There's been a lot of chatter in and around the Championship Tour the past couple weeks about "poking the bear." Mainly involving the ramifications for the rest of the Top 34 if a freshly focused Kelly Slater has truly found the motivation to push for a 12th World Title. If Slater's body language in and out of the water at North Point is any indication, the man's got the eye of the tiger. In his Round One, Heat 1 surf against Mick Fanning (again in Round One!) and Leo Fioravanti, he was bopping around the North Point lineup like a grommie who'd had too many Tam Tams for breaky, catching three waves, one at each distinct takeoff spot on the reef. Unfortunately, due to a rising, southerly swell and a full tide, he wasn't able to fully express himself in the inconsistent conditions, early only mid-range scores for his efforts. But he did pack a couple nice throaty tubes and gets to skip the dreaded Round Two.
