I have well and truly moved beyond admiring and worshipping sportsmen. Still, after watching the engrossing final day of the Billabong Pro Tahiti, I was once again reminded of how cool it would be to be Kelly Slater.
Held in frightening yet perfect conditions at the famed Teahupo’o break (Tahitian translation: place of skulls), the event was described by Slater as the best world tour event ever.
Quite the wrap considering the man joined the tour in 1990 and has won 56 events and 11 world titles (7 ahead of nearest rival Mark Richards).
Slater went down by 18.96 to 18.93 (out of 20) in the final to young gun Gabriel Medina, who wasn’t even born when slater won his first world title in 1992.
It was engrossing viewing, with Slater heaping praise on the young winner on his Facebook page after the event.
Slater came desperately close to scoring the elusive perfect 20 (two perfect ten waves), falling just as he was about to exit an absolute beast of a wave.
At 42 years of age some people might ask why Slater doesn’t retire. Well he’s sitting second on rankings at the hallway stage of the 2014 tour and is one of those rare competitors who needs the challenge of competition.
He actually quit the tour way back in the 1990s after six titles in seven years and did not comeback until the late Andy Irons emerged as a big threat. Also, who would tire of a tour that begins with three events in Australia (Gold Coast, Bells Beach and Margaret River) before heading to Rio, a private island in Fiji, South Africa, before this week’s event in Tahiti?
To finish the year they head to Southern California, the beaches of France and Portugal, before the surfing mecca that is the North Shore of Oahu and the infamous Banzai Pipeline.
I can’t think of a more idyllic list of places that any other sports visit annually.
Surf film-making trips to places like the Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Sri Lanka, Reunion Island to earn sponsorship dollars are held during breaks from competition.
Obviously keeping up with the young guns on tour is easier when living a clean and healthy lifestyle like Slater. Training by simply going surfing must make things less strenuous to stay in top shape.
Such a glamorous lifestyle also leads to attracting some very high-profile partners, with Slater being involved with the likes of Cameron Diaz, Pamela Anderson and Gisele Bundchen over the years.
The buxom blonde Anderson and Slater became an item during his infamous eight-episode stint as ‘Jimmy Slades’ on Baywatch in 1993, an experience that still makes Slater cringe some 20 years later.
He’s a talented musician, having performed live in concert with acts the calibre of Pearl Jam and Ben Harper. He is an accomplished golfer, playing off a handicap of +2. Most interestingly, he also completed a Masters in criminal law from the University of Sydney.
Due to his remarkable longevity and the sheer number of event wins and world titles, Slater gets a seat at the table when discussions of world’s greatest sportsman occurs. I find it hard to put him up top, mainly due to the fact that surfing is not one of the world’s biggest sports and he has less competition due to the fact that most of the world don’t have the pleasure of living close to a surfable ocean. (Slater himself honed his skills in Florida, hardly the hotbed of international surfing talent).
If he’s not the greatest sportsmen in the world he holds the title of ‘Coolest career in sports history’.
Saying that, if it’s either of the Aussies Joel Parkinson or Mick Fanning up against Kelly Slater for the world title later this year, I’ll be cheering for one of the Coolangatta Kids.
Rui
Guest
What an interesting article!
Johnno
Guest
Bo Jackson, also was state champion in high school in Triple jump,high jump and pole vault. Was excellent at track and field, could of been a top class heptathlete.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
despite surfing for 36 years I couldn't care less about pro surfing but if I could have Slater's life (and ability) I would learn to love it :)
Pat Malone
Guest
Agree about Bo Jackson, there's an excellent espn doco about him. An absolute freak
Johnno
Guest
Joe Warne is considered the best spin bowler ever. And in many people's view the best bowler ever pace/or spin. Warne made the 5 Wisden cricketer's of the century list. Bradman,Sobers,Viv Richards,Shane Warne,Jack Hobbs, so Warne sure could play. Put it this way Warne if he were measured in NFL greatness,would be the same rank as Joe Montana.
Joe
Guest
Jerry Rice is 100 times better athlete than Shane Warne so that's not even a debate As far as better in their respective sport, Rice is without argument the greatest at his position ever. And many say he's the best player ever to play in the NFL with so many records that will never be broken I don't follow cricket as much as I used to when I was a kid, I know Warne was a great player also im not sure he is considered the best player ever though? As for car racing, a lot if it depends on your car.If you have a superior car, you should win.Your athletic ability has nothing to do with it Putting a car driver in the same category as guys who are elite athletes that can run 4.4 forties or have a 38 inch vertical leap, its an insult.
JJ
Guest
Bo Jackson is 100% the GOAT. Glad other people recognize as well - not just for his incredible physical gifts but his hand eye coordination. However what separates him is his mystique. If you haven't, absolutely watch this ... If I have a son one day, Vincent/Bo gets my vote. Ps Jim Thorpe possibly ranks as number 2. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cIqtDykn0l0
JJ
Guest
Bo Jackson is 100% the GOAT. Glad other people recognize as well - not just for his incredible physical gifts but his hand eye coordinati
BennO
Guest
There's an interesting article over at swellnet, discussing online viewing numbers for the asp contests so far this year. As much as 30% jump in viewers when Slater is in the water. http://www.swellnet.com/news/surfpolitik/2014/08/27/asp-its-whos-watching-part-2 It will be poorer when he retires both figuratively and literally!
Rusty
Roar Guru
The guy is a complete and utter legend. At 42 he is also still the most innovative surfer on the planet. No other brings as much variation to the way they approach each wave in competition. I also used to view him as a bit of a competitive and souless cyborg but over the last 5 years or so he has really warmed and grown on me. So much so that I was willing him to win at Tahiti and at Pipe last year. Lets hope he keeps in the game - it will be way poorer when he finishes up
rayray
Guest
thanks for slater link nominating bradman... cricket pitches may be the only other sport where conditions get close to the variations surfers face plus an extra gold star for an american...nominating an australian...cricketer...too cool for words!
Johnno
Guest
You idiot Joe. You saying F1 is not a real sport, what are you on? Car racing is a legitimate sport, you clown. Im talking sports, not how much you can bench press. Sport is a game not just pure athletic ability. And being a top F1 driver requires alot of endurance, they are extremely fit athletes, who spend hours in the gym, F1 is a highly exhausting sport, they sweat alot. Like to see you drive a 300k/m car around for 90minutes, at extreme pressure,Joe. He won 7 F1 titles. Im talking sport, not pure athletic ability. Jerry Rice has more ATHLETIC ability than Shane Warne, but Warney is greater in his chosen sport, as great as Jerry Rice was. Sport is a game, not a pure measurement of athletic ability.
BennO
Guest
I'm with you mate. The playing "field" is different every hour and yet he's dominated for over 20 years. Incredible.
Joe
Guest
This maybe the dumbest list of best athletes ever ive seen. Schumacher.? A car driver in your best ever athletes? John Elway is arguably the greatest QB in NFL history & was also drafted in the 2nd Round of the 1981 MLB draft by the Yankees, he's not a better athlete than a car racing guy or a surfer? And Deion Sanders, same thing. One of the best DB's in NFL history & very good MLB player also. Both those guys are 2 of the best all around athletes ever.
rayray
Guest
as a wannabe surfer, slater is my lay down misere for g.o.a.t...in all sports and for one simple reason slaters "performance canvas", is the ocean, an ever changing undulating tempestuous mistress... should an athletics track/football field/basketball court/boxing ring et al emulate the vagaries of the ocean, then the other sports come into consideration my 2 ducats worth
Johnno
Guest
-Bo Jackson was also a very talented sprinter. His acceleration over 40m is still the best ever in the NFL. He was timed at 4.12 seconds, comparable with Olympic sprinters back in his day in the 80's and 90's. Injuries meant he couldn't achieve as much, but he still did achieve alot in both sports. He was an All-Star in both baseball and gridiron. -Carl Lewis was also drafted by both the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL, and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA, so he was multi-talented at many sports. -Danny Ainge the basketball player also had a MLB baseball career, and an NBA career, and Dion Sanders of course. -Boxing for me is very hard to rate as there are so many weight divisions, so not gonna add any boxers to the list eg Ali,Mayweather,Klitschko brothers,Lennox Lewis,Holyfield,Frazier,Tyson,Pacquio,and many others.
Johnno
Guest
One of greats ever in sport. Im gonna keep it simple, and try and work out top 10-20 best ever sportsmen 1950-2014 1)Bo Jackson 2)Carl Lewis 3)Pele 4)Wayne Gretzky 5)Micheal Jordan 6)Kelly Slater 7)Sergi Bubka 8)Maradonna 9)Tiger Woods 10)Nadal 11)Michael Phelps 12)Mark Spitz 13)Magic Johnson 14)Larry Bird 15)Schumacher PS- Before some say Gretzky ahead of Michael Jordan, what, you really need to look at some of the stats, of Gretzky there white-chocolate high. -8 times NHL MVP in a ROW. Yep 8 straight, wow. Think st George dragons 11 times in a row. Try being the Dally M, medal winner 8 time straight in the NRL. He was NHL MVP 9 times, in total. Has all sorts of scoring records, and played in a time when Ice Hockey was far more physical than it is today,and still did so well, as he wasn't the biggest player. Like a Darren Lockeyer type, getting targeted every night. Ice Hockey in the 80's was brutal, NBA was physical (hand checking) but nothing like Ice-Hockey, all in brawls, on ice too, harder than the NRL in the 70's and 80's and 90's. Try getting shoulder charged on glass-fibre glass boards, and hits to the head smashed on the ice. Wayne Gretzky's stats, are awesome, as were his play-off stats. And he won 4 stanley cups, Jordan won 6 NBA titles, but you don't compare just on titles, other wise Robert Horry would be greater than Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. Wayne Gretzky's stats were awesome, and Ice Hockey was no less popular globally than Basketball back in the 80's, so Gretzky pips MJ for mine, just. -Back in
BennO
Guest
Tahiti does seem a nicer "work" destination than Bournemouth.
peeeko
Roar Guru
Bradman 99.94, that's all that needs to be said. Back in Dons day they used to take weeks to sail to the UK for an Ashes tour, give me the ASP tour any day
BennO
Guest
Slater says Bradman is the benchmark for all sports... http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/08/kelly-slater-surfing-interesting-man