Kelly Slater stuns surfing world with insane mid-barrel recovery

Kelly Slater has left the surfing world in shock after falling from his board inside a barrel, before emerging back on it.

The surfing legend was in action at the season-ending Pipe Masters in Hawaii on Monday when the insane moment occurred.

Slater fell face-first off his board inside a barrelling wave, before going out of sight for a few seconds.

But in a miraculous recovery, Slater got back onto the board while still in the barrel and surfed straight out of it.

He threw his arms up in disbelief as he emerged unscathed, shaking his head at what he’d done.

The incredible scenes had the surfing world in a state of shock.

Wilson keeps world title hopes alive

Surfing’s world title battle is down to two after Julian Wilson and Gabriel Medina won their way into round four.

Queenslander Wilson and series leader Medina both survived tough round-three heats but Felipe Toledo’s championship hopes were dashed by 11-time world champion Slater.

The season is expected to be decided on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) with Wilson crowned world champion if he wins the event and Medina fails to make the final.

Should Medina be eliminated in the quarter-finals or worse Wilson will be world champion if he qualifies for the final.

The fact Wilson is even in contention for his maiden world title is impressive after he ruptured the AC joint in his shoulder in January.

“I feel excited. I’m ready. I feel like my injury and my year’s kind of all coming together at the right time,” the 30-year-old said.

Wilson’s third-round opponent Miguel Pupo had a chance to eliminate the Australian with a wave in the final minute of their showdown but his wipeout allowed the world No.2 to progress.

“I kind of just took all the experience I have and let Pipe’s Backdoor decide my destiny,” Wilson said.

“I just put myself in position, gave myself chances, never gave up.”

Wilson will face veteran countryman Joel Parkinson, in his final event as a full-time competitor, and Yago Dora in the fourth round at Pipeline.

“It’s such a special wave for him (Parkinson) and he’s saying goodbye this year, and I’m hoping to win a world title,” Wilson said.

Brazilian Medina survived a mini-scare of his own to claim a come-from-behind heat win over local Seth Moniz.

Toledo, who went into the event level on points with Wilson, was no match for seven-time Pipe Masters winner Slater in the final heat of the day.

In other third-round heats, Parkinson defeated Kanoa Igarashi to maintain his push for a fourth Triple Crown of Surfing title and fellow Australian Ryan Callinan overcame Italo Ferreira.

Wade Carmichael, Connor O’Leary and Matt Wilkinson were eliminated with the latter losing his spot on the top-tier World Surf League tour.

Revered among the surfing fraternity, the Triple Crown is a series of three events surfed on a trio of Hawaii’s biggest breaks – two on the secondary tour and the third at the championship tour’s finale at Pipeline.

with AAP