Kelly Slater retired

[oldmansurfer]

Slater got eliminated from the contest in Western Australia making it official he will not compete on the WSL next year. https://www.surfer.com/trending-news/kelly-slater-is-no-longer-on-the-championship-tour-so-whats-next I guess it's about time. I don't see him going to the Challenger Series to get back on tour. Of note also Carissa Moore retired (for now) as well as Stephanie Gilmore who was the woman's version of Kelly Slater (though a bit cuter in my estimation). Also Felipe Toledo, last years champ, is taking a year off. I think perhaps surfers are thinking doing the tour isn't everything. Any thoughts?

[Geezer]

He’s had an amazing run but time can’t be denied.

[waikikikichan]

To me, he did not "retire" like other sports athletes. In this case, he was not allowed to continue. Had he advanced, won, made the cut, he would have kept going.

Trust me, if he gets a wild card for J-bay, Chopes, or Pipe, he'll show up.

[oldmansurfer]

To me, he did not "retire" like other sports athletes. In this case, he was not allowed to continue. Had he advanced, won, made the cut, he would have kept going.

Trust me, if he gets a wild card for J-bay, Chopes, or Pipe, he'll show up.

Yeah. I bet though, he is in part the reason others are retiring because they don't want to be forced into retirement eventually like he was. It's tough to stay on the world tour and even tougher to do the challenger series to get back on every year. Kelly enjoys the competition to a degree but if he really enjoyed it he would go do the challenger series. I think perhaps other surfers watch him suffering with a bunch of physical problems trying to win one more title and think they don't want to be in that situation.

[waikikikichan]

He'sss Baaaaaaaack !

[oldmansurfer]

Yeah they gave him wildcards for Fiji and Tahiti

[TeeBee89]

I think perhaps other surfers watch him suffering with a bunch of physical problems trying to win one more title and think they don't want to be in that situation.

We could call that the Tom Brady effect. A cautionary tale.

I'll see myself out.

[oldmansurfer]

I think lots of pro athletes want to keep going after they are no longer able to compete at the top. However having one that you see regularly in your own sport is a reminder of that.

[TeeBee89]

I think lots of pro athletes want to keep going after they are no longer able to compete at the top. However having one that you see regularly in your own sport is a reminder of that.

Unless I'm mistaken, it reminds me of that story attributed to Mark Twain / Samuel Clemens. What do those pro athletes have that Tom Brady and Kelly Slater don't have? Enough.

[oldmansurfer]

I have a theory that all high level athletes have a defect. something that drives them to excel when normal people would say that's enough. I guess some of them can't turn it off.