Kelly Slater whirled like the proverbial dervish during last weeks swell on the East Coast. All except for one, that is, and he had good reason to be blase about the royal visit. Steen Barnes was in hospital celebrating the arrival of his first born son, Gwil Maxwell Barnes, when the east swell hit. On Thursday he took a lunchtime leave pass and with camera in tow he headed for the coast.

Surfing's own Superhero threaded a few tricky pits during a fly-in fly-out session at the Botany Bay reefbreak during the recent run of swell in Sydney. Grant Trouvile was on hand to film three of his waves.//STUART NETTLE

Kelly Slater...39-years-old...46 tour wins...10 world titles...who is he competing against? Read The Outsider's view here. All photos by Alex Ormerod.//STUART NETTLE

Day 4 had everything a keen viewer wants to see in sports performance: iffy judging, cruel tactics, and through-the-roof surfing. Read the The Outsider's take on a memorable day here. All photos by Alex Ormerod.//STUART NETTLE

The Quik Pro Quarters ran this morning in a rising tide on the Snapper bank.