11 Dec 2023, 00:00

Kelly Slater is the all-time greatest American surfer. He has nearly every major record in the sport, including 11 World Championships, 55 career victories, and the distinction of being the sport’s youngest and oldest champion.

When he emerged on the scene in 1990, he ushered in a new age of high-performance surfing, combining intentional fin releases and a combination of aerial maneuvers.

Slater won his first World Title at 20 in 1992 and his last at 39 in 2011.

After winning his eighth Pipeline Masters title in the 2022 Billabong Pipeline Masters at almost his 50th birthday, Kelly is preparing to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Moreover, this well-known surfer is also a humanitarian and a supporter of the environment, so he works to raise awareness about suicide prevention. 

Today in this article, we will cover everything about Kelly Slater. But before getting into details, let’s look at the quick facts about him. 

Quick Facts 

Who Is Kelly Slater?

Robert Kelly Slater is a competitive surfer from the U.S. born on February 11, 1972. He is most known for winning an unprecedented 11 world surfing championships. 

He won it five years in a row, beating the record set by surfer Mark Richards. He’s also won plenty of other titles, including the ‘Boost Mobile Pro,’ ‘Billabong Pro,’ and ‘Rip Curl Pro,’ to name a few.

This talented athlete is more than just a surfer; he has many hobbies, including music and movies.

Kelly has appeared in nearly 37 films and documentaries, including ‘Surf’s Up,’ ‘Endless Summer II,’ ‘Down the Barrel,’ and ‘Fighting Fear,’ to name a few. He’s also remembered for a brief appearance on the popular television show ‘Baywatch.’

Aside from acting, Kelly Slater has experimented with writing, first with an autobiography named “Pipe Dreams: A Surfer’s Journey” and then a joint effort titled “Kelly Slater: For the Love.”

Early Life & Childhood 

Kelly was born and raised in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Judy Moriarity and Stephen Slater are his parents, while he has two siblings named Sean and Stephen. 

Slater, the son of a bait store owner, grew up near the water and began surfing at five. He was winning age-division events all over the Atlantic coast by age ten. In addition, his first age-division U.S. championship title came in 1984.

The surfer finished third two years later in the junior division at the world amateur championships in England. Moreover, the following year he won the Pacific Cup junior championship in Australia.

Professional Career 

The teenage surfer had proven his mettle in the sport by 1990. He began to feature in surfing magazines. Since then, he has been supported by prominent surfwear manufacturers, such as ‘Quicksilver,’ until he signed a contract with ‘Kering.’

The same year, he won the ‘Body Glove Surfbout,’ a contest held in California. He won the ‘Association of Surfing Professionals (‘ASP’) World Tour two years later, in 1992.

Moreover, he repeated his winning performance at the ‘Rip Curl Pro Landes’ in France and the ‘Marui Pipe Masters’ in Hawaii. The year 1994 was equally beneficial for this talented surfer.

He won competitions like the ‘ASP World Tour,’ ‘Rip Curl Pro,’ ‘Chiemsee Gerry Lopez Pipe Masters,’ ‘Bud Surf Tour Seaside Reef,’ and ‘Sud Ouest Trophee,’ to name a few.

This energetic athlete won the ‘ASP World Tour’ for the second time in 1995. In addition, he won the ‘Quiksilver Pro’ in Indonesia, the ‘Chiemsee Pipe Masters,’ and the ‘Triple Crown” of Surfing in Hawaii.

Slater won the ‘Hurley Pro’ three times, the ‘Rip Curl Pro’ twice, and the ‘Volcom Fiji Pro’ twice, each between 2010 and 2014, in addition to victories on the ‘ASP World Tour.’

Awards & Achievements 

Slater has won the World Surf League 11 times, including five in a row from 1994 to 1998. He is the youngest (At 20) and the oldest (At 39) man to win the WSL men’s championship. 

Kelly was honored by the United States House of Representatives on May 8, 2010, following his victory at the ‘Rip Curl Pro’ tournament. Bill Posey initiated it for his essential contribution to sports.

In 2007, Slater won the Boost Mobile Pro event at Lower Trestles near San Clemente, California, and became the all-time leader in career event wins.

Slater also became the first surfer to receive two perfect scores for a total of 20 out of 20 points under the ASP two-wave scoring system in the final heat of the Billabong Tahiti Pro contest at Teahupo’o in May 2005.

Moreover, at the 2019 Billabong Pipe Masters, he became the oldest surfer (age 47) to perform a 10-point ride in the World Surf League competition.

In the 2022 Billabong Pipeline Masters, he won his eighth Pipeline Masters title at almost his 50th birthday. It was his first title on tour in nearly six years.

In 2023, Kelly Slater is trying to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics at 51.

Other Media Presence 

In the early 1990s, Slater appeared in twenty-seven episodes of the popular TV show Baywatch as Jimmy Slade, a recurring character. During his career, Slater has starred in many surf movies.

He has also been in an episode of the reality show The Girls Next Door. Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer, a video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision, was released in 2002.

Before this, Slater appeared as a playable character in Tony Hawk‘s Pro Skater 3, complete with a surfboard.

In addition to the ASP tour, Slater won back-to-back Gold Medals at the X Games in 2003 and 2004.

Charity Works 

Slater is a proponent of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. He also works as a fundraiser and public speaker for suicide prevention.

He has surfed for Surfers Against Suicide at celebrity competitions, telling sports website ‘Athletes Talk,’

“Suicide is a dreadful thing that can be avoided, and I’ve lost a few of my friends to it. Individuals get into these dark places…so it’s always refreshing to find a non-profit that is solely dedicated to assisting people.”

Environmentalism 

Through Reef Check, Slater is dedicated to safeguarding oceans worldwide and saving temperate reefs in California.

Following eight shark-related fatalities in the previous six years, Slater and another competitive surfer Jérémy Florès called for a daily cull of bull sharks by French authorities in Réunion February 2017.

The concept was panned by environmentalists, with Dr. Ken Collins of the University of Southampton calling it “crazy.”

The resolution, sponsored by Florida Representative Bill Posey and ten other representatives, was passed by verbal voting with no objections.

Kelly is on the Board of Advisors of the ocean conservation organization Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Surfing 

Slater grew up in Florida and had never felt at ease in large waves until a trip to Oahu in 1987. A massive northwest surge was hammering the coast from Waimea to Sunset, blocking down breaks.

He arrived in Makaha to find 40-foot (Hawaiian scale) waves crashing over the bay. Slater pulled up to his car and noticed Brandon “Big Wave” Davis waxing his 11′ board.

Brandon winked at Slater before paddling out, trading waves all afternoon. “Brandon’s knowledge and grace in massive surf had a tremendous impact on my career,” Slater writes in his biography.

“Anytime I’m dropping into a big wave, I remember back to that wink in the Makaha parking lot, and I push myself over the edge.”

Mondos in Ventura, California, Pipeline in Hawaii, Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, Minis in Ireland, and Taghazout in Morocco are just a few of his favorite surfing destinations.

Business Ventures 

Slater has historically and exclusively ridden Channel Islands Surfboards with his branded FCS fins.

Slater had been seen riding unlabeled Firewire surfboards since acquiring the company in 2014. He debuted his board line in 2016. The Gamma, Cymatic, Omni, and Sci-fi are the four Slater Designs Firewire models as of August 2017.

Slater had been sponsored mainly by surfwear behemoth Quiksilver since 1990 until his departure on April 1, 2014. Later he worked with fashion powerhouse Kering.

Slater claims in a statement posted to his social media accounts that

“I’ve wanted to create a brand that blends my passions for clean living, responsibility, and style for years.”

Following his departure from Quiksilver, Slater founded the eco-friendly and sustainable sportswear firm ‘Outerknown’ in collaboration with Kering.

Slater also founded Purps, a beverage startup. In addition, he also became a Chia Co. brand ambassador.

Wave Pool 

Wave Pool was a ten-year ‘experiment’ in inland California to generate the ultimate inland wave. 

In 2016, the World Surf League (WSL) paid an unknown price for majority ownership in the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC). 

On Tuesday, September 19, 2017, the WSL staged a test event at the Kelly Slater Surf Ranch for professional surfers, including Filipe Toledo, Mick Fanning, Kanoa Igarashi, Gabriel Medina, and others.

The WSL Surf Ranch was built near Lemoore, California, and has remained private and exclusive.

Collaborations & Musical Appearances 

Slater is a guitarist and ukulele player who has shared the stage with Jack Johnson and Angus Stone. Kelly Slater joined the band named The Surfers with Rob Machado and Peter King.

Songs from the Pipe, a reference to the legendary surf destination Pipeline on Oahu, Hawaii, was released by the group in 1998.

Slater and his band traveled Australia, performing at landmarks such as the Opera House and Parliament House.

On August 1, 2006, Slater sang a song with Ben Harper at Harper’s show in Santa Barbara, followed by many others. 

Net Worth 

As of 2023, Kelly Slater has an estimated net worth of $22 million. Most of his wealth is accumulated from his professional career as a surfer. 

Moreover, he also makes money from his own business and endorsements. His earnings are estimated to be between $3 million and $4 million yearly.

He also makes a living as an actor and a voice actor and has starred in a successful movie that grossed $149 million.

In addition to all of this, he has earned the title of Chia Co. brand ambassador. He’s also co-founded a company called “Outerknown” and launched a beverage company called “Purps.”

He was in talks with entrepreneur Michael Schwab in 2020 to create a $400 million surf resort on 400 acres.

Houses

According to Trulia, Kelly Slater purchased a beachfront home worth $7.8 million on Oahu’s north coast in 2017. 

Slater is familiar with the area because he and his family used to vacation when he was a kid.

The Asian and Hawaiian design features are evident throughout the seven-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom compound.

Specifically, the peaceful boardwalk leads to an outdoor pond with a Buddha statue amidst tropical plant life.

The primary residence is 8,009 square feet and sits on 101 feet of a private beach. There are two additional guesthouses on the property, all of which have access to the pool, expansive lawn, and private gardens.

Multiple balconies and covered patios provide views of the grounds and beyond. Finished wood and dark beams adorn the ceilings throughout the house, giving the place a unified vibe.

Social Media 

Slater frequently uses social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

He usually engages with his followers on social channels by informing them about new competitions, fundraising foundations, and upcoming series and films.

Below are the links to his social media, along with the number of followers as of 2023;

• Instagram-3.2 m followers
• Facebook– 1.9 m followers 
• Twitter– 891k followers

He is in the 2023 second season of ‘Make or Break,’ a new docuseries about behind-the-scenes of the surfers.

Girlfriend 

It’s no secret that Slater is passionately committed to Kalani Miller, frequently featured on his Instagram. However, it is unknown when the couple started dating.

On September 24, 2019, Miller shared a monochrome photo of herself and Slater when they were younger on their anniversary. She wrote in the caption that they had been together for 12 years and two days.

Kalani Miller grew up with her sisters Oleema and Hana Miller in the little beach town of San Clemente in Orange County, California.

Kalani discovered her interest in surfing, modeling, and travel while growing up in a family of designers, surfers, and sea lovers.

In collaboration with her sister Oleema, also a former sponsored professional surfer, Kalani is the proud and successful co-founder of MIKOH. It later with more range of swimwear, vacation gear, and ready-to-wear beach cover-ups.

Who Is Kelly Slater’s Daughter?

Kelly Slater shares a daughter with his former girlfriend, Tamara. His daughter, Taylor Slater, was born on June 5, 1996. Professionally, she is a multi-medium artist. 

According to Taylor, she is on the verge of recreating the natural world’s effect on human emotion.

Moreover, Taylor’s art show in Montauk in 2018 was a big success. Kelly is super supportive regarding the artwork of his daughter. 

Quotes

• “If your mind is not switched on and excited about things, you grow old really fast. I think that’s when you age and your body starts to go. I think life’s over at that point.”
• “For a surfer, it’s never-ending. There’s always some wave you want to surf.”

Trivia

• Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is Slater’s favorite movie.
• He has been in a video game for PS2 and Xbox, “Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer.” 

The Search Graph

The search for Kelly is on the higher end due to his high performance in surfing, and he still has an active career.

The graph illustrates his fans’ search momentum over the past 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS0

Did Kelly Slater go out with Pamela Anderson?

When Kelly Slater appeared on Baywatch in the early 1990s, he met Pamela Anderson. They were together from 1998 to 2000.

Is Kelly Slater vegan?

Kelly Slater shared on Instagram stories that he has been vegan for a long. According to his post, his digestion has improved, and he's being encouraged to eat a larger variety of healthful meals.

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