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Could Kelly Slater be the best athlete ever? No seriously?

Saturday, September 18, 2010 8:31pm PDT (3 years ago)

464 Comments | Add Comment

This post was initially published in September of 2010, just after Kelly Slater won the Hurley Pro at Trestles and took over the ratings lead in what was then his quest for a 10th world title. Last week he repeated the feat, and with four events left to go this season, Mr. Slater is now closing in on an 11th world championship. So we figured we'd update the stats and revisit this question, being it's even more relevant one year later.

Nine-time [update: ten-time] world surfing champion Kelly Slater won the Hurley Pro Saturday [Update: Wednesday] at Lower Trestles, the same San Clemente, Calif. venue where he won his maiden victory as a pro nearly 20 [update: 21] years ago to the day.

Of course, if and when any mention of his win makes the mainstream sporting press in the U.S. it's likely to be shoehorned between coverage of the latest hot dog-eating contest and a brawl between college mascots.

Yet this win in particular should be acknowledged because it marks a milestone in sports that's rarely -- if ever -- reached. I'm biased, of course, so I'll ask you to shoot my theory down by answering the following question off the top of your head: Please name an athlete -- any athlete -- who's been the dominant force in their respective sport for a span of two decades?

Mind you, I'm not talking about somebody who's hung around the top level for 20 years with a single title or two to show for it. Sports history is rich and thick with lovable legends who've endured like Brett Favre, Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken, even George Foreman. Yet there's a large chasm between enduring and dominating -- as in being the primary gravitational force that others must orbit around. Favre, Ryan, Ripken and Foreman were all that force for a time, no doubt, but for 20 [update: 21] years? Nope.

Find me somebody who, let's say, holds the record for being the youngest and oldest world champion. Whose career win percentage over two decades was near 80% and climbing. Who 20 [Update: 21] years after his debut win as a pro, recaptured a lead in the race for yet another world title, maybe a 10th? [update: 11th] Somebody who's owned the top slot in their sport's All-Star voting 15 times, and year-after-year humbles a fresh set of young rookies -- even those less than half his age -- who are allegedly coming to dethrone him. Yep, those are just a few of Slater's stats.

[Old] Update: Kelly Slater clinches his 10th World Title.

I've been racking my brain to trying to come up with somebody else. I even asked my buddies deep inside Y!Sports and ESPN for help. Surely they'd know someone? "A bowler? poker player? billiard champion?" In their defense, they were buried in NFL and MLB drama and had little time for such silliness from an Action Sports guy. Nevertheless, they politely threw me some meat just to appease me, Jordan, Armstrong, Navratilova and Bonds. I didn't want to rile them by telling them Slater's stats trump all of the above.

I dug deeper, only to find that most athletes who rule for two full decades come from sedentary sports, like golfing, curling, angling or lawn darts. Or they spend their careers in idle positions that are highly specialized, like pitching, punting or goal keeper.

Arnold Palmer and the Golden Bear are good examples of golfers who enjoyed marathon careers. Jack won his first championship in his early 20s, and The Masters when he was 46. Yet, even according to Golf Magazine, the 70s was the only decade he owned, while Palmer ran the show in the 60s.

Tiger Woods is the obvious man-to-beat now. And though Woods (the first golfer to ever hit the gym?) is four years younger than Slater, and just 14 [update: 15] years into his pro career, his reign will undoubtedly surpass all comers. But that's still TBD for now, especially since Woods is slumping after his recent foray into public relations hell. [update: slumping big-time.]

Mariano Rivera is arguably right there with Tiger. He's been baseball's dominant closer for 15 solid years. And he stands a decent chance of going five more years since, well, he only throws a handful of pitches per week.

Admittedly, I'm operating under a completely deranged definition of an athlete, especially compared to the contemporary excuse for one. I weigh all of them against an ancient Roman scale that involves lions, tigers and The Colosseum -- an imaginary venue where today's sedentary athletes would become breakfast, brunch or lunch at best.

I know this sounds like an absurd notion. There's simply no way a surfer can enter the conversation when we're talking about the most dominant athletes ever, right? Can we even dare to measure Slater's athletic feats against Wayne Gretzky and Jerry Rice? Those two really did dominate physically grueling sports for two decades. That's why they're considered the greatest. And maybe being blasted into the reef at Teahupoo isn't as scary as being ch ecked, or catching an ill-timed pass over the middle, but view the accompanying links before considering which fate you'd choose.

Whether surfing is a sport or not is an argument even surfers can't agree on. In fact, anything with judges is suspect since it's crossing into art. But there's no denying that whether you're paddling into 25-foot waves at Waimea Bay, or flying high at five-foot Bells Beach, the act demands endurance, timing, speed and flexibility, not to mention commitment, all which favor the young and athletically spry...or so we were told.

After winning five straight titles in the 90s (six total) Slater retired in 1999, which, when translated, means he went surfing more. He chased swells around the globe for three years, visiting friends at every stop, waiting for a new crop of talent to mature and actually threaten his legacy before coming back to competition in 2003. In his first year back, he fell short in the final heat of the season. But by 2005 he had his title back, repeating again in 2006, and nabbing another in 2008. Now he's leading in 2010.

Like Favre, [update: remember him?] Slater threatens retirement at every turn. Unlike Favre, he tends to go the distance when he comes back. Today 38-year-old [update: 39-year old] Slater is not only defying gravity with his results, but halting time with his surfing, which is still getting better. When asked how old he thinks he'd be if he didn't know how old he was, he says 24. Take one look at his sculpted physique and you'd agree that's his real age.

It doesn't hurt that he's having fun. "I'd let a hundred thousand people punch me in the face to surf these waves alone," he said after collecting his check for $105,000. "I can't believe you guys are paying me for this."

His decades of dominance required serious sacrifice though. He attributes some of his longevity to never being married, which was supposedly rough. His years running around with the likes of Pamela, Gisele and Cameron earned him more mainstream press than any of his records, compounding the torture. Poor guy.

His travel schedule is grueling, too, but 12-hour flights or not, there's little sympathy for anyone headed to Tahiti, Fiji or Australia for a match. Slater's pro athlete friends are quick to remind him it beats Pittsburgh, Detroit or Cleveland.

If Kelly wins his 10th [update: 11th] ASP world title this year he'll be tempted to walk away for good...again. Yet after being to the moon and back several times now he's surprised by where motivation continues to come from.

"Once you've done all you've set out to do it becomes about things much larger than yourself," he says. He dedicated his landmark win Saturday to Daisy Merrick, granddaughter of his longtime shaper, friend, and mentor Al Merrick, who's bravely battling a rare form of cancer.

In an era when our sports heroes continually disappoint, Slater, the human, is somebody parents needn't fear their kids emulating. The former Straight-A student has maintained his ÃÃÂ¼ber-cool (Jack Johnson's singing career was spawned out of Slater-produced surf movies. Eddie Vedder invites Slater on stage for jam sessions at his concerts.) while neutralizing the old pejorative of being a surfer over the course of his reign.

On any coast, in any country, Kelly Slater has tens of thousands of loyal fans who adore him. Yet he can rest assured that his peaceful refuge is always five minutes away, roughly four miles inland. Because on Main Street U.S.A. Slater will always be able to walk down the sidewalk unnoticed, despite being one of the most dominant athletes ever.

Photos of Kelly Slater via ASP/Rowland, Kirstin & Hurley

Channels: Surf

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Posted by ted bain September 20, 2010 05:37pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

So true - so true, you Americans just don't appreciate the talent of Slater enough ... well. most of you.
I'd like to see your toughest NFL dude paddle into a 'bomb' @ Pipe or Chopes - he'd shit himself!
Yes, as an Aussie who wants to see Mick, Joel, Taj etc beat Slater every time, I still appreciate him as THE greatest ever athlete to walk the earth - no joking!
His humility and general behaviour is something that all sports people should aspire to - well done Kelly.
Kelly Slater is an inspiration so give him more press and more mainstream credit in the US of A.

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 06:01pm PDTReport Abuse

id like to see slater try to run a ball past patrick willis and ray lewis. hed get bones broken. surfing is an activity. or extreme "sport"

Reply by thwedge September 21, 2010 06:19pm PDTReport Abuse

getting worked on a 15 ft+ wave is exactly this, if not worse - you have no air to breathe after being hit.

Reply by taj90 September 21, 2010 06:27pm PDTReport Abuse

Im an american and have played every popular sport in america besides lacross and surfing is definetly the hardest sport out there. Scoober1989, I would like to see Ray Lewis even try to stand up on a 1 foot wave let alone paddle out at pipe. The only people that should relpy to this article are people who know both popular american sports and action sports (surfing). Clearly you guys don't know anything about surfing...

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 06:32pm PDTReport Abuse

obviously you never played football before. you WOULDNT get up after being hit by them. id rather not breathe for 15-20 sec then get broken. not sayin that surfing isnt hard, but not comparable to football

Reply by trafficjam1977 September 21, 2010 06:37pm PDTReport Abuse

Hey I can't breathe after my wife pulls the ol dutch oven on me, doesn't make me an athlete.

Reply by taj90 September 21, 2010 06:59pm PDTReport Abuse

yeah but you havent won anythin

Reply by ben brewer September 21, 2010 07:28pm PDTReport Abuse

As a lifelong surfer that has played basketball and football, I'll tell you you guys don't know crap. ANY proball player would simply drown in surf half the intensity of what Slater surfs on a regular basis, let alone what he considers extreme. I grew up in the same town as Slater and knew him and his borthers as a kid. I don't even like Slater as a person, but he is a supreme althete.

Bottom line, put your money where you mouth is and you and any ball player you can find paddle out with me, so I can watch you eat your words, cause you truly have no idea what you are talking about.. This is a debate held many times in local settings between jocks and surfers, an the jocks always eat their words

Reply by bigeasyboy September 21, 2010 07:33pm PDTReport Abuse

Really Scoober1989 & trafficjam1977? Are you really trying to say surfing is not a sport? I played football all through high school and college (WR), but I never took a hit from anyone that was as brutal as getting crushed by a big wave. To be honest, the worst hit I ever took in football was comparative to about an 8' beach break wave that messed me up when I first started surfing. The football hit broke three ribs, but the wave dislocated a shoulder and snapped my board in half. I've only been surfing for about 5 years now, and without question surfing is something that looks much easier than it actually is. To give you a little more perspective, I won't even paddle out if the waves are too big....but there was never a time when I wouldn't go out for a pass because an opposing football player made me feel that type of fear. No man can come close to matching the power of the ocean. Football just doesn't compare to surfing.....anyone can play football, but not everyone can surf, and when we start talking about 15', 20', 30' waves.......you just can't imagine how hard it is to do what these guys do unless you have ever surfed. Kelly Slater deserves all the respect given to him in this article....and then some.

Reply by learn_from_me September 21, 2010 07:34pm PDTReport Abuse

OMG I'm ashamed to say I'm an American after reading some of these comments. 15 ft wave packs thousands of times more energy than all of the greatest linebackers ever, combined. Sending an unfortunate soul that happens to fall or get swept under it to hold his breath for dear life until he gets to shore. And before you flame, yes I have played football, people hit hard, but you can't even come close to comparing the weak running force of a man with the unimaginable power of the ocean. Learn some science idiots, the physics does not lie. I don't pity you fools because you choose to live in ignorance worshipping your false idols, nothing beats mother nature, NOTHING.

Reply by skuhlman September 21, 2010 07:41pm PDTReport Abuse

Ok football dudes, paddle out here with your arms burning and try not to get sucked over on your back at Teahupoo and tell me you wont get washed over and pulverized on the razor sharp 3 foot shallow reef. kelly rips this place. You dont.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVGEhTtsgmk&feature=related

Ray Lewis? - give me a break.

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 07:41pm PDTReport Abuse

you all are taking it out of context. and "fatty" personal attacks...really?the op said compared a football players athletic ability/toughness to a surfers, and i replied if kelly slater went up against football players in a game he would be destroyed and hurt badly. So why dont all you READ the thing im replying to and THEN make your statements. Ruthless try making a legit arguement, you dont know me personally so lets not create an image of me in your mind aight? and bigeastyboy i never said it compared to a 30' wave im saying kelly slater wouldnt last against a NFL linebacker, just like im sure the linebackers wouldnt last against a large wave. READ POSTS first, or look like idiots. and just cause something is hard doesnt make it an authentic sport. cheerleading and swimming are hard, but are they a sport? no. to paraphrase kenny powers "im trying to be the baest at a sport, not the best at exercising"

Reply by brian zerlaut September 21, 2010 07:42pm PDTReport Abuse

you're right on, taj90. these other non-surfers have no clue the power of our mother ocean, as well as what lies beneath...i'd rather get puched by willis or lewis any day over being held down and dragged over the reef at chopes...

Reply by carmine salvatore September 21, 2010 07:43pm PDTReport Abuse

for anyone who wishes to know a real sport phenomena look up EDWIN MOSES

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 07:43pm PDTReport Abuse

LOL brian really?? no one compared a punch to being dragged along a reef. try reading

Reply by ben brewer September 21, 2010 07:47pm PDTReport Abuse

I don't think the debate is if surfing is a sport, but if Slater the the world's best athlete. Whether or not surfing is a sport, you do not have to play sports to be an athlete.

Reply by darin heinemann September 21, 2010 07:50pm PDTReport Abuse

I've played football and I've tried surfing. I honestly think I would rather have Lewis tackle me than let a wave tumble me around. No joke. I grew up in the mid-west and we have some big ol' boys that know how to crush some fools. I'd rather take the hit than the unexpected near drowning that surfing can offer. But you can't really compare the two "sports".

Reply by jeffrey evans September 21, 2010 07:50pm PDTReport Abuse

Give this guy credit! It takes skill, physical and mental alertness. It's not something that's a main event on T.V. but never the less its a sport! The man is 38 years old and does something that many can't accomplish. It's a God givin talent to master the water on a surf board! I'm from Brooklyn where basketball was the SPORT! I respect this man and anybody who competed in sports would appreciate his accomplishments as being great!

Reply by ben brewer September 21, 2010 07:57pm PDTReport Abuse

Actually, in many countries, especially Australia, surfing a a headline sport.

Reply by ben brewer September 21, 2010 08:14pm PDTReport Abuse

laktiti, I call BS on you. Noone who ever tried surfing would or could ever say that or have so little understanding of the sport, and I do not mean renting a board on a 2 foot day. Surfers take a lot of hits and do charge walls of water. You have to paddle through them just to get out to the break, and you get beat a lot just doing that. You are a sissy and a liar. Prove me wrong and show up at my beach. Skateboarding is an awesome sport as is football, but why don't you count the fatalities from both of them and compare it to surfing fatalities.
Bottom line I have played football, basketball, used to compete amateur in FASL for skateboarding, you are full of it.

Reply by arkayem September 21, 2010 08:22pm PDTReport Abuse

You're all idiots, why are you people comparing completely different sports to each other.
Skurfing, Parasailing, Wakeboarding, Snowboarding, skateboarding, even Alpine skiing all have MUCH more similarities to surfing than Basket Ball and Football combined...useless pointless arguments over this guy. He is an awesome athlete in his own sport, honor him, praise him, celebrate him for that alone, because thats the only sport he has dominated, and probably the only one he ever will....much props to him in any case.

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 08:31pm PDTReport Abuse

the numbers of fatalities in PRO surfing and the NFL im sure are both low. im talking about pro events. im sure there are alot of deaths from surfing, but id gaurntee it most if not almost all happen from ameatures and not during a pro surfing competition.

Reply by eriksiles September 21, 2010 08:39pm PDTReport Abuse

lakititi obviously doesnt know anything about surfing. I dont understand what he is trying to prove by saying he would like to see slate go up against a linebacker? that has nothing to do with being a great athlete. It just sounds like your trying to make football seem tougher. IF you would read the article it is about an athlete that has dominated HIS sport for 20 years straight. I dont know any football player that has been an All-Star for 20 years. All of you who are comparing Slater to some football player are retarded. you make no sense. i really would like to know the point of your statements, such as saying you want to see slater go up against a NFL linebacker. it has nothing to do with dominating your sport for 20 years. damn rednecks

Reply by uzi_topete September 21, 2010 08:40pm PDTReport Abuse

He does deserve more credit I definetly agree with that. but i don't think he wants to be involved in the press and spotlight and all that junk. I'm sure he enjoys the privacy he has now

Reply by rob vaillancourt September 21, 2010 08:47pm PDTReport Abuse

i like apples but oranges are pretty good too right?
comparing team sports to individual sports really?
no one is helping Kelly get wins!
hay, Mate push me in to the next set! lol......

Reply by ben brewer September 21, 2010 08:56pm PDTReport Abuse

From an American, the aussies are in general great people, they know how to party, and their women are so much more fun than the uptight little daddy's little princesses most American girls are. So, lay off the ignorant America is No 1 redneck rant. Actually Australia consistently is rated as a better place to live with happier people overall(and better waves generally).

Reply by eriksiles September 21, 2010 09:16pm PDTReport Abuse

scoober1989, i still dont understand your point of kelly not being able to handle football. what are you trying to prove. This article is not about the toughest sport or the toughest athlete in the world. you are stupid.

Reply by comrade adam jordan September 21, 2010 09:22pm PDTReport Abuse

I think the thing that we are missing in our understandings is that the two sports are completely different. In America (I am American), the sports are, for the most part, team oriented. Sure, a running back or a pitcher could have a great day, and Ray Lewis may be on fire, but they are part of a team. If the line breaks down, the running back gets slammed; if a batter hits a pitch, someone has to catch it; and if Ray Lewis was by himself, he too would get beat by the rest of the offense. They all play on teams. Even soccer, a player could be doing amazing, but without a goalie or other team mates, you are going to get beat down. But in surfing, and golf, you are all alone, and while this has no effect on whether someone is better or worse, it does change the atmosphere. Now, I am not denying whether Slater is the best athlete ever, I'm simply saying that putting these two sports on the same scale is irrational. Ray Lewis is a better athlete than Slater... at football. But in the same logic, Slater is the better athlete in surfing. A period of time, while it can help, is not necessarily a show of greatness, either. Consider the presidencies of America, each serves a term of either four or eight years, with exceptions, and the greatest is not an easy feat to pick. but they have served the same time. It is not the time in which you have to do something, but rather what you have done in the amount of time you have been given that is a grade of greatness. And I believe it is with that definition, one could decide, relatively, who the greatest athlete is in history. Unfortunately, I am but a seventeen year-old boy, and therefore I have not lived long enough to say who the greatest is. But whether you believe football or soccer the harder sport, one cannot deny that Slater is in fact a great athlete.

Reply by comrade adam jordan September 21, 2010 09:24pm PDTReport Abuse

Crap, I meant football or surfing the harder sport. Well, I'm dumb. Oh well. Ha ha.

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 09:33pm PDTReport Abuse

eriksiles, did you read what my comment was replying to?? or are you just taking it out of context like i brought it up rendomly. how about you READ what the op said and then what i said. you are an idiot for not reading before typing.

Reply by d_rob15 September 21, 2010 09:43pm PDTReport Abuse

This is the most pointless argument ever. SPORTS AREN'T MEASURED BY HOW DAMN IMPOSSIBLE THEY ARE. Just because surfing is harder than football, or vice versa, doesn't one sport is better than the other. People watch/play sports because they LOVE THAT SPORT. And you can't honestly compare two sports or decide who is the best athlete of any sport.

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 09:52pm PDTReport Abuse

this thread went from one thing to a complete other due to people not reading the posts that caused other posts.

Reply by home13run September 21, 2010 10:00pm PDTReport Abuse

These are the dumbest arguments that exist. I am not a surfer, I grew up playing the traditional American ball sports but you can't argue the fact that the guy is an amazing athlete. At the same time you can't compare what he does to other sports. He grew up surfing and he is amazing at it, If he had grown up playing baseball be might have played that professionally. Surfing is a smaller sport which means not as many athletes try. If surfing got the same attention that some of the major sports do there would be 100 times the competition and I guarantee there would be a lot more people at his level. He is an amazing athlete but to say that he is the best athlete in the world is ignorant. I am a big Kelly Slater fan but you can't say that no ball player can do it. Of course they can't, it takes training to excel in anything.

Reply by jeg0311 September 21, 2010 10:01pm PDTReport Abuse

The question is how much does surfing really wear and tear on the body after 20 years. With sports like boxing, football and mma your body is constantly being abused in the worst possible ways. Its being punished on a regular basis, injury's are more frequent and rehab and recovery is long and strenious (I know surfing has its ruff areas but be honest). How can you stay at the top of your game and be dominant when your being sidelined off and on and your body is deteriating afterwards? I'm not saying hes the worst or the best, I'm just pointing out that the best athlete of all time can be almost impossible to determine based on the above facts

Reply by matt appleton September 21, 2010 10:14pm PDTReport Abuse

if you don't think surfing requires athleticism, find the best "mainstream sports" athletes you know and have them surf a small day at 2-4ft with professional physical instruction. then, find the best surfers you know and have them play a "mainstream sport" of your choice with only verbal instruction. guaranteed results;
mainstream sports athletes= complete failure to execute the basic task without physical help. all while being afraid of drowning in the small scale surf. most likely doing so poorly after a few hours they don't ever want to try again.
surfers= after 5 min, basic execution of primary tasks with only verbal instructions. after a few hours, you would have to be told they 've never played before.

Reply by ctmcclune1957 September 21, 2010 10:19pm PDTReport Abuse

The power of a wave can kill you, and it's not the only thing in the ocean that's deadly! Getting hit by another human who weighs 265, running flat out, wearing a hardened poly helmut, can do serious damage! Ask Mike Utley and many others. Let's ask Jesse Billauer! Athletes can be crippled or even killed in any sport. STOP

The question is,"Name an athlete, any athlete, who has been THE dominate force in THEIR RESPECTIVE Sport for TWO decades, Kelly just did that, now who else is there, and in what sport?

Karch Kiraly comes to mind won first of three NCAA I Championships for UCLA in 79, 84 and 88 Olypic Gold Medals for the USA, FIVB named him the top player in the world in 86 & 88, then hit the beach and won 148 titles before winning another Olympic Gold Medal in 96 for the USA, and he is still winning at age 45! he has one at least 1 tournament in 24 of the 27 seasons he has played spanning four decades since 1978!

I don't know if he can take a hit? But at 45 years old I wish I had a 30 inch verticle jump out of the sand!!

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 10:20pm PDTReport Abuse

thats stupid, they could "play" the sport, but not compared to a professional. just like a baseball player could surf just not as well as a professional would. kelly slater couldnt get "verbal" instruction and hit a home run, just like albert pujols couldnt ride a wave with "verbal" instruction. stupid arguement.

Reply by rl418 September 21, 2010 10:41pm PDTReport Abuse

I played plenty of football. And surfed with plenty of all-star athletes from football, basketball, and various other sports that also happen to be surfers. It is extremely difficult to make someone like scoober understand just how brutal & dangerous surfing can be. No offense but your "15-20 second" comment makes it pretty obvious how far off you are. One good paddle out into even 6 to 7 ft solid surf would change your perspective immediately. It can be extremely intimidating & even downright scary. Then there are those 10 to 15 ft. days at somewhere like Puerto Escondido where the fear factor is off the charts. Paddling out fueled by adrenaline and fear. Looking up at a mammoth mountain of power surging straight up into the sky, blocking out everything, and bearing down on you like a freight train. No, I've never been tackled by Ray Lewis but I have gone over the falls on a double overhead Puerto Escondido. A wave with enough power to light a small city. And I've been held under water long enough to think "this could be it". So if you never paddle out, you will never know.

Reply by matt appleton September 21, 2010 10:46pm PDTReport Abuse

scoober, that's my point. the surfers could PLAY the sport functionally, but the mainstream sports athletes could not even ride minimal scale waves without being pushed into it. one aspect that goes unseen by spectators about surfing is the ability to spot where and when a wave will form. it takes months of sitting in the water waveless while the experienced surfers surf circles around you seemingly getting every wave...and you haven't even attempted the riding part yet. if you want to see what i'm talking about go to the nearest popular break and watch 50 guys in the water, and only a handful are actually surfing the waves. and when you do actually see one of the rookies catch a wave, you'll have a good laugh at how awkward they look. by the way i play semi pro baseball and surf huntington beach everyday where this takes place, so i'm speaking from a first hand point of view.

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 10:50pm PDTReport Abuse

they could do the basics, like catch and throw. but they couldnt hit pitches being thrown at a major league lever, and hitting is basic in baseball. what are the basics of surfing? paddeling and swimming? most athletes could do that. im not saying surfing isnt hard or dangerous. thats not something ive said in any of my comments.

Reply by matt appleton September 21, 2010 10:54pm PDTReport Abuse

to 1418. great point. unless you are experienced in both surfing and traditional sports like you and i, you have no idea. i've had friends watch me from the peir in 4-6ft and they call the waves small and easy. then i get them in the water on a board and they won't follow me past the white wash because they are legitimately afraid at that point of actually drowning.

Reply by andrew humble September 21, 2010 11:02pm PDTReport Abuse

A ton of surfers couldn't throw a ball correctly 5 yards. Or learn how to catch a well thrown ball 50 yards a way. A surfer couldn't block a 350lb giant for 1 second. And now compare surfers to basketball players? Please... they are white! White people... all we have is swimming and surfing.... they already took golf from us!

Reply by ashley taylor September 21, 2010 11:27pm PDTReport Abuse

The Undertaker has been the most dominant Wrestler in the WWE for 20 years. He's 18-0 at Wrestlemania. That's an accomplishment that no other athlete from any other sport could ever hope to match or surpass!

Reply by anth10114 September 21, 2010 11:32pm PDTReport Abuse

as far as danger and pain intensity goes:
25 foot wave>any hit from any football player
if you disagree, you haven't surfed.

Reply by matt appleton September 21, 2010 11:42pm PDTReport Abuse

scoober why do you keep saying "at the professional level". yeah no shit they couldn't hit the ball at the professional level ya goober. professionals commonly can't hit at the professional level. i didn't use pipeline or teahupoo as the surfing equivalent did i? i said 2-4 ft waves. that's the equivalent of a softball toss. your willful ignorance is becoming obvious. look, if you wanna understand how difficult surfing is, go try. you'll feel like an a-hole kook with a couple of your friends falling on every attempt if you even catch the wave, and yet you'll somehow have the time of your life.

Reply by southern_57 September 21, 2010 11:44pm PDTReport Abuse

Stop smokin dope there will never be a "best athlete ever" there are too many variables. Even if there were it won't be a surfer. I'm not saying surfing isn't a hard sport but it is no where near the toughest.
A few examples of dominate athletes who don't get enough attention either Ty Murray, Bruce Ford, Bill Linderman, Larry Mahan and Roy Cooper. All dominated their sport spamming 2 decades and that's a lot harder to accomplish considering their sport was rodeo. So no, he is not the best athlete ever.....seriously.

Reply by scoober1989 September 22, 2010 12:06am PDTReport Abuse

anth, noones arguing that a wave isnt as powerful as a hit.
Matt, the only thing i have BEEN talking about is professional to professional. bviously you are in terrible shape or very uncoordinated person i would gaurntee most people could at minimum stand up on a board for a couple seconds, obviosly they would fall, but is that not basic surfing??? being able to stand up?? you are an idiot arguing with me about things i wasnt talking about, i never said any thing about surfing not being hard, i never said anyone could go out and surf, and i never said a surfer couldnt go out and play other sports. go look at my original post and feel like an idiot some more. you are talking about hings i never brought up. YOU brought them up. you cant compare surfing to baseball at all. a 2ft wave equals NOTHING in baseball, or softball. obviosly you have never seen an uncoordinated person attempt to play baseball they swing awkwardly and that throw like they have a 12inch arm. and an uncoordinated baseball player(when it comes to surfing) would look like a seal on a sphere of ice, sliding off into the water. you brought all this up, not me, i am just replying to you stupidness.

Reply by vincent michael almendros September 22, 2010 01:25am PDTReport Abuse

i can name one person that dominated his whole life.. Michael Schumacher been racing since 1990 with senna and lets see you make turns that fast

Reply by chicracing2 September 22, 2010 01:28am PDTReport Abuse

For those of you saying surfing is not a sport, i'd like you to try it then tell me that. I personally race motocross, and our "extreme sports" as you like to call them are extreme for a reason. NOT a lot of people have the balls to do what we do. Motocross and surfing are up there as some of the most physically and mentally demanding sports there are. Most of you assume that its easy, well i welcome you to try it. Try swinging your leg over a motorcycle and hitting a 150 ft triple.. try getting on that surfboard and go to Pipe, I guarantee you wouldnt last 2 seconds. All of the sports you are refering to are team based, there is NO teams out there in the ocean or on the track. Its you and you only. And Slater, Trey Canard, Shawn White, and many other extreme athletes have worked their asses off their entire lives to get where they are. So is Slater the Best Athlete? HELL YA.

Reply by lerouleau September 22, 2010 02:34am PDTReport Abuse

I'm French, 36 yo married to an american woman for 11 years - work for an airline company and i've been going to US more than 50 times in the last 20 years.
Americans are famous for being very attracted to their belly in terms of (Vs ?) international culture (i consider sport as part of it). I'm then not surprised with the comments below.

My dad was a sport teacher, assisted him managing many clubs and associations.
- I've practiced Rugby for about 15 years, Thaï Box for 5 years - in terms of "violent sports" (and practiced randomly almost the totality of occidental sports... and Surf :o)

I was in Bali last month - Jimbaran Beach. Waves can be strong there, short and pretty tall as well.
Missed a wave, went down broke my nose (again)against the bottom, cracked my back, neck, etc... basically, almost died or being paralysed like to many people playing with boards without being well prepared.
I've been lucky this time.
When i left the water i deeply thought about those surfers falling into "walls" of water... are they humans ???

Well, i can then assure you that there is not that many sports like this one :
It looks fun
It looks easy
You practice in front of every one like you would walk on the beach
You can wear a simple bathing suit (nothing needs to be "pro" about it)

The thing is you deal with SEA. The "biggest" and "strongest" element on earth !
Sea can hold a volcan and TOTALLY destroy your body in 3 seconds or less.
I don't think any Football or UFC player/fighter can do this.

No offense. Of course.

Reply by markus01 September 22, 2010 03:22am PDTReport Abuse

I've never heard so much trash in all my life.
(American) Football is a sort played only in the main-line in the North America - in the rest of the world it doesnt feature or is a minority sport - deal with it!
It isn't what defines sport and certainly doesn't deal with individual skill only as its a team sport, with talented individuals, who couldn't win only by themsleves.
Slater, is a trained athlete who works to continually improve on his individual skills, if you read the article and have had the honour of witnessing this man in the flesh, you would understand his achievements. His reign over very talented individuals who are competing and training to win "World Titles" note I said "world" not just the US, is second to none, he has already achieved this 9 times in 2 decades.
To put it this way - if Roger Federer had been competing for 2 decades and was World No.1 for 9 years out of those 20 having taken a 4 year break in-between to "retire" then he would probably be up there as the best athlete ever.
Also please realise that these surfers dont just compete in 1 contest a year but also have "tour competitions" to aculmulate their No 1 title over the year and in different conditions.
Kudos has to go to Slater - amazing talent and unbelievable drive to acheive what he has done.
A South African view-point who has played rugby all my life without helmets or the body armour of NFL players and also weighs in at 250 pounds and manages to surf as well - and I am no youngster either....
Slater - the best athlete ever!
Markus

Reply by theinkedsurfer September 22, 2010 06:14am PDTReport Abuse

@belv
There are clearly arguments to both sides here, but you're taking a "FOX news" look at this. I come from a background of mainstream sports, and not just the lackadaisical participant, I mean in the gym every morning, and on the practice field every afternoon athlete. I also started surfing after college. You are completely down-grading an entire world you know nothing about. If you don't think Americans (or any other countries for that matter) care about surfing, grab a board and head to the closest break you can and just paddle out (or attempt to) and see what happens. Try to paddle into the first wave you see, disregarding everyone else in the lineup, and let us know how that works out for you.
As for power, an elite football player will hit with 1600+ lbs of force (http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/physics/4212171), just a decent size wave can easily have 10x this much force (http://www.jordanseriesdrogue.com/D_9.htm). I've been hit by some incredible NCAA free safeties, and I've also been elevator dropped from the peak of a 15 foot wave-give me the free safety any day of the week. Not to mention you wear pads AND a helmet in Football, and a helmet in Baseball. (I've also been hit multiple times with 90+ mph fastballs, which I still prefer to getting slammed on a sharp reef.)
On to money. Just like baseball and football, surfing is a BILLION dollar industry. Walk into any mall in America and tell me if you see more Hurley, Billabong, O'Neil, Reef, and etc. apparel, or more NFL/MLB apparel. Slater alone has WON over $3 million in his career, which doesn't even come close to what he's earned through endorsements and sponsorships. Some of the events pay over $100k to the winner. For one day of competition. Sure, it doesn't seem like a lot compared to Tiger, but how many other golfers are winning what Tiger has?
The point of all this is not to prove that Surfing is better or harder in any way, but to disprove the logic in your post.
Now go surf!

Reply by rl418 September 22, 2010 06:55am PDTReport Abuse

If Kelly Slater was from Australia he would be a national hero, they would be naming streets & libraries after him. And no (lakitti) you've never really been surfing. I'm not sure what you experienced but it wasn't surfing. My guess is you went boogie boarding in some 2 foot wind chops in the middle of summer in the gulf with your girlfriend. I'm pretty sure you've never sat in the line-up when the waves were slapping the bottom of the pier. Or scratched for the horizan trying to get over the top of an 8 ft. Escondido monster before ruined your day. (no biggie)

Reply by sk8dok September 22, 2010 08:06am PDTReport Abuse

I'd like to see your football and baseball boys slam into a razor sharp reef with the force of a couple tons. But then again they don"t even have the cardio to make the paddle out on a 10 foot day. I doubt they could tread water for one minute without going under and drowning. You don't die from a 250 pound linebacker hitting you. But i bet your football or baseball players wouldn't come back up from a good hit on the reef.

Reply by sk8dok September 22, 2010 08:11am PDTReport Abuse

Reply by jasmyne September 22, 2010 09:13am PDTReport Abuse

I'm sorry, but you guys that are comparing Apples to Oranges are all idiots, and this is an idiotic discussion.

To say ..I'd like to see [insert football/baseball/basketball player here] ride a wave like Slater is stupid. Just as it's stupid to say I'd like to see Slater make a catch and run it long for a TD is stupid.

Why can't people be good at their respective sports without the comparison, because it's a totally different thing? Yes. They would drown because they are NOT surfers, but engage in other sports. Just like if ANY of you, Slater included, got on the field/court doing something that is NOT your sport may get "crushed" or hurt, or dominated on, or whatever.

Let this man and his accomplishments Live! And the same for any other Athlete who is great in their respective field.

Stop measuring dicks and grow up.

Reply by jasmyne September 22, 2010 09:14am PDTReport Abuse

Reply by wonderdude September 22, 2010 09:43am PDTReport Abuse

This arguing is ridiculous, yet entertaining. But, c'mon, I think all you dudes and dudettes would rather be pile-driven by Ray Lewis and raked over the reef by the gnarliest, shreddin' monster bombs all day long, than hit pavement after falling 13,000 feet out of an airplane when your parachute doesn't open. That said, skydiving is not tougher or better than any other sport -- it's just different. There are all sorts of "sports" these days, and comparing them to another is the apples and oranges thing.

Chris Mauro would have been able to win more people over if he didn't try to elevate surfing by demeaning other sports. The atricle also suffers from the whiny 'ol "WHY-don't-you-respect-my-not-so-popular-passion" argument.

Surfing is challenging, and you have to be quite an athlete to do it well, but it's just not *that* popular. Sure, it'll probably take a while to shake the "Jeff Spicoli" image, but I bet it's fan base will grow. As popular as skateboarding and snowboarding? Probably not, since there just aren't that many places in the world for people to participate in it. But who knows? More power to people who love it, and I would agree Kelly Slater is an icon in sports.

To throw another all-time dominating athlete's name into the mix, however, you have to consider the "Wizard of Hockey." Three Olympic gold medals, over 1000 goals in international competition, his country's highest lifetime athletic achievement award bears his name, and his birthday is celebrated as National Sports Day by over a billion people. During the 1936 Berlin Olympics, this completely non-aryan dude stuck with his national team and declined Adolf Hitler's offer to become a German citizen and Field Marshall in the Nazi Army. India's Dhyan Chand was king of men's field hockey for two decades.

No, I'm not a field hockey fan (and I haven't ever jumped out of a plane); I just happened across Dhyan Chand's amazing story a few years ago, and it stuck with me.

Reply by oakasbaseballjunkie September 22, 2010 10:15am PDTReport Abuse

One problem is "greatest" is often limited to "physically toughest". Decathlon is often excluded from "greatest". So are other -thons like biathlon and triathlon. Extreme fighting should also be considered into the fray if boxing and wrestling are also included. Weight lifting is also physically tough.

Another major problem with you foreigners is that you exclude the most 4 popular team sports in the USA (hockey, basketball, gridiron football and baseball) to determine the greatest athlete. Hockey starts with skating ability in addition to hand-eye coordination and physical toughness. Quarterbacking requires toughness as well as strategy. Soccer players would not want to get hit like a quarterback.

The most difficult activity in sports is hitting a baseball. Hitting also requires some bravery. Fielding requires throwing as well as hand-eye coordination. Pitching requires a skill set like that of a quarterback without any danger of being hit by an opponent but a pitch can end hit him and end his career.

I exclude athletes from extreme sports, machine/animal sports and martial arts in determining the greatest athlete. Here are my top 4. Each is in a hall of fame. Each one changed his sport.

4. Michael Jordan, basketball.
3. Joe Montana, quarterback. Simply the greatest in his position.
2. George Blanda, quarterback and placekicker. Why? Hall of fame in each position ALONE.
1. Babe Ruth. Why him? Few men can pitch well and hit. Hall of fame as pitcher and hitter. He could also play all four positions that are tailored for left-handed people.

Reply by deeppit September 22, 2010 11:04am PDTReport Abuse

I hate the word "athlete" being used to descride someone who plays 1 sport. A couple reason why he's been on top are: 1. He's his own team. 2. No one's trying to stop him or competing at the exact same time (Alone on a wave).

Reply by kelsey anne schiel September 22, 2010 11:31am PDTReport Abuse

everyone should know by now you can't compare sports.. each athlete is great at what they do but you will never be as good as the other at what they do. respect every person who is great at what ever they do.. its not worth the fight to say if surfing is a sport if slater is an athlete... It doesn't really matter! he is amazing at what he does. just honor his dedication and skill!

Reply by jboogieman81 September 22, 2010 12:19pm PDTReport Abuse

Hey scoober1989,

Sport is defined by many of the world's leading dictionaries as, "an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition." So I guess swimming, cheerleading, and surfing are all sports based on common worldly definitions. Oh but you are in your own little world and make up your own words and definitions then those held commonly by the rest of the world.

Reply by jboogieman81 September 22, 2010 12:23pm PDTReport Abuse

Here's what you said so you don't continue to try and claim someone took you out of context because these are your own words buddy.

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 07:41pm PDTReport Abuse
just cause something is hard doesnt make it an authentic sport. cheerleading and swimming are hard, but are they a sport? no. to paraphrase kenny powers "im trying to be the baest at a sport, not the best at exercising"

Reply by jblue September 22, 2010 12:28pm PDTReport Abuse

Anyone, NFL player, pro-surfer, all the above would be destroyed by a direct hit from Ray Lewis or a direct hit from Pipe Line.

Kelly is not great for handling beat downs or surfing big waves. He is great for his athletic performance while riding waves of all sizes. Most pro-surfers were top team sports athletes where they grew up. But they had the added benefit of living near the coast. The lifestyle that comes with the sport of surfing is hard to resist. So, these pro athletes chose to pursue waves rather than team sports. The quickness, strength, and endurance required to surf at a pro-level is on par with football, soccer, hockey, basketball and other fast sports. The coordination required to surf at that level in in line with baseball, hockey and soccer and basketball. Kelly Slater has dominated three generations of these elite athletes. If you have doubts about surfing's place in athletics, just go to any Southern California or Floridian High School that is with 10 miles of the coast. All of the surfers at these schools are or were top's in a traditional team sports before they found surfing. If Kelly suited up as a football player when he was younger, he would have dodged a hit from Ray Lewis rather than take it head on (Kelly is only 5'8" after all.). His quickness, strength, coordination and endurance make him one of the greatest all time athletes. He's a mutant of physical ability and flexabilty. If the whole population of the USA surfed, he would still be dominant. The whole Australian population surfs, and they cant produce one person to get even close to Kelly's over all ability. Kelly Slater gets paid a couple million dollars a year to travel the world, surf in exotic locations, and compete. Oh, and...surfing has by far the hottest groupies.

Reply by belv September 22, 2010 12:55pm PDTReport Abuse

Reply by chicracing2 September 22, 2010 01:03pm PDTReport Abuse

hey deeppit:

how do you think he developed his skills? By being on a wave with tons of other people. And the same can be said about a number of other sports. Golf? There is no one doing anything at the exact same time your swinging that club, but they are considered athletes.

Reply by scoober1989 September 22, 2010 01:10pm PDTReport Abuse

jboogie, that is what i said but YOU are taking it another way that it is intended, see the word authentic?? by that i meant traditional, or original, or seen to the masses as. just because a cheerleader thinks cheerleading is a sport and a chef things cooking is a sport, doesnt mean it is. so yes you still are taking it as i didnt ,mean. and i wan talking about the first statement i made about slater going against a linebacker. so why dont you read the whole conversation instead of just one part okay kid?

Reply by scoober1989 September 22, 2010 01:11pm PDTReport Abuse

the only people comparing "apples to oranges" are people that didnt read what was originally said, just people that see the word football and assume what is being talked about.

Reply by will herbert September 22, 2010 01:49pm PDTReport Abuse

alright seriously. I play basketball and football, and both of them are difficult. But you people are missing the point. Id get wrecked if i went out and tried to surf, just as a surfer would get destroyed if he played basketball with me (not bragging). Its all about how much time and effort you put into a sport. I this guy the article is on, slater, trained as hard as he did for football as he did surfing, he'd be in the NFL. The games are all relative. You cannot compare surfing and football. you cannot.

Reply by jryanc1988 September 22, 2010 03:14pm PDTReport Abuse

Scoober,

Swimming is not a sport? So, Michael Phelps and Amanda Beard aren't athletes according to you? I have the feeling that you define "sport" simply by as sport that's mainstream in America.

"they could "play" the sport, but not compared to a professional. just like a baseball player could surf just not as well as a professional would. kelly slater couldnt get "verbal" instruction and hit a home run, just like albert pujols couldnt ride a wave with "verbal" instruction. "
--> here, you are defining a distinct skill, and it is true that some sports take more skill, or coordination. But other sports, such as swimming require more speed and endurance, as well as proper technique. Sure you may know how to swim, but your technique and endurance in the water most likely sucks, so you could never last with pro swimmers (or surfers for that matter). Just like my technique in hitting a baseball sucks, so I would never last with pro baseball players.

Reply by john carrol September 22, 2010 03:45pm PDTReport Abuse

you know......... hunting wildlife is a sport.

Reply by grindtvguy September 22, 2010 03:51pm PDTReport Abuse

Definition of Athlete:
a person trained to compete in sports or exercises involving physical strength, speed, or endurance
Definition of Sport:
physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively

Scoober, the last time I checked, surfing is a physical activity, it has a set of rules, and it is often engaged in competitively. Slater is a person trained to compete in surfing, which involves physical strength, speed, and endurance. (What does endurance mean? You try staying on a wave for 2 seconds.) Even if you don't agree, a professional chef may consider cooking a sport because it involves skill, precision, organization, and timing. Can you cook as well as a professional chef? The answer is the same as running a ball past Patrick Willis and Ray Lewis, or surfing as well as Slater. If you can't do any of those, you obviously can't decide on what is a sport and what is not. Yes, I understand that you aren't saying that surfing is easy, but don't you think that putting a comment about Slater not standing a chance against football players right after a comment praising Slater would imply that? Go over your comments again and interpret them as if you were another reader passing by. And for reference, here's the original comment you were talking about:
id like to see slater try to run a ball past patrick willis and ray lewis. hed get bones broken. surfing is an activity. or extreme "sport"

I'd like to see Patrick Willis and Ray Lewis try to ride a wave as well as Slater. They'd get their bones broken. Or they might drown.

Reply by bneal933 September 22, 2010 03:56pm PDTReport Abuse

Apples to Oranges boys and girls you all are really dumb for comparing the two. Slater is bomb at Surfing, Rice is bomb at football, Gretzky is bomb at hockey, Pujols is bomb at baseball, Jordan is bomb at basketball, Pele is bomb at futbol, Sugar Ray is bomb at boxing. The problem is you cannot compare anyone to anyone because they are all in differerent realms. Their is no possible way to say someone is the best athlete ever because they all play at different eras and have a different amount of participation for their sport at the time. It is sad to see how an athlete is characterized as someone who can take the most physical punishment. or who is not afraid to do something life threatening or "ballsy"..if that were the case then I think Happy Gilmore deserves the crown for taking baseballs straight to the dome, or hell maybe even kenny from south park he gets killed every episode, or evil kanevil no one dominated the realm of dare devil stunts like he did. Member a sport is defined as "physically exerting yourself" JBOOGIEMAN81. This is a dumb comparisson and lets praise Slater's accomplishments as well as all the other DOMINATE ATHLETES in their respective sports.

P.S. couldnt you maybe even say that Deon Sanders is an amazing athlete....played two sports professionally, that is hard to do MJ couldnt even get to the BIGS. Or Antonio Gates never played an ounce of football till he got drafted, now he is the best TE in the game. Just a food for though for everyone.

Reply by kyle cablay September 22, 2010 04:06pm PDTReport Abuse

all of you who say that surfing isnt hard- you are all ignorant. football, baseball, soccer, swimming, wrestling, nascar, hockey, you name it- are all extremely difficult. you have obviously never tried surfing. try surfing 6 foot plus surf and you will see that surfing is right up there. whether surfing is a sport or not is another matter. surfing is just as physically demanding and requires the same amount of dedication as any other sport.

Reply by scoober1989 September 22, 2010 05:02pm PDTReport Abuse

ok lets get this started. i will state again, i never compared football to surfing. and with that defintion grind tv guy cooking could be a sport, as could cleaning. personally i draw the line before x games and surfing. i understand how people are reading my stements, the see NFL and patrick willis and assume what im talking about .
OP: "I'd like to see your toughest NFL dude paddle into a 'bomb' @ Pipe or Chopes - he'd shit himself!"
i replied saying slater wouldnt fare so well against an NFL player.
I never compared the two i never said one was better.
and i in no means compared surfing dangers to that of a tackle. this whole thing started because some person read half of my statments and started arguing and others followed.

Reply by nopper September 22, 2010 05:13pm PDTReport Abuse

By what the posts above me say, then Worlds Greatest Athlete? What a joke. Now, by the articles definition, possibly. Depends on definition of athlete.

Usually the worlds greatest athlete is considered to be the olympic decathalon winner. Why? It is 10 different events that incorporate measures of speed, strength, endurance, etc. Could Slater even make the olympics in the decathalon, or any event? Absolutely not.

Some consider an athlete to be someone who is highly skilled in multiple sports. Measures all the things listed above and includes skill, hand-eye coordination, versatility. This guy wouldnt be able to play 2 sports professionally or even collegitaly, which many have already done.

The guy is obviously the most dominate in his sport ever, Im not doubting that. But many of the above posts make this guy out to be one of the worlds best based on the other 2 definitions I listed above, he is not.

BTW, my vote for worlds greatest goes to Jim Thorpe. Olympic gold medal decathalon, played pro football, basketball, and baseball.

Reply by nopper September 22, 2010 05:45pm PDTReport Abuse

Second. No one is doubting how difficult surfing is or how tough or durable Slater is. But these posts saying "oh a football player couldnt even stand on a wave" Of course they couldnt, could you the first time you tried?

Mentioning football players couldnt even peform the most basic task of surfing and comparing it with surfers could perform basic football skills with only verbal instruction is the stupidest thing Ive ever heard. You are right, but the reason Scoober mentions he couldnt compete with the pros is because direct physical competiton is what defines greatness in a sport like that. Anyone could catch or throw a ball but very few can do it when up against great ATHLETES.

By using direct comparison of slater to football and football players to surfing further illustrates my point that he, in no way, is the worlds greatest athlete. It directly points to my earlier post of being competitive at multiple sports.

@jblue "The quickness, strength, and endurance required to surf at a pro-level is on par with football"..... "His quickness, strength, coordination and endurance make him one of the greatest all time athletes".....Seriously? I mean seriously? Low end Rookies coming into the NFL have combine results of 4.5 40 yard dash, 35" vertical leap, bench press 225 15x. This guy is 5'9 160#s. He stands on a board. While his endurance and coordination may trump 99% of the NFL, his quickness and strength are nowhere close. He may have great functional strength utilized in surfing, this is nothing like squats, bench press, and power cleans.

The two sports are not comparable....THE END

Reply by eddie September 22, 2010 06:08pm PDTReport Abuse

i totally agree that just because most of the US dont see surfing as a sport doesnt mean that he cant be one of the greatest athletes ever. Surfing requires skill, endurance and athleticism just like any other sport. hes definitely the best at the sport he plays and if you compare stats to the best of any other sport, then he definitely wins by a long shot. and dont even say that surfers arent quick cuz in some situations you have to think quick and act quick or else your whole run is done. Plus if your trying to say that slater cant play football or baseball or some other sport then let me see the best guy from that sport surf like a pro, 99% of them wont even be able to stand on a surf board or ride a wave for even 2 seconds.

Reply by nopper September 22, 2010 06:17pm PDTReport Abuse

Finally, there are tons of sports that require skills that are not possessed immediately by top pro athletes in the 4 major sports (football, baskeball, hockey, baseball). This in no way has any bearing on athletic ability, its skills.

An earlier post states that if surfing were as popular in America as football or basketball then there would be 100 times the competitors at his level. This is true. And someone said go to the beaches, theres tons of surfers. Maybe, but its a sport that neglects probably 48 of the states.

As an example, Im a huge MMA fan. This sport has grown enourmously in popularity the past 5-8 years. Pure wrestlers like Matt Hughes and pure kickboxers like Chuck Lidell are getting killed by newer guys who are just much better athletes. Guys who would usually wrestle or box now go to this sport. Right now, Georges St Pierre looks unbeatable because hes stronger, faster, and bigger than everyone in his division. Soon there will be many who surpass him in the respect of athleticism.

Its just common sense. More people join, the better athletes will rise to the top. Slater may be the best, but with a larger competition pool, he MIGHT not have been as dominant.

Reply by bneal933 September 22, 2010 07:00pm PDTReport Abuse

I think nopper might be the first intelligent person on this thread. And thank you for mentioning Jim Thorpe I forgot to mention him, but I think he might be too old for some people. Anyways thanks for actually sharing some actual intelligence to this thread.

Reply by baitup September 22, 2010 07:19pm PDTReport Abuse

Glad you asked! The answer is Roberto Duran. Won his first title in the 60's...fought in the 70's....fought in the 80's....fought in the 90's....and won his last title in 2003. Thats 5.....count 'em FIVE DECADES! His is a record that will NEVER be matched (especially in the sweet science).

Reply by bneal933 September 22, 2010 07:56pm PDTReport Abuse

I cant take boxing too seriously with their being about 50million titles that float around.

Posted by borris donovan September 20, 2010 10:31pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

No one has ever dominated a sport more.

http://www.prosurfingnews.com/index.php/2010/09/why-kelly-slater-is-the-greatest-athlete-of-our-time/

Reply by icancanoe September 21, 2010 07:39pm PDTReport Abuse

Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Karelin: Russian heavy weight wrestler who won 9 world championships, 3 gold medals in 3 olympics ('88, '92, '96), one silver ('00, only loss EVER) and with exception of that last Olympic match never had a single point scored on him in the last 6 years. Greco-Roman wrestling is head-to-head which is one of the most physically demanding of all sports and to have only one blemish in HIS ENTIRE CAREER is beyond comprehension.

Serge Corbin: marathon paddler from Quebec has won 99 % of the marathon canoe races he's entered since he was 16 and is currently in his late 40's and still winning. Typical race that he races are 20 - 120 miles in length.

Reply by ewkdp04 September 21, 2010 08:36pm PDTReport Abuse

Here's the problem with you're point - In NASCAR, Richard Petty was THE dominant driver for, what, 3 decades? Dale Earnhart for 2? Those guys didn't just win a few races here and there, they won a ton. And when they didn't win, they were in the top 3. Also, you have to think about the competition in surfing compared to, lets say, Baseball, Football, Basketball, NASCAR, and Soccer (the 5 most popular sports in the world...and please, don't say NASCAR isn't a sport, it's about endurance. Nearly nobody can sit in a car that gets up to 130 degrees for 4 straight hours and still be just fine, not to mention it is THE most popular sport in America). Think about the millions and millions(probably actually closer to billion) of people who play Football, Baseball, Basketball and Soccer, or wish they could play one of those sports. All of the people who played as children, played in High School, played in college, and played in the pros. Currently, in the NFL, there are over 1500 players. Over the last 2 decades, probably close to 20,000 players who have played in the NFL. Not to mention practice squads. In baseball, there are even more in the pros and minor leagues. Soccer? well that has well over 100,000 in pro and semi-pro leagues around the world.

Now think about surfing. Not that much competition. 99% of kids in America grow up playing a sport other than surfing. So it's not like he has a ton of up-and-coming competition. And besides for Kelly Slater, how many people can name any other pro surfers? And besides for the 10 pro surfers in the world, how many aren't pot-heads? Honestly, comparing a surfer to a person who plays a much harder, more loved, more played sport (like baseball, basketball, soccer, or football) is ridiculous. Even tennis is more competitive than surfing. This article is a joke, and seriously, Cal Ripkens accomplishments far outweigh anything Kelly Slater ever hopes he can do in this life.

Reply by icancanoe September 21, 2010 09:00pm PDTReport Abuse

RIGHT! it's a heck of lot harder to dominate a sport where there are millions aspiring to acheive greatness, than in a sport where only hundreds compete in.

Reply by ben brewer September 21, 2010 09:01pm PDTReport Abuse

ewkdp04, jusdging by the numerous prejudice statements, you are obviouslt a very uneduycated redneck. And you definitely have never tried surfing, never lved in a surf community to experience to competition that we have from th youngest age, and are stupid enough to compare Nascar to surfing as an athetic endeavor.

Reply by ben brewer September 21, 2010 09:02pm PDTReport Abuse

Millions? Come on! Who besides little nerds plays baseball these days?

Reply by icancanoe September 21, 2010 09:21pm PDTReport Abuse

Well, every list I looked at had baseball ranked as one of the top 10 in the world.

Reply by icancanoe September 21, 2010 09:31pm PDTReport Abuse

I have only tried surfing once. It is a great activity and I'm sure quite competitive for those that do it. But as someone who knows something about exercise physiology, bio-mechanics, kinesiology and many sports, I'd have to say there are many athletes that are far superior. Now have they dominated for as long? in many sports it's impossible to do so. The wear and tear on the body is too great. Lance Armstrong is a perfect example of that. There's just no way he can compete any more at that level. You'd be foolish to say Slater is a greater athlete. No question Slater's achievement ranks up there as truly great, but to say he's the "Best" ever is no looking at this objectively.

Reply by afitz September 21, 2010 09:55pm PDTReport Abuse

Perhaps you should try to paddle a surfboard against the current for 30 years or so and see what it is does to your shoulders and back. I should know, I started surfing at 13, and at 45 have a completely wrecked set of shoulders and some really messed up discs in my lower back, oh but that is ok, I must of gotten that on my bike or on my lounge chair watching NASCAR! If you really knew anything about exercise physiology and surfing, you would know that it beats your body to a pulp. Please get truly educated before speaking about a subject.

Reply by cristin kennedy September 21, 2010 10:50pm PDTReport Abuse

Nothing saddens me more, nothing in the world, than to tell you this, couplecraccz, especially since I don't remotely consider NASCAR a sport, endurance and element of danger aside, but by ATTENDANCE, annually, NASCAR outsells NFL football by over 100,000 attendees. That is sadly a verifiable fact for the last 22 years consecutively.

Reply by grneyedlady27 September 21, 2010 11:07pm PDTReport Abuse

I Absolutley Agree!!!! I pray all these teens absorbe about the severe pain as you get older from being pounded ,paddeling rushing to catch the WAVE.
My Dad tought my brother and I but i did get tubed 2 times but that was enough for me. My brother started at age 8 on my Dads long board but it became an addiction for him he surfed till 41 but now I am possitive he is pain free in Heaven catching the best waves anyone here on earth could surf... you and my brother worked hard paddeling, now surfers in my eyes it;s a breeze they jet skii to catch a wave.. you and my brother are the true champs!!!! but you feel it all the pain.... I will pray for your pain to be lifted....
Sincerly, Angel

Reply by rl418 September 21, 2010 11:33pm PDTReport Abuse

I think you are way under estimating the level of competition in pro surfing. And how much the sport has progressed. Pro surfing encompasses the world, not just the United States. Anywhere where ocean meets land there is surfing. So yes there are millions of surfers worldwide. Probably more than some of the more popular U.S. sports. Now look at the small number of openings on the Pro Surfing tour. The worst surfer on the tour is better than 99.9 % of the rest the world's best surfers. Surfing has always been a young man's sport & has progressed drastically over the past 20 years. Where older pro.s constantly get pushed aside by the young onslaught of arials, tailslides, 360's, Kelly somehow managed to stay at the forefront of all the progression. Whatever new innovations the next young group of surfer's brought, Kelly did it better. Unfortunately land locked America will never give him his due. And it is only because of a complete lack of understanding of how impossible & special his achievements are. It's not unfortunate for him, he'll be just fine. It's unfortunate for America.

Reply by rurikvred September 22, 2010 02:59am PDTReport Abuse

I read this great article about a year ago that ridiculed the "bull riders assoc" for stating they had "the most dangerous 8 seconds in sports". (http://www.successclick.com/the-most-dangerous-8-seconds-in-sports_2009_09_09/)

The most dangerous sport at its most competitive, without a doubt, is surfing. Some people said "football". Getting hit by Ray Lewis and Willis comes with simple preparation: are you in shape and do those pads and helmet work fine? Football is dangerous, (which I played in school) and its tough, but it doesn't compare with the dangers and injuries I received in my 12 years of surfing experiences.

Here's what you get with surfing in the way of danger:

1) Drowning (came close 20 times)
2) Pounded like kickbag (100s of times I thought I was in a car crash)
3) sharp coral reefs to slash your flesh (even a few knee scrapes feel like your skin is on fire)
4) sharks and other dangerous sea creatures
5) Slashed flesh and body parts chopped off by flying surfboards (saw a guy's nose get amputated by his fin. Wasn't pretty - I have six noticeable scars, broken knees, crushed sternum, etc)

Do you have the courage to paddle out into walls of water even only 10 feet high when you're at surface level looking up?

I'll brace myself for contact by any particular pro football player if I'm padded and a month of physical prep. You have to spend 5 yrs to physically and mentally prep yourself for surfing a 10 ft wave.

@ ewkdp04: The reason why there's a small amount of surfers worldwide is -- all of the above. Surfing is just too scary, bro. You'd need a six-pack to find your courage to paddle out in 3 foot mush (there's things swimming underneath you, dude!) To call a surfer a pothead is so uneducated it's silly.

Kelly Slater is THE top sportsman of this decade. Surfing IS the most dangerous, but the most fun and exhilarating sport in the world. Skimming across a natural force that is actually creating your locomotion, there's nothing like it anywhere.

Reply by kyletrush2328 September 22, 2010 07:46am PDTReport Abuse

If your'e going to talk about unheard of amazing athletes, forget Randy.(he's pretty well known and has plenty of losses) You should mention the great Fedor Emelianenko from Stary Oskol, Russia. He's the most dominant fighter in the world. Going undefeated in MMA for 10 years as a small heavyweight is unbelievable. He just suffered his first loss ever about two months ago and will soon make his comeback. He's also the champion of Combat Sambo. Too bad most American sports fans don't even know who this guy is.

Reply by goggles von squeeken September 22, 2010 01:01pm PDTReport Abuse

@ewkdp04: u make me sad. very sad. I have never smoked weed, and i have been surfing for as long as i have been able to swim (about 14 years). And does smoking weed neccesarily demerit a surfers accomplishments? didnt i hear somewhere that micheal phelps smokes weed? and besides profesional surfers like kelly do not smoke. Those guys have personal trainers and are as fit as any other type of profesional athelete.
If you go to australia, everyone surfs. Just like in America almost everyone plays baseball. dont be ignorant please.

Reply by rahf1 September 22, 2010 01:05pm PDTReport Abuse

This surfer is a tremendous athlete. But how can you consider him the greatest athlete ever? Werent these 9 titles voted on by subjective judges who decided he looked the best amoung his peers? How can he be considered the greatest athlete when he doesnt have to go head to head with another human being without the benefit of a judge deciding whether he looks better than the other guy?

Team sport or not, if you want to be considered the best athlete you should have to go head to head with another person without judges swaying the facts, and come out the winner conclusively. Until then this guy will never be the best in my mind.

Reply by icancanoe September 22, 2010 04:43pm PDTReport Abuse

afitz, First, you know nothing about me and I have not attacked anyone personally. I have been competing in many sports my whole life, first as a wrestler in Iowa (with good success), been racing canoes and kayaks for 30 years (placed many times in Nationals top 5, with a win in 2001), been x-country ski racing for 30 years (been in the first wave of the American Birkebeiner most of them) and been on the US Dragon Boat Team since 1997 with a hand full of gold medals from World Championships. so Yes, I do know something about exercise physiology, also due to the fact that I have studied at the college level in the subject.
the fact that you've torn yourself up by surfing is an interesting aspect of your life and is completely anecdotal.
Not to take anything away from Slater's accomplishment - it is amazing, but to say he's the Best athlete ever is ludicrous. I'M NOT BIASED. There are so many athletes that have achieved things that are even more remarkable as is being pointed out here and to dismiss them, because you're a surfer points to prejudice.

Reply by kbumpkins5 September 22, 2010 04:48pm PDTReport Abuse

icancanoe, I also dont think this surfing queer is an athlete, but neither is being on whatever the hell a dragon boat team is... or being a kayaker... try playing real sports :)

Reply by baitup September 22, 2010 07:12pm PDTReport Abuse

See post #415 for the answer

Reply by baitup September 22, 2010 07:19pm PDTReport Abuse

Reply by icancanoe September 22, 2010 08:30pm PDTReport Abuse

Well "bumpkin", at 51 years old, I've accomplished more in many sports than you probably ever will in one. While at 150 lbs, not likely I would excel at football and living in Iowa wrestling was a natural choice. With excellent balance I probably would have been a decent surfer, as I can skate, snow ski, and snow board well. And I can still run 2 miles under 11 minutes, do 35 solid chin-ups, 100 pushups in a minute.

If you ever get a chance to dragon boat, do try it.

and please do tell me, what "sports" should I try?

Reply by woodbat51 July 15, 2012 08:41pm PDTReport Abuse

icancanoe: You wouldn't have been a decent surfer living in Iowa for one thing because you have to do it everyday for hours to get to a decent level which in your case would be standing up and going straight. So only if you lived by the beach your whole life would that have happened. You could do a 1000 chin ups, be a triathlete and you still wouldn't last more than an hour in 6ft surf in fact you wouldn't even make it outside before you gased out. I'm 46 and have won championships in 3 sports, been on pros vs Joe's at 43 and made the final 3, won 12 world titles in baseball, won surfing competitions, have been a pro player in surfing and baseball and a state champion in wrestling in HS. In football I was a all league free safety and wide receiver in the same year. All state in baseball and signed by the A's so i can guarantee I've done more in sports than you but congrats on your chin ups 2 mile run. They don't hit back or hold you down for a minute under water bouncing off the reef and cutting you up. Plus since you only weigh 150lbs doing 100 push ups would be cake and the chin ups too. Come on do your homework before making surfing comments.

Posted by mark fewell September 21, 2010 09:24am PDTReply | Report Abuse

Very thoughtful article. While golfers may have to deal with a bit of wind, footy players with rain or snow occasionally, no sporting athlete has to deal with the variations in natural conditions that surfers do. There is no one wave exactly the same as another. To be on the top of the game for as long as Kelly is is a feat that none can deny is one of the greatest sporting achievements in history. To think that a Spartan had an event named after him after running a mere 26 miles and collapsing (the marathon) - soft! 20 years beating the worlds best in a sport, now that's a true marathon.

Reply by becky kohn September 21, 2010 06:16pm PDTReport Abuse

Exactly, well put!

Reply by 182below0 September 21, 2010 06:17pm PDTReport Abuse

wrong, the marathon was named after an Athenian who ran 24 miles from Marathon, which is a place, to Athens to tell them about the Athenian victory over the Persians.

Reply by 182below0 September 21, 2010 06:23pm PDTReport Abuse

correction: I meant it was not named after the Athenian, it was named after the place he ran from, which was Marathon 24 miles away from Athens.

Reply by jared fuchs September 21, 2010 10:30pm PDTReport Abuse

... and then the runner died.

Reply by will herbert September 22, 2010 01:53pm PDTReport Abuse

No food or water in the blazing sun in sandals carrying a torch running at full speed. i might collapse too.

Posted by garfink September 21, 2010 05:57pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

cmon. i respect the hell out of slater, but to say noone in any other sport comes close? try sugar ray robinson, the greatest boxer of all time. sugar ray not only set the mold for ali, leonard, mosley, etc. but he went pro in 1940 and then continued to win championships in the late 50s, early 60s. his stats are absurd compared to today's, and he is head and shoulders above slater.

Reply by baitup September 22, 2010 07:15pm PDTReport Abuse

See post #415 for the correct answer

Reply by baitup September 22, 2010 07:20pm PDTReport Abuse

Posted by ashleyville September 21, 2010 06:01pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Who doesn't know who Kelly Slater is? Go kill yourself. NOW!

Reply by travanian September 21, 2010 07:35pm PDTReport Abuse

Exactly!

Posted by gmunoz9977 September 21, 2010 06:01pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Simply the best....

Reply by brian moore September 22, 2010 01:15am PDTReport Abuse

better than all the rest....

Reply by silver coast sea glass September 22, 2010 01:25am PDTReport Abuse

I'm with you! Can't wait to see Kelly live in France this week!

Posted by brian imes September 21, 2010 06:05pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Randy Couture has dominated mano v mano combat on the earth for two decades
US Olympic Wrestler
State Champion
Collegiate Champion
MMA Champion
47 years old this year

Reply by trafficjam1977 September 21, 2010 06:10pm PDTReport Abuse

I am not into MMA/wrestling in genereal, but those two are real sports. No question about it.

Reply by icancanoe September 21, 2010 07:40pm PDTReport Abuse

Randy has lost, this guy only once:
Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Karelin: Russian heavy weight wrestler who won 9 world championships, 3 gold medals in 3 olympics ('88, '92, '96), one silver ('00, only loss EVER) and with exception of that last Olympic match never had a single point scored on him in the last 6 years. Greco-Roman wrestling is head-to-head which is one of the most physically demanding of all sports and to have only one blemish in HIS ENTIRE CAREER is beyond comprehension.

Serge Corbin: marathon paddler from Quebec has won 99 % of the marathon canoe races he's entered since he was 16 and is currently in his late 40's and still winning. Typical race that he races are 20 - 120 miles in length.

Reply by runnerestler September 21, 2010 11:28pm PDTReport Abuse

Couture has nothing on most wrestling legends such as Cael Sanderson. Sanderson went 127-3 in high school with 4 state titles, 159-0 in college (the only college athlete to go undefeated in an individual sport over 4 years) and won Olympic gold in Athens in '04. I'm not saying Sanderson is the best athlete but just like Slater he dominated his sport but hardly anyone has heard of him.

Reply by kyletrush2328 September 22, 2010 07:55am PDTReport Abuse

If your'e going to talk about unheard of amazing athletes, forget Randy.(he's pretty well known and has plenty of losses) You should mention the great Fedor Emelianenko from Stary Oskol, Russia. He's widely considered the best mixed martial artist in history and the most dominant fighter in the world. Going undefeated in MMA for 10 years as a small heavyweight is unbelievable. He just suffered his first loss ever about two months ago. He's also the champion of Combat Sambo. Its unfortunate most American sports fans don't even know who this guy is.

Reply by icancanoe September 22, 2010 04:24pm PDTReport Abuse

runnerestler, right, Cael is a phenom, but hasn't dominated for 20 years, YET. If he continues on his pace, no doubt he'll be considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. he certainly deserves the title for the Greatest College athlete.

kyletrush, I know who Fedor is and Yes, he's the greatest MMA fighter ever, but he's not been at it for 20 years, YET. He officially has 2 losses, although one was due to a cut which was caused by an illegal elbow.

Karelin went his entire CAREER with only one loss - his last match in the 2000 Olympics.
The canoe racer I mention, Corbin has dominated his sport for 30 YEARS!, Not 10, not 20, but 30 YEARS.

Reply by dom125 September 22, 2010 08:09pm PDTReport Abuse

Randy does have plenty of losses but he's actually fought top level competition his whole career. Fedor ducked the UFC and headed straight to strikeforce. Plus theres the fact that Randy's 46 years old.

Reply by icancanoe September 22, 2010 08:39pm PDTReport Abuse

right, but Randy hasn't completely dominated the sport like Slater and many other athletes. He's had 10 losses. He was an alternate on the Olympic team, never won a NCAA title and best accomplishment in wrestling was Pan American Championship Greco-Roman, twice

Posted by trafficjam1977 September 21, 2010 06:05pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Sorry, it is not a sport. It is like hopscotch, hacky sack, or jump rope. Hey but good for him.

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 06:09pm PDTReport Abuse

yee

Reply by becky kohn September 21, 2010 06:16pm PDTReport Abuse

Ever tried it?

Reply by thwedge September 21, 2010 06:21pm PDTReport Abuse

Hold your breath, let yourself get hit by a Pro Football player, then get up (still holding that same breath) and run for 15 to 30 seconds. Only then will you know what it's like to be a surfer.

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 06:27pm PDTReport Abuse

Reply by dane willis September 21, 2010 07:28pm PDTReport Abuse

15-20 seconds is not a definite number. You get so disorientated when you hit the water that death is always right there. And you cannot call "time-out" when you get hurt, lol.

Reply by chargers_92 September 21, 2010 07:39pm PDTReport Abuse

dude cmon lets get real here. obviously you've never surfed. i play football and id rather get taken out by ray lewis than suffer a closeout at teahupoo. heaviest shit on the planet, football doesnt even compare.

Reply by the bodie zaffa September 21, 2010 07:42pm PDTReport Abuse

What is this "you wouldnt get back up after getting hit by ray lewis bs?" Pro line backers arent simply left on the field after they get hit, the sack up and pull themselves together and make the huddle for the next play". They dont die on the field jackass. Slater's athleticism and poise smoke these overpaid jock d bags, who throw tantrums after doing exactly what they are paid to do, make plays. Have you ever seen Ray Lewis after he makes a hit? he screams like he just put his d in a blender, shits ridiculous. Act like you've been there sweetheart. Slates on the other hand is one humble sob. The only water scoober1989 has been in or seen is in his toilet bowl, go back to shuckin corn in the midwest somewhere and worshipping brett farve.

- Chuch

Reply by jackwarn September 21, 2010 07:48pm PDTReport Abuse

Oh, you dolts. I agree that if you haven't done both, you don't know what the heck you're talking about. I have, and I think the writer of this article is spot on. I played Division I football as a relatively small (5'10" -- 200lb) running back, and I got pounded every week. But it's a fact that when I surfed (not nearly as well as I played football, but well enough to know what I'm talking about) I exerted more energy, lived closer to the edge of disaster, and suffered breathtaking poundings like I never experienced in football. Any of you who know anything about surfing know this is a fact. Don't even pretend to make these absurd comparisons -- it just shows you don't know what you're talking about.

Reply by scoober1989 September 21, 2010 08:03pm PDTReport Abuse

bodie zaffa what are you talking about?!?!? i didnt say anything about most of what your saying. im not talking about a linebacker getting hit and then getting back up. i commenyted on the fact someone said a NFL player wouldnt last against a wave. ALL i stated was that a surfer wouldnt last a hit from an NFL linebacker or a game. and you dont know me. im from cali 30 min from the beach. your just a little man arguing against things i never said. and ray lewis yells after a big hit because football is played with emotion. why dont you think before you type something stupid again.

Reply by ricardo rodrigues September 21, 2010 09:05pm PDTReport Abuse

How on earth can you be comparing sports... what the hell does football got to do with anything... It´s called American Football for a reason... Only Americans play it.... I´m from Portugal and I can´t name a single football player... I've known Kelly Slater since I was a little boy and I´m 26... you have surfers in every corner of the world.... it´s about achievements and dominance. Not about which is the baddest sport or not. Of course a footballer couldn't dominate the sport for 2 decades... they literally get beat up every day... they are lucky if they can pee standing up when they reach 40... on the other hand a surfer's job is not to get beat up and look cool while doing it... t´s impossible to compare... but you can look at individual achievement's... and there is no doubt that Kelly's are impressive... but you can´t compare two athletes of different sports by the same perspective... not to mention that one is an individual sport and the other a collective sport... it just doesn't make sense.

Reply by ricardo rodrigues September 21, 2010 09:36pm PDTReport Abuse

scoober1989 Your definition of sports is a little messed up... try looking for the definition... swimming isn't a real sport...??!! people busting they're as$ up to 8 hours a day to improve 2 or 3 seconds in the long run... common

Here I'll make it easy on you:

An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

How can surfing or swimming for that matter not be real sports.

Reply by tontonuy5 September 22, 2010 12:56am PDTReport Abuse

got issues, huh scoobie? i'm sorry your days of playing high school football didn't amount to anything. tsk, tsk..

Reply by surfingcy September 22, 2010 01:09am PDTReport Abuse

scoober1989, you have to take into account that for every cubic meter you have one ton of weight. now factor in that each cubic meter could be moving over 30 kph. i think you will probably find that there have been more pro surfers killed than pro football players and there are a lot more pro football players in one season than there have ever been pro surfers. both sports require years of dedication to get to the top. just show a little respect for other things/people/events that don't dominate your life. trying to describe surfing and all that goes along with it to someone who doesn't surf is like trying to describe a colour to a blind person. you can't! RESPECT, that's all.

Reply by fualaau2010 September 22, 2010 01:45am PDTReport Abuse

OMG you guys are so funny!! haha
Surfing. Sport or not? Who the hell cares?
haha the article wasn't talking about whether or not surfing is a sport.
The writer even says "Whether surfing is a sport or not is an argument even surfers can't agree on."

The author is asking for people to give him/her a name of any athlete that has dominated their "sport" for a span of twenty years! And if you can't give the writer a name then I guess the writer WINS!! haha

Posted by nicoman1661 September 21, 2010 06:06pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Laird Hamilton is WAY better. I don't see Kelly Slater surfing 100' waves

Reply by ctmcclune1957 September 21, 2010 07:42pm PDTReport Abuse

Laird is an inovator and my vote for #1 in the pole, but in freestyle there are no rules, you and the wave, competition is different. We may still see Kelly on some 100' waves, he's only 38!

Reply by surfwhere September 21, 2010 07:42pm PDTReport Abuse

Surfing 100' waves doesn't make a better surfer just a crazier one. Slater has plenty of results in huge waves at Mavericks, Waimea, Teahupoo, Sunset Beach and Pipeline. And if he had to make his living in huge surf I am sure he could manage. In fact Shane Dorian is considered to be the best at surfing big waves these days and he is a protege of Slaters. Laird is known for putting himself in the spot light to make money by riding crazy sized surf and selling SUP.

Reply by one more wave September 21, 2010 07:49pm PDTReport Abuse

Laird gets TOWED-IN to those waves! None of them have been a 100' either.

Reply by ricardo rodrigues September 21, 2010 08:22pm PDTReport Abuse

comon dude... Hamilton is not a competitor... he is an Artist... and a genius... there is no comparison... it´s like comparing Mona Lisa to a Jim Lee Marvel comic.

Reply by waveslave808 September 21, 2010 10:30pm PDTReport Abuse

Laird gots ugly style....

Reply by ricardo rodrigues September 21, 2010 10:42pm PDTReport Abuse

correction... he can't afford to... he's life depends on it.... he surfs with he's arms wide because he really can't fall, he must be balancedat all times... and he just don't give a $hit, cuz he surfs to surpass himself not for the audience... although he fell on Jaws on a big day and lived to tell about it... he is considered a national Hero in Hawaii for that alone... but yeah he doesn't surf with style, but thats not the point.... he has a classic style like back in the day

Reply by surfingcy September 22, 2010 12:15pm PDTReport Abuse

L.H. is a twat! because of him we have stand up paddle boards crowding out the line ups. I wouldn't mind so much if they would all go hang with L.H and they can all drop in on each other... SUP suck!!!!

Reply by jblue September 22, 2010 12:42pm PDTReport Abuse

Anyone who can surf pretty well, and has incredible guts, can do what Laird does. Laird has incredible natural athletic ability and has more guts than anyone I have ever heard of. That said, Kelly Slater is 100 times a better surfer than Laird. Laird cant do 1/100th of the things Kelly can do on a wave. When Kelly does on occasion surf big waves, whether he paddles or tows in, he does it better than anyone, including Laird. Laird would admit that if you asked him. Laird has carved a small niche that is on the outskirts of mainstream surfing that has made him famous outside of surfing. When you ask someone who knows surfing to name the top surfers, Laird would not make the top 10 list. He is a physical freak, but Kelly is quicker, more flexible, and way more coordinated than Laird. I don't even think Laird knows how to get air on a surfboard that is not strapped on to his feet.

Reply by keith gilmore September 22, 2010 01:39pm PDTReport Abuse

I FULLY agree - Laird Hamilton all the way!

Reply by jblue September 22, 2010 03:29pm PDTReport Abuse

KEITH, YOU THINK THE HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS ARE THE BEST BASKETBALL TEAM EVER TOO DON'T YOU. COME ON, ADMIT IT.

Reply by dbrousset September 22, 2010 07:12pm PDTReport Abuse

American hill billies and rednecks only care about football, ballgame and basketball.....that's why when they travel to another country that happens to be on the coast, they always bring some sort of ball to throw it to each other 15,000 times.............so lame.

Surfing is so an sport, surfers have coaches, trainers, they win trofies and money, like box or golf.

NOT ONLY THAT BUT IS ONE OF THE FEW SPORTS THAT ALLOWS A HUMAN TO DOMINATE OR FLOW WITH NATURE.

TOU-SHE!

Reply by chrislnt September 22, 2010 07:40pm PDTReport Abuse

Why are Americans always "Hill billies"? I live in South Florida and A) I guarentee you probably have more "hills" and B) NASCAR and UFC are actually larger, more widely watched, or just as big as those other sports.

Reply by ricardo rodrigues September 24, 2010 04:46am PDTReport Abuse

jblue I agree with every thing you said... thats why you can't compare... they are two different tipes of surfer... not in a million years would L.H. do what Kelly does with a board... or almost every pro surfer out there... but surfing isn't just about cool moves dude... He took big wave surfing a step up ... and was the pioneer in many ways... he doesn't see the wave has a pipeline to show off... he sees it has a way of expression... not by doing magical tricks( (not saying that it's bad who does it) , but by matching huge powerful monsters face first .. it's just a different way to look at the practice of surfing... Kelly is the greatest competitive surfer that ever lived ... no doubt about that

Posted by king babalou September 21, 2010 06:06pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Sachin Tendulkar comes close

Reply by 300ninjas September 21, 2010 11:56pm PDTReport Abuse

He is easily beats Slater. Has a long career of 20 years starting at the tender age of 16. He is still going very strong just recently became the first man on earth to score a double hundred in one day cricket. He holds almost every batting record cricket has to offer.

Above all no other sports person in any sport ever had to handle the mental pressure due to the support and expectations of 100s of millions of fans like he does.

"Sachin Tendulkar is the hardest batsman I've ever had to bowl to because he judges the length a lot quicker than anyone else." - Shane Warne, one of the most successfull bowler ever.

Posted by tim comer September 21, 2010 06:09pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Tony Hawk?????

Reply by trafficjam1977 September 21, 2010 06:11pm PDTReport Abuse

Yes sir, he is at the top of his recreational activity. For real.

Reply by nicoman1661 September 21, 2010 06:22pm PDTReport Abuse

Shawn White is a better althlete than either. Top of the heap in skate boarding AND snow boarding. People love to hate on Shawn, but he is a damn good athlete

Reply by brian zerlaut September 21, 2010 07:50pm PDTReport Abuse

will he be at the top for 20 years? that's the question. Slater's already done it

Reply by waveslave808 September 22, 2010 12:56pm PDTReport Abuse

Tony Hawk is the top athlete of the 20th century.

Posted by jsq44u September 21, 2010 06:09pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Babe Ruth anyone???? doesnt he get some love?

Reply by jsq44u September 21, 2010 06:24pm PDTReport Abuse

he made his debut at age 19 and was one of the best pitchers in the league. in 1916 he led the league with a 1.75 ERA and 9 shutouts while pitching 323.3 innings that year. if there was a CY award, he would have won it. he spent the first 6 years of his career as a pitcher and had 3 straight years with an ERA under 3. in his career pitching he has 1221.1 innings, 94-46 (.671) record with only 974 hits given up.

now as far as batting goes... he was simply the best and is still in the top 5 in baseballs roughly 200 years history. he has 714 jacks with a career .342 BA and 2213 RBI. he also scored 2174 runs in his career and i think he even stole home 10 times (im not entirely sure about this stat). babe ruth basically WAS baseball and in many ways, still is. say what you want about a surfer but until he is referenced as jesus (Bambino), i dont think he holds water to the babe. sorry

Reply by matt appleton September 21, 2010 11:14pm PDTReport Abuse

if you surf. the name slater is the definition of a "household name" synonymous with surfing. if you don't surf....don't start! haha kook!

Reply by sandinmycrack69 September 22, 2010 12:44am PDTReport Abuse

settle down rainman

Reply by surfingcy September 22, 2010 12:17pm PDTReport Abuse

sure Babe Rutg gets love, they named a chocolate bar after him

Reply by rahf1 September 22, 2010 12:32pm PDTReport Abuse

Ruth??? The out of shape boozer who was propped up against a bunch of journeymen factory workers, too afraid to let black people play because he might actually face hungry competition? That Ruth?

Posted by phils454 September 21, 2010 06:10pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Thanks for the great article. Great for Slater. I am impressed. His achievements are truely amazing. That being said, I can give you two examples of athletes whom have dominated for more than 20 years. 1) John Force - 14 time champion with 129 wins, started in the 80's and is currently in the mix for his 15th championship. 2) Richard Petty - 7 time champion with 200 wins, started in 1958 and continued to win races until 1984 (although he continued to race another eight years past his prime). Like action sports (which I am a fan of), racing has had an uphill battle in proving that their contestants are athletes and deserve recognition.

Reply by cristin kennedy September 21, 2010 10:42pm PDTReport Abuse

Drag racing is not a sport, unless more than 80% of Jeff Foxworthy's "redneck" jokes apply to you.

Posted by gazer September 21, 2010 06:11pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

You forgot about Pele. Of course soccer is low on the sports totem pole in the USA

Reply by trafficjam1977 September 21, 2010 06:12pm PDTReport Abuse

Nevertheless, soccer is a sport and probably the most popular in the world.

Reply by jblue September 22, 2010 12:53pm PDTReport Abuse

Did Pele win or compete as the runner-up in the Championship year after year, for 20 years?

Posted by camillon September 21, 2010 06:11pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

being a kc royals fan iam going with george brett really though hes riding a surf board so what

Posted by becky kohn September 21, 2010 06:12pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Without a doubt Kelly Slater could be the best athlete ever...and surfing IS a sport for those of you who think otherwise, I challenge you to actually try it, but you probably never have...It's actually more than just a sport because besides the athelticsm it requires it also requires a mental capacity to work with nature and that can be a tricky tast...Go Kelly! :-)

Reply by becky kohn September 21, 2010 06:13pm PDTReport Abuse

Excuse me, *task...

Reply by nicoman1661 September 21, 2010 06:17pm PDTReport Abuse

Laird Hamilton....better surfer

Reply by trafficjam1977 September 21, 2010 06:18pm PDTReport Abuse

Hmmm, I don't think it is a sport. I do agree that it is hard to do, like those competitive tree cutting/climbing events, but definitely not a sport.

Reply by becky kohn September 21, 2010 06:20pm PDTReport Abuse

Nicoman1661: Laird Hamilton is another great and talented athlete indeed, I don't think this article was meant to take away from any one at all....

trafficjam1977: no worries, you are entitled to your opinion

Reply by 182below0 September 21, 2010 07:04pm PDTReport Abuse

At a professional level, all sports require the ability to understand what's going on and react to it. So surfing isn't any more mentally demanding than any other sport.

Reply by jackwarn September 21, 2010 07:49pm PDTReport Abuse

Reply by becky kohn September 21, 2010 08:03pm PDTReport Abuse

Wow 182below0 spoken like a true smart alec...all sports require ability as well as knowlege, we're not debating that here...I didn't say that surfing is more or less mentally challenging....the point I was trying to make is that not all sports require an athlete to be involved with a natural element of the earth that is completely out of one's control like the ocean...I will say it again, if you think it isn't mentally challenging in its own right...try it

jackwarn: thank you! You get it!

Reply by becky kohn September 21, 2010 08:05pm PDTReport Abuse

jackwarm: thank you! You get what I was saying!

Reply by jeff lizan September 21, 2010 10:34pm PDTReport Abuse

Not just that but you can't just go surf just like you go to play football or basketball or any other mainstream sport for that matter! You have to abide by nature to give you the waves to go out there! Go SLATER!

Reply by tontonuy5 September 22, 2010 01:05am PDTReport Abuse

uh, it doesn't mean that not having overgrown men on steroids in tights tackling you makes anything not a sport. lol. your ignorance is quite pitiful. it baffles me how much stupidity exists in this day and age. sigh. i hope your offspring will fair better when they grow up. better yet, maybe it would be best if you should not spawn any.

Reply by sunshinegirl September 22, 2010 06:58am PDTReport Abuse

C'mon no human on earth can hit you harder than a 15-20 fit wall of water, and when you get crunched you have no air and more often than not you hit the reef, if you fall at the base of the wave you have that wall coming down on you (which I repeat has more power than any human on earth, if you fall on the lip tou have the drop followed by your board, followed by the wall of water. I would rather hit the turf than bite the reef, often you don't know which way is up down there and when you get up more often than not there is another 15 fotter waiting to come down on you.

As for stamina, I work at a surf school and we had one of your special forces guys take a class, ( this guy was fit, had muscles I did not even know exsisted) yet he had only ten minutes of paddling power, small beginner waves and the instructor had to tow him out after every wave
DON'T DISS WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT.....................NUFF RESPECT KELLY.................MAY YOUR REIGN CONTINUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply by jblue September 22, 2010 03:15pm PDTReport Abuse

Nicoman1661...Laird Hamilton? If you ask Laird who the best surfer in the world is, he'll tell you Kelly Slater. Please!! Laird's not even good enough to be called pro!!! He's a wakeboarder/wind surfer/paddle boarder/over-all water man. He's terrible at actual wave surfing! TERRIBLE!

Posted by ethan curtis September 21, 2010 06:12pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

@ted bain. Wow what an ignorant comment, "you Americans just don't appreciate the talent of Slater enough ". What does being American have to do with people not recognizing Kelly Slater's talent ? Not knowing about Kelly Slater has NOTHING to do with the country you are from, it has to do with surfing not being a mainstream sport. But just to make sure you realize that, why don't you go to China and India (each have over 1 billion people) and see who knows Kelly Slater.

Reply by nicoman1661 September 21, 2010 06:18pm PDTReport Abuse

Laird Hamilton....better surfer....hot wife.....

Reply by ted bain is weak September 21, 2010 08:28pm PDTReport Abuse

Very true, ethan. Ted bain sounds jealous (like most Aussies), and I think he's mad at himself for secretly having a crush on Slater.

Reply by nick tusk September 21, 2010 09:54pm PDTReport Abuse

tom curren?

Reply by jeff lizan September 21, 2010 10:31pm PDTReport Abuse

Kelly Slater is an American not an Indian or of Chinese descent....So that is why America and American is emphasized.

Reply by tarpitz67 September 22, 2010 09:11am PDTReport Abuse

nicoman your and idiot.

Reply by jlg September 22, 2010 11:11am PDTReport Abuse

tarpitz67, maybe you should brush up on your grammer before you start calling other people names! haha..

Reply by goggles von squeeken September 22, 2010 01:14pm PDTReport Abuse

whats with everyone thinking larid is the best? the guy is old news at this point. The aussies got the cap on large waves. laird doesnt even surf anymore, u never even hear about him except in mainstream media which is meaningless. mikey brenan, mike parsons, greg long, these guys blow him out of the water

Reply by woodbat51 July 15, 2012 08:15pm PDTReport Abuse

Laird is great at going straight. Please don't compare Laird Hamilton to Kelly Slater. You's have to be an idiot to even think that. lol Man there are some idiot comments on here. not true athletes. You know which people I'm talking about boys.

Posted by allen johns September 21, 2010 06:13pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

I can name a few more. Richard Petty, Doyle Brunson and Bobby Fisher. Look, keep the comments on OSQ (Obscure Sports Quarterly) and look for your next dodgeball champion. Kelly Slayter is the man, no doubt...but it is surfing...not too many people away from Hawaii, California and Australia truly care.

Reply by becky kohn September 21, 2010 06:19pm PDTReport Abuse

Obviously you don't follow the surfing world with a comment like that....

Reply by trafficjam1977 September 21, 2010 06:19pm PDTReport Abuse

OSQ, that was very well played Sir. I love that movie. LOL.

Reply by bigeasyboy September 21, 2010 07:50pm PDTReport Abuse

I agree that people who don't live near the ocean (the one with waves, not that I'm hating on the Atlantic) are pretty clueless about surfing. And to be honest, we couldn't be happier that you don't care...more waves for me. However, I wouldn't criticize and demean a sport that I have never attempted....that just shows your ignorance.

Reply by ctmcclune1957 September 21, 2010 09:19pm PDTReport Abuse

Hey New York City has waves, so does Sheboygan WI, they have the Dairy Classic every year, Waves are where you find them!

Reply by losttsol September 23, 2010 06:45am PDTReport Abuse

The ASP holds regular contests on every continent except Antarctica. To say not many people away from Hawaii, Cali, and Australia don't truly care is incorrect.

Reply by woodbat51 July 15, 2012 08:20pm PDTReport Abuse

Richard Petty? You're comparing a motor vehicle sports to Surfing? Are you stupid?? Surfing does not have gas or people with headsets telling you what to do and 10 guys changing your tires to help you win. Driving in circles? Wow that's tough ..lol Surfing is paddling on a 6-8lb board made of fiberglass and foam into a wave that has it's own mind of when it's going to break and how hard. It always changes it's form and direction so you have to know what the wave is going to do before you even get up. There is not comparison to an other sport especially one that uses machines. Come on really? Nascar not a sport anyway in everybody eyes.

Posted by deer path cabins September 21, 2010 06:13pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Whatever, I went to school with Sean and Kelly, I showed him how to surf! Ask Kelly and Sean who Chad Morin is! RESPECT!

Reply by nicoman1661 September 21, 2010 06:19pm PDTReport Abuse

Anyone can surf a 25' wave. It takes a real athlete with the testicular fortitude of a test pilot for NASA to surf down the face of a 100' monster wave. Laird Hamilton....better surfer....hot wife

Reply by trafficjam1977 September 21, 2010 06:20pm PDTReport Abuse

I went to school with a Sean Kelly. I taught him how not to pick up girls. Risspett!

Reply by dan cossette September 22, 2010 01:13am PDTReport Abuse

All the money in my pockets says you only met them cursorily and didn't teach them crap, you hack. Hack hack hackety-hack hack bullspitter. Choke on it.

Reply by goggles von squeeken September 22, 2010 01:16pm PDTReport Abuse

no one has surfed a 100' wave. and besides kelly has surfed waves as gnarly as the stuff laird has surfed, besides maybe that wave at chopes a couple of years ago

Reply by woodbat51 July 15, 2012 08:23pm PDTReport Abuse

nicoman is an idiot. Anyone can surf a 25 ft Waves. Lets paddle out Nicoman. Would love you to show me how easy it is. Just so you know "I'm not going to save you" You're on your own..lol I'm you'll wash up on the beach eventually..lol

Posted by jeremy thorton September 21, 2010 06:14pm PDTReply | Report Abuse

Slater is amazing!!! Ken Climo (43), Disc Golf. 12 time world champ, 5 time US Open Champ is another athlete far from the spotlight yet has dominated a sport that most of his competitors are half his age.The Champ won 8 world titles in a row and has been at the top of his game for over 20 years. I have played competitively for 15 years and the average American has no idea how much skill it takes and how difficult it is to win a tournament much less a world title. The sport is also big in Japan, Sweden, Norway, England, Germany and Australia. There are 3500 courses in the world in 70 countries. The largest purses are a little over $100,000.

Reply by highryder September 22, 2010 10:42pm PDTReport Abuse

Ken Climo is definitely one of the greatest athletes of all time.He's dominated the sport for quite some time. He's been eligible for the masters division for a couple of years and still plays open division. His skill and finesse is incredible.

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Could Kelly Slater be the best athlete ever? No seriously?

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