Farewell Kelly Slater: the 11-time World Champion retires from surfing

The surfing legend Kelly Slater is enjoying the final stages of his professional surfing career, after dominating the world tour for over a decade. The American surfer's legacy will be remembered by many as the individual who revolutionized the sport.

The 52-year-old surfer was already out of the 2024 Paris Olympics after missing out on the qualification. Many Slater fans would have loved to see the veteran surf Tahiti again under the vibrant Olympic aura.

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After falling short in the 2024 Margaret River event, Kelly Slater addressed local WSL reporters, holding his tears back: "This feels like the end." He was swarmed by fans on the beach and carried off in full honors, applauded by fans and fellow competitors.

"It's not all roses, you know? But it's been the best time of my life," shared Slater after falling eliminated to Griffin Colapinto during the round of 32.

Although we have seen Slater hint at an early retirement, his raw competitive nature keeps pushing him forward. Nevertheless, now 52 years old, the veteran surfer is looking to take it down a notch.

"Everything comes to an end. If you don't adapt, you don't survive. My motivation just hasn't quite been there to really put in that 100% that everyone is doing now," shared Slater after his heat.

Kelly Slater has often been regarded as the Michael Jordan of surfing due to his massive impact on the sport and how his fame transcended into something unique. According to Surfer Magazine, he is considered as one of the best surfers of all time.

Kelly Slater was born on February 11, 1972, near Cocoa Beach, Florida. Son of a bait-store proprietor, young Slater would spend a lot of his time in water, or by the sea. He picked up surfing around 5 years old and started shredding in local junior championships.

According to Surfer Magazine, Slater was already dominating championships by the age of 10. In 1984, he won his first major championship title, which launched him straight into the junior amateur champions.

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He entered the world of professional surfing in the 1980s, and he started to garner some reputation for his power-infused style that caught everyone by surprise.

According to Surfer Today, "The 1980s were a pivotal moment for the sport and a time when the first full-time professional surfers realized they could earn a living from traveling and riding some of the world's best waves." That is exactly what Slater had in mind.

Throughout his extensive career in professional surfing, Slater claimed 11 World Championships (1992, 1994-1998, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011), 3 Triple Crowns of Surfing Champions (1995, 1998, 2019), 8 Pipeline Masters Champions (1992, 1994-1996, 1999, 2008, 2013, 2022), according to The Florida Surf Museum.

Furthermore, according to The Encyclopedia of Surfing, the veteran surfer holds a total of 55 WSL wins. No other surfer has ever won so many titles in the history of professional surfing.

Slater also appeared in dozens of surfing films and major TV shows, like 'Baywatch' in the 1990s. He also had relationships with prominent Hollywood figures such as Pamela Anderson.

Throughout Slater's best years, his direct rival was Andy Irons. Both shared a similar surfing profile, with high-frequency maneuvers left and right. Both surfers had great respect for each other, but once their toes are in the water, there is no quarter.

"It's been an incredible lifetime of memories, this is the start of something else, the start of the rest of my life. It's so much emotion... I couldn't quite pull a miracle off this week. I've pulled off a few over the years," shared Slater after falling eliminated during the Margaret River event. Farewell to one of the world's best professional surfers, and thanks for the incredible legacy you left behind.

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