How Kelly Slater Dominated Surfing for 40 Years

GOAT's don't come much GOATier than Kelly Slater. With a career spanning over 40 years and 11 World Championships, Kelly isn’t just one of the oldest pros in the game—he’s also one of the most dominant athletes of any discipline, ever.

But Kelly's path to greatness wasn't easy. From a turbulent family life and bankruptcy to fierce competition, Slater faced countless challenges on his journey to the top.

This is the story of how Kelly Slater changed surfing forever.

Shout out to WSL, Quicksilver, and Taylor Steele for capturing many of the iconic moments in this legend's life.

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[SPiLi]

When he pulls into that huge barrell at PIPE without grabbing the rail and just owns it... 17:31 just an incredible athlete...

[johnrenehan]

I remember in the early 90 s - he surfed in the final at Bells against then world champion Martin Potter. Slater won decisively, and from that moment it seemed he either won everything he entered, or was in the top 3.
In 2016/17 he was still doing the same - against kids less than half his age
The guy is epic !!

[seabass]

There are few sports with an indisputable GOAT, and surfing is one of them. Everybody agrees Kelly is the greatest to ever do it. Great video!

[billlaw]

Surfed with him in the line up a few times in the 80's, he learned a couple moves from me in Barbados 😅 (ya right)

[wakoarder]

saw so many of slaters competitions in virgina beach virgina over the years. all the sandcastle art littered the board walk and the surf games would be going on on the beach giant speakers an announcer fuck saw him multiple times over the years around VA beach tearing it up.

[muminsimab]

What a beautiful story made me emotional

The best to ever surf in the modern era. Once in a forever surfer. No one will come close.

[dreadnoughtandcrow]

i was flying to vietnam in 2004 and he was seated next to me and i had absolutely no idea who he was and he gave me a valium. nice guy.

[ballardedwards]

Met him in Barbados surfing Bathsheba. He’s an incredible guy and an unbelievable surfer. He’ll go down in history as the GOAT. Loved and respected by so many it’s to his skill in all conditions but accentuated by coming from odd place like Florida. I respect and admire his longevity. Long live the king. God bless brother.

[garyjones]

He's a great bloke and best ever surfer

[guidox]

He stills slashing the giant waves in Nazaré like he was 18, though!

[frisk]

Without a doubt the GOAT!.. Grew up as a kid as a Curren fanboy.. Posters and all and then was later floored by Slater's mastery.. Thanks for the video! Brings back long ago memories

[AndyCarvin]

Space Coast 80's kid here. My middle school friends and I would sometimes hang out at the beach to see if Kelly or his brothers were out surfing that day; he was a year behind us in school, just up the road in Cocoa Beach, though he lived in my hometown of Indialantic for a while as well. Some of my friends even stopped saying "later" when parting ways with each other and instead began saying "S'later." Dude wasn't even 13 yet and he was practically a god around town.

[MrCalverino]

I have his game on PS2
IT'S SO NICE!!!

[hawaiifreespeechnews]

7:00 “A French stalker of psychotic proportions…” slipping in a little humor on this documentary 🤣 👏🏽

[Gweeman]

Had the privilege of sitting in the line up with this dude at Sebastian Inlet when I was just about to finish HS. It was like he was born from the water. He and Frieda Zamba made us E coast FL surfers very proud to have come up with them. Much love to all the EC’s still at it.

[Jessie_Pinkman_]

Don’t follow surfing but obviously known who Kelly Slater for my whole life, following his story got me choked up to see him win again as a nearly 50 year old man. real superhero

[matteot]

Nice KellyMentary
It was great to follow Kelly during his career, a great inspiration.
Thanks Kelly🙏

[jamesobradovic]

Lifelong sports fan of many different sports. It shouldn't even be a question that he is the greatest athlete of all time, in any sport. Surfing is one of the hardest sports to do, and this man dominated for over 30 years. He won the Eddie Aikau in 30 ft surf, he won many times at sloppy beach breaks like Huntington, he won at Pipe and Teahupoo on his backhand, J-Bay, you could go on and on. Youngest and oldest world champ, all in an individual sport, where you can't be bolstered by teammates. Long live the GOAT of all sports, Kelly Slater!

[thatguy]

With all this talk, not one mention of Slaters surfboard design prowess in conjunction with Al Merrick and many more shapers that changed how the rest of the surfing world rode waves. That may be his greatest gift to surfing.