Coolangatta young gun Jack Freestone is refusing to buy into the hype ahead of his Quiksilver Pro heat against Kelly Slater

YOUNG gun Jack Freestone is getting the silent treatment from Kelly Slater ahead of their Quiksilver Pro heat — and he’s not sure what to make of it.

IT says a lot about the aura of Kelly Slater that his silent treatment can be interpreted as intimidating mind games.

But that’s the odd situation Coolangatta young gun Jack Freestone finds himself trying to comprehend.

Freestone is awaiting one of the most daunting heats of his blossoming career.

The two-time junior world champion will come up against the 11-time world champion in the sudden-death second round when the Quiksilver Pro finally gets under way after five lay days at Snapper Rocks.

The World Surf League’s season-opening contest has been on hold since Saturday due to poor conditions.

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Jack Freestone keeps running into Kelly Slater, but the champ isn’t talking much.

In the meantime, Freestone has been “bumping into” Slater on the streets of southern Gold Coast. It’s like he can’t escape the surfing god he’s about to try to topple.

Many of Slater’s opponents over the years have spoken about the mental games he plays during contests.

But 22-year-old Freestone isn’t letting nerves get to him. He’s adamant being a wildcard in the contest means there’s no pressure on him to perform.

“I’m sweet. I’m a wildcard so I’ve got no pressure on me whatsoever,” he said.

“I’m fine but I keep bumping into him every now and then. Just random places. We keep seeing each other.

Kelly Slater gets in some practice at Snapper Rocks ahead of the Quiksilver Pro. Picture: Scott Fletcher

“He’s actually been really quiet. I don’t know if he’s trying to throw me off. I don’t know if it’s reverse psychology or him being himself.

“It feels weird because there’s so much hype around this heat but I don’t really care to tell you the honest truth.”

Freestone has surfed against Slater once, at Sunset Beach in Hawaii back in 2013.

Slater, now 43, took home the chocolates that day but Freestone believes he’s in a better position to knock the American giant out of this year’s Quiksilver Pro.

“I wasn’t nervous. I was more rattled I had to surf against him at Sunset,” Freestone said. “Every other heat was easy then I looked and saw I had Kelly.

“He ended up beating me but it’s going to be a whole different game here.

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“I’m surfing fine. I feel like I haven’t surfed in a week because there’s been no waves.

“My confidence is really high and I could beat Kelly.”

Freestone finished 19th in last year’s World Qualifying Series, narrowly missing out on a spot on the newly named World Surf League this year.

Organisers will make a call on the contest at 7.30am but they’re running out of time with the men’s and women’s events having to be completed by Wednesday.