Kelly Slater stole the show Saturday at Sunset Beach.

Surfing’s 11-time world champion won in dramatic style over free-surfing phenom Dane Reynolds in the final moments of their round of 64 heat in 4- to 6-foot waves in the Vans World Cup of Surfing.

Slater did it by taking an unusual route — by going left and standing up in a tube at the predominantly right-breaking venue.

"Dane was in the lead and he didn’t have any stress to have to block anyone," Slater said. "I was actually going to go right and then I looked left and then I thought I dropped too low, but that thing just opened up pretty good. It was probably the best left I have ever caught at Sunset.

Slater, who has never won a contest at Sunset, climbed from behind to beat Reynolds 17.37 to 14.00.

"I’d love to win this contest,"  Slater said. "But it would probably be the biggest upset if I won it because I just have this dark cloud over my head at Sunset Beach."

Top seeds Mick Fanning and Michel Bourez were eliminated from the contest, which is the second leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

Defending Triple Crown champion Sebastian Zietz, who placed third at Sunset a year ago, came up with a 16.77 for a heat win Saturday.

"I think luck has a big part to do with it," said Zietz, who grew up on Kauai. "The board I rode today was a 6-5 Channel Islands taco grinder and I just took it out this morning for the first time at Off The Wall and it feels magical.

"(At Sunset) you have to be patient and do mid-faced bottom turns, don’t take to long to do bottom turns and just believe in yourself and do it."

Hawaii’s Fred Patacchia also turned in a big score with a 16.46.

Last week, Patacchia placed second to Bourez in the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa’s Alii Beach Park. With Bourez’s early exit from the event, Patacchia moved to the top of the Triple Crown standings, and his chances got a further boost when the third- (Jeremy Flores) and fourth-place (Dion Atkinson) finishers in the Reef Hawaiian Pro were also eliminated Saturday.

"I am feeling good," Patacchia said. "I was kind of in between boards. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to ride a 6-4 or 6-6 and I just decided to ride more board because as long as I can turn it, it’s no big deal. Out at Sunset, it’s kind of a wave-catching contest sometimes, so I just wanted to make sure I was on them and on them early.

"It’s going to be tough with Michel and also with John John (Florence, who also advanced) out at Pipe (the third leg of the Triple Crown), so I am not really thinking about that stuff (Triple Crown title) just yet. Like I said at Haleiwa, I am just trying to make the quarters at every event to put myself in there as much as I can."

Beyrick De Vries, Wade Carmichael, Carlos Munoz and Krystian Kymerson advanced into the round of 32 and are in contention for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing rookie of the year award.