An emotional Kelly Slater has teased at immediate retirement after winning an eighth Pipeline crown -- 30 years after his first and just days before his 50th birthday.
The 11-time world champion dominated the Billabong Pro Pipeline decider to write arguably his greatest -- and possibly final -- chapter at the famous surf break in Hawaii.
Slater's scores of nine and 9.77 in a near-perfect 18.77 heat ensured he had the breathing space to beat 24-year-old local Seth Moniz (12.53).
A 56th top-level win was Slater's first since Tahiti 2016 and capped a wild campaign on the famous North Shore break that included an incredible buzzer-beating barrel to reach the quarter-finals.
Slater also relied on an interference penalty on semi-final rival Miguel Pupo to stay alive earlier on finals day.
The win came after several injury-plagued years and days before Slater's 50th birthday on February 11.
It came against Moniz, who was born the year Slater won his fifth world title, and whose father Tony was a former rival and long-time mentor of the Californian.
"This is the best win of my life," a tearful Slater said.
"I don't know how many more of these are going to happen, this honestly might be it.
"I might not show up to Sunset (the next CT event in Hawaii), I'm not sure yet.
"I will have to have a little talk to myself."
Slater toyed with Moniz in the early stages of their final before finding his way through two deep barrels, scoring nine and 8.17-point rides to set the bar high.
Moniz, the youngest sibling of one of Hawaii's great surfing families, replied when he somehow pushed through a heavy, breaking barrel to send his fanbase on the beach into a frenzy.
A stumble as he emerged cost him though, judges marking him down to effectively snuff out hopes of a comeback.
Slater and Moniz did trade huge, late-dropping barrels for scores of 9.77 and 9.43 respectively with their final waves, to cap off a spectacular day of action.
"I've worked my life for this wave, since I was 12 years old ... got pinned on the bottom and thought 'man, I love that place'," he said.
"It's given me all my favourite memories, the most pleasure in my life."
Talk of retirement, something Slater did briefly in 1998, comes with him holding an early lead in the quest for a 12th world title and reigning champion Gabriel Medina off the tour indefinitely for personal reasons.
But if he does choose to continue Slater could hit a stumbling block when the WSL arrives in Australia in April.
An outspoken critic of mandatory vaccination, Australian officials have made clear there will be no exemptions given to the surfing great to compete at Bells Beach and Margaret River.
Australian Tyler Wright will gun for back-to-back wins in Hawaii when the women's semi-finals begin as early as Monday.
Wright won when the Maui Pro was moved to the North Shore mid-event in 2021, with this year marking the first time the women have surfed at the same break as the men from the outset.
The two-time world champion was made to wait when officials opted to pause competition due to inconsistent wind after Slater's victory.
Wright will face dangerous local wildcard wildcard Moana Jones Wong, while reigning world champion Carissa Moore will surf against Lakey Peterson for a spot in the final.
