Kelly Slater was out in the last quarter final held as the sun set into the ocean and reveled in the conditions, virtually surfing the perfect heat against the current Pipeline Master, Kieren Perrow. Slater racked up a 10-point ride for one long deep barrel and backed it up with another for a 9.93.

"The waves were so good that literally both guys could have scored two 10's out there," said Slater back on the beach. "There are so many good waves. (Laughing) I was throwing away scores that were better than I've had all contest. It was pumping out there for the last two heats -- the color of the sky, the winds, the tide, the current sort of stopped, the open barrels ... it was perfect."

When told that Parkinson had described conditions as 'a dream' Slater agreed. "The conditions this afternoon are what you dream about when you come to France. You tell people how the waves are here and they go, 'There are waves in France?' and you see it like this and it's some of the best beach breaks in the world."

Slater's heat was run after the sun had gone down and the beach commentators even got the crowd lining the shore to hold up their cell phones to try and light the waves, which turned out to look like some 80s arena rock show.

"I didn't want to come in. It was so good but I hurt my neck (in his round 5 heat) a little earlier so I thought I'd best come in." Slater had hit the bottom during his heat against Adrian Buchan.

"Basically, I got knocked out in my last heat and was completely disorientated," he explained, "I hit the bottom and felt like I'd taken a big hit in the temple. I went over the falls and slammed my head into the bottom and I was kind of unconscious for a few seconds and came up and didn't know where I was."

When I asked if he thought there was any permanent damage, such as a busted eardrum, he laughed and joked saying, "You never know, I've got lots of permanent damage..."

Damage or a knockout blow aside, Slater certainly figured out where he was by the way he surfed his quarterfinal, threading one draining beast after another.

It looks like the event finish tomorrow and the semi final match ups are a promoter's 'dream.' John John Florence will square off against event wild card Dane Reynolds. Then, two world title contenders, Parkinson and Slater, who will go head-to-head in a repeat of the Trestles final just weeks ago. It could wrap up in the morning and regardless of who wins, the 2012 world title race got just tighter.