THE world-tour campaign of Merewether surfer Ryan Callinan's has come to an end for 2023 after being eliminated by Kelly Slater at the Tahiti Pro.
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Callinan, ranked 10th in the championship standings before the last stop of the regular season, rallied late but was unable to catch Slater in the elimination round on Wednesday morning (AEST).
After three straight lay-days, the 31-year-old goofy footer (12.5) posted rides of 5.1 and 7.4 at Teahupo'o but ultimately fell 1.77 short of Slater's two-wave combined total of 14.27.
Of his 15 scores, judges rated 12 and 14 best for Callinan while Slater opened with a 6.67 and followed up later with a 7.6 effort.
Callinan was knocked out shy of the round of 16 alongside fellow Aussie surfers Callum Robson and Connor O'Leary.
The Novocastrian will finish the Tahiti Pro in 17th place and pick up 1330 points, meaning he can no longer qualify for World Surf League's top-five finals in California next month.
He survived the mid-season cut this year, having missed out in 2022, and had already rebooked his spot for 2024.
Callinan's best showing in 2023 was a Bells final at Easter followed by a third at the recent Rio Pro. He was equal ninth on five occasions - Pipeline, Portugal, Margaret River, Surf Ranch Pro and J-Bay.
Aussie world No.8 Jack Robinson ousted countryman Liam O'Brien to reach the quarter-finals when competition continued at Teahupo'o on Wednesday (AEST) while Slater was defeated by Brazilian Yago Dora.
Title frontrunner and 2022 champion Filipe Toledo was beaten by wildcard Mihimana Braye in the round of 16, setting up a clash with Hawaiian Barron Mamiya.
Leonardo Fioravanti (Italy) and Kauli Vaast (France) were among the others to make the men's last eight.
AAP reports: The women's side of the Tahiti Pro - doubling up as a test run for next year's Olympic surfing at the same venue - has already reached the quarter-final stage which features Australians Tyler Wright, Molly Picklum and Stephanie Gilmore.
Eight-time world champion Gilmore is ranked seventh and in danger of not making the end-of-season finals.
She needs a big result in Tahiti to reach the WSL's all-important top five and may get her chance on Thursday (AEST).
Gilmore will take on US surfer Caroline Marks when competition restarts, while world No.2 Wright will surf against Brazil's Tatiana Weston-Webb and Picklum - ranked fourth - challenges US surfer Caitlin Simmers.
IN THE NEWS:
Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
