Kelly Slater, who has dominated pro surfing over the past two decades and has been referred to as the Tiger Woods of his sport, might be considering pro golf as a second career.

It's not as far-fetched as it might seem. Slater, who will turn 40 in February, is a two-handicap golfer who won a remarkable 11 world surfing titles with a blend of sheer talent, physical and mental toughness, and fierce determination. He has been recognized by many as one of this era's top athletes.

Most realistically, for Slater, would be the PGA Champions Tour, for golfers 50 and older, though as a non-established player he might have to wait until he's 55 to qualify.

He'd have 10-15 years, then, to hone his game if he retires from competitive surfing after the season-ending contest, the Billabong Pipe Masters, which is underway at the Banzai Pipeline on Oahu's North Shore.

The surfer, who is famously coy about future plans, was quoted in a Reuters story this week as saying, "I like golf, I love it, I work hard on it and actually I'd like to become..."

The conversation between Slater and author Will Swanton but that's more than he usually offers about his surfing career at the end of each season.

But Slater is as passionate about golf as he is about surfing, and the Floridian has tested his game against PGA Tour golfers. He has played twice in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and twice he beat his Tour partner, Pat Perez.

Slater has strolled fairways with John Daly, Darren Clarke, Steve Stricker and Dustin Johnson, which certainly served to whet his appetite.

"I do think about it," Slater conceded. "Funnily enough, I just did an interview with the Golf Channel: they're doing a special for Christmas and the three golfers they followed were me, Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker. Point is, I'm pretty entrenched in the golf community now, even if it isn't at the competitive level yet."

Of reaching that level he said, "There are these vague dreams in my head about it. The trouble would be the amount of time it would take to be good and confident enough."

That's being realistic. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of two-handicappers with unrealistic dreams of playing professionally. Slater recalled the first time he played with a pro:

"First hole, I was so nervous I sliced it so far right it was crazy. Second shot, I hit it way left into deep rough. It was a par-four. Third shot, I hacked it up to about 50 feet from the pin. I holed the 50-footer for par."

That's Slater. In surfing, competitors must get past several heats to make the final. Slater often dominates, but he also posses an uncanny knack for pulling out an unbelievably high score to edge his competitor on the final wave, as time expires.

That's the equivalent of sinking a 50-foot putt to save par. It's more about mental strength and desire than luck.

Does Slater have what it takes to play golf professionally? Maybe not, but those who know him would not bet against him.

-- Top image credit: Reproduced by Permission of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Second image is courtesy of ASP/ Kirstin Scholtz. Third image is courtesy of Quiksilver

For the second year running, Turtle Bay on the North Shore of Oahu played host to the biggest night in surfing, the 41st annual SURFER Poll Awards. The Top 10 men and Top 5 women--as voted by fans-- were honored.

Kelly Slater took home his 17th SURFER Poll No. 1 in a year he won an unprecedented 11th world title. "The first one I won was in 1992," says Kelly Slater. "I remember the cover shot was me, and it said Curren, Carroll, Potts' names too. That was pretty mind-blowing at the time to win against those guys. Now I'm still inspired by the crew of guys coming up right now--Dane, Julian, Medina, John John."



Dane Reynolds, the man in which Slater urged fans to vote as No.1 came a close second, followed by current world number two Owen Wright. The fans let the surfing world know they have not forgotten fallen surfer Andy Irons, as they voted him the No. 9 surfer along with his brother Bruce 10. Watch the emotional acceptance speach by the Irons family.

Recently crowned ASP World Champ Carissa Moore ousted two-time SURFER Poll No. 1 Stephanie Gilmore to take the top slot continuing her magical year.

"I'm still grasping the situation," said a visibly shocked Carissa Moore, "but it's amazing to win this award. It's a great night in surfing and I'm so thankful for all my fans for voting for me."

After an amazing year that included two Pipeline event wins, World Tour qualification, and most recently, a win at the Vans World Cup at Sunset, Oahu's John John Florence was granted the prestigious Andy Irons Breakthrough Performer Award.

In the highly contested Movie of the Year category is was Globe's film Year Zero directed by Joe Guglielmino taking home the award. The Best Documentary award was won by Splinters directed by Adam Pesce and the Best Cinematography award went to Keith Malloy's Come Hell or High Water.

Everyone's favorite category Worst Wipeout was awarded to Rodrigo Koxa for his gnarly wipeout during Teahupoo's massive swell.

Here's the complete 2011 SURFER Poll Results

Top 10 Men
1. Kelly Slater
2. Dane Reynolds
3. Owen Wright
4. Julian Wilson
5. Taj Burrow
6. Mick Fanning
7. Joel Parkinson
8. Jordy Smith
9. Andy Irons
10. Bruce Irons

Top 5 Women
1. Carissa Moore
2. Coco Ho
3. Stephanie Gilmore
4. Alana Blanchard
5. Sally Fitzgibbons

Andy Irons Breakthrough Performer
John John Florence

Movie of the Year
Year Zero

Best Documentary
Splinters

Best Cinematography
Come Hell or High Water

Best Performance
Josh Kerr, for Kerrazy Kronicles

Heavy Water
Nathan Fletcher, for Teahupoo Uncut, Get-N-Classic, Rumors

Best Barrel
Alex Gray, for Teahupoo Uncut

Worst Wipeout
Rodrigo Koxa, for Teahupoo Uncut

Best Digital Short
Lost Interest

The 41st annual SURFER Poll and Video Awards will air live Tuesday night from the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The event is viewable at surferpoll.com beginning at 7pm Hawaii time (9 pm PST) and will air live on Time Warner Cable west region in Southern California at approximately 10 pm to 2 am PST.

Fans can like SURFER Magazine on facebook and follow on Twitter (#surferpoll) for live behind-the-scenes insight during the show.

The SURFER staff has their hands full this year with a list of deserving candidates, so we thought we would help them out in the main categories by offering some unsolicited advice on which way to go.

The most coveted video award of the night is for Movie of the Year. This year's five nominees are: Lost Atlas, Year Zero, Kerrazy Kronicles, Get-N-Classic, and Come Hell or High Water.

GrindTV selection: Lost Atlas. The all-star cast pushes the progression of aerial surfing to new levels. Kai Neville continues to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Taylor Steele.

Always a fan favorite is the Worst Wipeout category. This year's nominees include Kohl Christensen (Surprise Excitement Party), Evan Faulks (Surprise Excitement Party), Nathan Fletcher (Teahupoo Uncut), Mark Healey (Surprise Excitement Party), Rodrigo Koxa (Teahupoo Uncut).

GrindTV selection: The biggest swell to hit Tahiti in recent memory produced some of the heaviest surf we've ever seen and on that day the gnarliest wipeout was Nathan Fletcher's human rag doll impersonation. This may get the loudest applause of the night.



An important video category recognizing the quality of filmmaking in surfing is the Best Cinematography award. The 2011 nominees include Come Hell or High Water, Float: Archipelago, Lost Atlas, Sight / Sound, Year Zero.

GrindTV selection: Although it lost out to Lost Atlas in the Movie of the Year category Come Hell or High Water will win this one. The level of cinematography in this film rivals those of Hollywood produced films. Keith Malloy's movie about his passion for bodysurfing is another romantic triumph from the Woodshed clan.



Finally, one of the more prestigious and career satisfying awards is the Best Performance Award. This year's class is full of Surfing Superstars. John John Florence (Get-N-Classic), CJ Hobgood (Year Zero), Josh Kerr (Kerrazy Kronicles), Carissa Moore (Leave A Message), Dean Morrison (A Dingo's Tale), Yadin Nicol (Year Zero), Dusty Payne (Lost Atlas).

GrindTV selection: Carissa Moore is leading the charge for women's surfing. Their level of surfing is right there with the men. Her part in leave a message clearly states that Carissa is better than you at surfing.

Tune-in to the Surfer Poll live tonight or check back tomorrow for a complete wrap up from the show.

Channel Info:
* Los Angeles area - Ch. 101 (SD)
* San Diego area - Ch. 411 (SD)
* Hawaii (all islands) - Ch. 250 (SD) and Ch. 1250 (HD)

The 2011 Surfer Poll Awards will take place December 6th at the Turtle Bay resort and the nominees for Video Awards categories have been posted. This year may be the most competitive awards yet as the quality of filmmaking continues to reach new heights.

We take a stab at dissecting the "Best Documentary" category. By definition a documentary film is a broad category of moving pictures intended to document some aspect of Reality. In this case the reality being Surfing.

The 2011 Surfer Poll Best Documentary, and the nominees are...

Splinters
Synopsis- In the 1980s an intrepid Australian pilot left behind a surfboard in the seaside village of Vanimo, Papua New Guinea. Twenty years later, surfing is not only a pillar of village life but also a means to prestige. With no access to economic or educational advancement, let alone running water and power, village life is hermetic.A spot on the Papua New Guinea national surfing team is the way to see the wider world; the only way.

Directed and Shot by Adam Pesce

GrindTV Breakdown- It's hard to imagine a surfboard changing an entire culture of a village but with Splinters director Pesce managed to illustrate the massive impact it had on Papua New Guinea. The raw emotion and passion from the people in this film truly make this documentary a must watch. The film has been successful at film festival's this season including winning "Best Documentary" at the 2011 London Surf Film Festival and the "Audience Award" at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Splinters has an above average chance of adding SURFER Poll "Best Documentary" to the list of accolades.

Chances of Winning-***(3 out of 4)


Lost and Found
Synopsis- The film begins in 2007, when Doug Walker found roughly 30,000 missing film negatives from the Surfing Magazine archive at a Pasadena swap meet. After spending 1 year organizing the collection Doug decided to reunite them with their original sources and subjects. He figured there just may be a story there. For the last 3+ years Doug has been capturing stories that if not told will be lost.

Directed by Doug Walker

GrindTV Breakdown- The movie highlights the deep connections these guys have with the lost pictures but more importantly the deep connection to surfing. Given the opportunity to sort through the lost negatives sparked memories of stories that happened 30 years ago for these photographers. If your a fan of surfing, especially a fan of the history of Surfing this is a must watch. The Film made its debut to a delighted audience at the New York Film Festival earlier this year.

Chances of Winning-**(2 out of 4)


White Wash
Synopsis- The film explores the complexity of race in America through the eyes of the ocean. Examining the history of "black consciousness" as it triumphs and evolves into the minds of black surfers, we learn the power of transcending race as a constructive phenomenon. The story is narrated by the legendary Ben Harper along with Tariq "Blackthought" Trotter of The Roots whom also originally scored the film.

Directed by Ted Woods

GrindTV Breakdown- Black culture and surfing culture are two seemingly different circles, that was until the film proves otherwise. It was a long time coming for a film to focus on the complexity of race as it exist in the sport of surfing. The film uses a different approach towards examining Surf culture rather than the typical surf film we've seen in the past. The film's debut at the New York Film Festival left a lasting impact on those lucky enough to be there for the screening.

Chances of Winning-***(3 out of 4)



Minds In The Water
Synopsis- The film follows the quest of professional surfer Dave Rastovich and his friends to protect dolphins, whales and the oceans they all share. Through Dave's journey--a five-year adventure spanning the globe from Australia to the Galapagos, Tonga, California, Alaska and Japan. We see one surfer's quest to activate his community to help protect the ocean and its inhabitants.

Directed by Justin Krumb

GrindTV Breakdown- The message of the film is two fold: The power of one individual to inspire people to take action and make a difference and if ocean minded people are to pass on a sustainable culture, then they must become responsible stewards of their coastal environment. It's difficult to walk away from this film without a deep feeling towards wanting to do your part to help in anyway possible. This film is more than deserving of the award.

Chances of Winning-***(3 out of 4)



All of these films are deserving of the award but in the end the film that leaves the biggest impact on us is SPLINTERS...

Who would you pick? Head to Surfer Magazine and let them know how you feel.

Watch the live stream at surferpoll.com beginning at 7 pm Hawaii time (9 pm PST) and will air live on Time Warner Cable west region in Southern California at approximately 10 pm to 2 am PST and replay on a future Sunday (TBD).

If you find joy in even muttering the word "December" then today is one of celebration for you. And just in case your riding posse isn't already celebrating, Nike's providing a little kick-in-the-pants inspiration to get your winter party started with the launch of The Chosen Crew Video Contest aimed specifically at snowboarders.

The contest runs from December through April 1st, when winning crew will be announced from Austria, which is where you and your entire crew could be if, between now and February 15, you can demonstrate enough style, flair, talent that brotherly (or sisterly) bond that makes any good riding crew complete via your photo and video submissions.

If you're not already familiar with the contest it works like this: You come up with a name for your crew of between 2 and 4 people and sign up at the Nike Chosen page. Once registered you have until February 15 to build your case for being Chosen.

Building your case involves loading photos and videos of your crew and getting those images "Noticed". The more creative you are in demonstrating your crew's style, ethos, and lifestyle execution, the more hype you'll generate via the Facebook likes on your Crew page. You may even get "Noticed" by the very same Nike athletes who will be doing the ultimate choosing for The Chosen.

The Chosen is a global contest, with crews from around the world competing. On February 17th winners from each participating country/region will be announced. Round Two will be to determine which of those winners makes it into the Top 3, earning a trip to Austria to compete in the finals. Round Two voting runs from February 21 to March 10.

The Chosen Session finals take place in Austria from March 26 - 30. Crews will have four days to shoot and edit a new submission that will be judged by Nike team riders like Scotty Lago and Danny Kass. The winning crew will be announced on April 1. They'll be receiving a ton of Nike garb, some cash, and the opportunity to travel more and live like the Nike pros.

Having watched the Summer Chosen unfold there are a few keys to success, none more important than to know and understand the Essentials. Use the proper pre-approved music tracks for your videos and be sure you're following all of the eligibility rules. Make sure each of your crew members is eligible.

From the Rules Page:
This Contest is open only to individuals who are eighteen (18) through twenty-nine (29) years old at the time of entry and who did not purchase any equipment for the purposes of entering this Contest. Only Snowboard Crews from the below countries can participate. What is a Crew? You and at least one (1) other person, with a maximum of up to four (4) people total, are considered a Crew. One individual alone does not qualify as a Crew. Crews and Crew members may also be referred to as entrants.

North America is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada, with the exception of Quebec.

We'll be providing more insights and tips on how to succeed and find your way to Europe.