Santa Barbara’s Bobby Martinez surfed to an equal-fifth place finish on Thursday at the Boost Mobile Pro in San Clemente, losing to eventual champion Kelly Slater in the quarterfinals.
Martinez, who moved up in the season standings into the seventh slot with four contests left, earned a two-wave score of 15.16 against Slater’s 17.16. The result was much better than last year, when Martinez was ousted in the third round at Lower Trestles.
Slater, 36, then proceeded to eliminate world No. 3 Bede Durbidge and No. 2 Taj Burrow in succession on his way to a fifth title this year. Slater can clinch an unprecedented ninth world title if he wins in Hossegor, France at the Quicksilver Pro that starts Sept. 19.
If not, the next event is the Billabong Pro in Mundaka, Spain — an event that Martinez has owned being the two-time defending champion.
Ventura’s Dane Reynolds was also stopped in the quarterfinals this morning. Durbidge defeated the rookie but then fell victim to the Slater grinder himself in the next round.
The event, the only mainland-U.S.A. stop on surfing’s World Championship Tour and often plagued by lack of surf, enjoyed clean, 3-6 ft. waves for the final rounds.
