Mick Fanning, Kelly Slater and “that one Final heat”. If you were lucky enough to be there to witness it, or if you were watching it online with bated breath, then you know what we’re talking about. It was one of the most spectacular heats ever surfed at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, and maybe one of the most spectacular Finals ever surfed, anywhere.
It’s 2012, and then-2x World Champion Mick Fanning is sharing a Bells Bowl lineup with Kelly Slater, the winningest surfer of all time. The wind is howling, the cliffs are stacked with spectators, the lines are pulsing in and there’s an energy in the air – something incredible is about to happen.
The results of this Final heat was highly contested and talked about in surfing for months to come. But in the end, the numbers don’t lie. So go ahead, click play, watch the Perfect 10s unfold and re-wind to one of the Rip Curl Pro’s most infamous surfing moments.