Former nine-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 1 Kelly Slater has collected his 44th elite tour victory, besting current ASP World No. 2 Jordy Smith to take out the Rip Curl Pro Portugal in glassy 1.5 metre waves.
The 38-year-old American bested his 22-year-old foe to take out the eighth of 10 events on the 2010 World Tour.
Slater struck stealthily in the final, locking in two solid backhand waves in the shifting conditions, and staving off a late charge from the young South African.
En route to an unprecedented 10th ASP World Title, the iconic Floridian moves one step closer to clinching, with a strong possibility of doing so in the upcoming event.
