on Tuesday, earning career win No. 55 at Teahupo'o. It was his first trip to the top of the podium since 2013 at Pipeline, where he beat heir apparent John John Florence. Slater's latest victory over John John is even more meaningful, as Florence has just ascended to the top of the Jeep Leaderboard. Not surprisingly, this one matters to Kelly. In his post heat interview he admitted, "This is for sure one of the best wins I've ever had."
