11-time World Surfing League champion Kelly Slater makes an early exit at what could be his final Bells Beach competition

In what could well be the 52-year-olds last competitive event at the famous beach – Slater just lacked the finishing touches needed to take the lead in the round of 32 heat.

The American hasn’t won a trophy at Bells Beach since 2010.

He started fairly well getting some early points on the board but patience proved key with Mamiya getting the better of the waves during the heat.

Slater certainly had chances to get the lead back after Mamiya scored a 6.50 on his fifth and final wave.

The 11-time World Champion tried to pull off some gnarly moves but came unstuck after catching his front side edge on the landing.

With just more than 2 minutes left on the clock Slater had to find 6.18 points to take back the lead and progress through the tournament – despite making a late dash to what looked a promising wave he couldn’t reach it before the final buzzer went.

Slater said the wave got away from him a “little bit”.

“If I made that I probably would have got the score. It wasn’t a great wave but in my mind I was thinking that it would be my better score now but later I’m going to have to better something else but I might as well push this thing as hard as I can,” Slater said after his heat.

“If I didn’t do something big I was going to really have to place two waves maybe.

“I was just a little disconnected from the board.”

It wasn’t a shabby effort from Slater who is surfing with an injured hip that required surgery last year.

The so-called GOAT of men’s surfing has previously said his plan was to retire after the Paris Olympics – should he qualify to represent the USA.

He said earlier this week that this would likely be his last run as a competitor at Bells Beach.

Slater is currently sitting 33rd in the World Surf League, well below the mid-season cut line.

Morgan Cibilic and Ethan Ewing both progressed to the quarter-finals of the men’s competition with strong performances in all-Aussie round of 16 clashes.

Cibilic (13.50) beat Ryan Callinan (12.27) to progress to the final eight where he will face South Africa’s Matthew McGillivray.

Ewing will confront American rookie Cole Houshmand in his quarter-final, after the Queenslander posted one of the highest scoring rides of the day, an 8.50 on his opening wave, in his 15.77 to 14.33 triumph over fellow Australian Liam O’Brien.

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Earlier three-times world champion Gabriel Medina claimed “this is the worst judging I have ever seen” after he was eliminated in the third round by Houshmand.

The winners of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach could be crowned on Easter Sunday with the women’s and men’s competition due to hit the water with a return to Winkipop likely to complete the event.

Local teenage wildcard Ellie Harrison is the sole remaining Australian in the women’s draw.