“The King” Wins 10th World Surfing Championship
lone surfer
- Professional surfers call Kelly Slater “The King”. He’s just won an unprecedented 10th world surfing championship title in Puerto Rico.
Unfortunately, this win comes when the surfing world is mourning the death of Andy Irons, a long-time rival and friend of Slater was found dead in his hotel room in Dallas, Texas. Irons was 32 years old and a three-time world champion.
“I feel blessed that we worked through the differences we had and I was able to learn what I’m made of because of Andy,” Slater said in a statement upon hearing of Irons’ death. “We enjoyed many quiet times together with our girls in the last year and I got to know a happy, funny, innocent kid who was happy to live every second with the people he loved.”
Slater learned how to surf as a boy in his home town of Cocoa Beach, Florida. He has won more titles most athletes, winning his first title at age 20, and this tenth Championship title at age 38, to claim the youngest and oldest champion in surfing.
Along the way, Slater stockpiled an insurmountable mountain of records: both the oldest and youngest world champ; most WCT Victories (41); six Pipe Masters Wins; the highest two-wave total (20 points); the most prize money (more than $2 million) and the first ‘seven-figure’ salary — not to mention 14 Surfer Poll wins and a Quiksilver Eddie Aikau big wave victory.
