The final day of the Quiksilver Pro France saw groomed overhead peaks exploding in picturesque fashion at La Graviere. Three of the final four competitors were legitimate title contenders coming into the event, sitting two, three and four in the rankings before Friday’s exchange. Translation: the winner would have all the momentum going into the final three events of the season.

The climactic showdown saw the world’s best competitive surfer, reigning 11-time world champion Kelly Slater, surfing for his 51st career victory against the world’s best quasi free-surfer, Dane Reynolds, who famously has never won a pro event–ever.

The matchup was a dream come true for fans of the sport, and neither surfer disappointed. In the end it was Slater who could not be stopped, taking a comfortable victory in the final, though both surfers shared some great tube rides.

Despite the third place finish and zero wins this season, Joel Parkinson will assume the top spot on the world rankings after this event.

Former front-runner Mick Fanning’s early exit not only opened the door for the rest of the field, but it also marks his second of two ‘throw-away’ results, leaving Parkinson as not only the title leader but also the only contender with any sort of safety cushion, a ninth place in Fiji being his only bad result of the entire season. Kelly now sits in second, trailing Joel by a mere 750 points.

The tour now heads a couple thousand kilometers southwest to Portugal’s Supertubos for the Rip Curl Pro, event number eight of 10 that will begin Oct. 10.