When it comes to surfing, Kelly Slater is a household name. This legendary athlete has dominated surfing from the day he started competing, and has maintained his iconic status well into his fifties. He is still the record-holder for the most world titles won by a surfer (he has 11 of them), which remains unbroken to date. Not only is he a fabled surfer who has attained the G.O.A.T. status, but he is also an activist for environmental causes, a philanthropist, and a successful entrepreneur.

Kelly Slater 2023: Net Worth, Salary, and Endorsements

As of March 2023, Kelly Slater’s net worth is estimated to be near $25 million, though he has not revealed the same himself. The estimation is based on his career winnings, the value of his surf ranch, his wave company, investments, and his luxury car collection. He is one of the highest-paid surfers and is estimated to have career earnings nearing $4 million. In 2023, Kelly Slater unveiled his new brand, ‘KLLY’, which produces sandals. Since he was 18 years old, he has been sponsored by the major surfwear producer, ‘Quiksilver’.

However, in 2014, he left Quiksilver and collaborated with the company ‘Kering’ to form 'Outerknown', an eco-friendly clothing company. He is also known to own a beverage company called ‘Purps’. Slater also lent his voice to the animated movie ‘Surf’s Up’ which was released in 2007 and earned $149 million worldwide. He is also the brand ambassador of Chia Co. Slater has also collaborated with GoPro, Kommunity Project, and Channel Islands. After winning his 10th world title, he got a 3% stake in Quiksilver.

Kelly Slater’s early life and family

This iconic surfer was born Robert Kelly Slater, on February 11, 1972, to Stephen Slater and Judy Moriarty, in Cocoa Beach, Florida, U.S.A. He is the son of a bait-shop owner and is of Syrian-Irish descent. Kelly Slater has two siblings named Stephen Slater and Sean Slater. Since his father owned a store that sold fishing equipment, Slater grew up near the beach and started surfing when he was 5 years old.

Though Slater is largely a private entity, he has often talked about how his father’s alcoholism has shaped his career. In 1998, Slater started his Master's degree in Criminal Law at Sydney University in Australia, which he was able to complete in 2004 as he was forced to study part-time. In 2003, he published his autobiography, 'Pipe Dreams: A Surfer's Journey', which he co-authored with Jason Borte.

Kelly Slater’s surfing career

This legendary surfer started winning age-division competitions by the time he was 10. In 1984, he won his first age-division United States championship title. In 1990, Kelly Slater turned professional at the age of 18. However, the first two years did not go as expected, and he came 90th and 43rd respectively in world rankings.

When 1992 came, it brought good things for Slater. He managed to grace the podium in three out of his first five events of the season. The same year, Kelly Slater arrived in the world of competitive surfing after he won his first professional tour event, the Rip Curl Pro in France. Post that, he was unstoppable.

In 1993, Slater bumped down to 6th place, however, from 1994, he dominated the world championship tour like no other surfer in the history of the sport. When he won his 5th world title in 1997, he surpassed Mark Richards to become the most successful surfer on the tour. After winning the title for 5 consecutive years till 1998, Kelly Slater decided he wanted a break from competitive surfing.

He returned to compete in 2002, and in an unprecedented move, won a championship title once again in 2005. In 2007, after winning the Boost Mobile Pro event at Lower Trestles near San Clemente, California, he became the all-time leader in career wins, a record which was previously held by Tom Curren, who was one of Kelly Slater’s childhood heroes.

In May 2005, Slater received dual perfect scores for his final heat in the Billabong Tahiti Pro contest at Teahupo'o, under the ASP two-wave scoring system, the first-ever surfer to do so. He did it again on June 2013 in the quarter-finals at the Volcom Fiji Pro with two perfect ten waves, only the fourth person in history to do so.

Throughout his career, he has competed in and won prestigious events like the ASP World Tour, Rip Curl Pro Landes, Quiksilver Pro, Triple Crown of Surfing, the Tokushima Pro in Japan, Billabong Pro, and many others. After his win at the 'Rip Curl Pro' tournament, in 2010, Kelly was felicitated by the U.S House of Representatives, on May 8, initiated by Bill Posey, for the former's invaluable contribution to sports.

Kelly Slater’s various records and championship wins

In 1992, at 20, Slater became the youngest surfer to win a world championship in surfing. Interestingly, he is also the oldest surfer to win a world championship title at the age of 39 in 2011.

Kelly Slater turned the sport of surfing on its head when he started competing, but what he is known worldwide for is having the highest number of world championship titles. Slater managed to garner 11 world titles during his career, five of them consecutive, as he won every year from 1994 to 1998.

During his career, he clinched the following major titles, in addition to many others:

• World Championship title (2011, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2005, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1992)


• Quiksilver Pro (2013, 2012, 2011, 2008, 2006, 1996, and 1995)


• Volcom Fiji Pro (2013 and 2012)


• Rip Curl Pro (twice in 2010, 2008, 2006, twice in 1996, 1994, and 1992)


• Billabong Pro (2011, 2008, twice in 2005, thrice in 2003, 1997)


• Billabong Pipeline Masters (2013, 2008)


• Triple Crown of Surfing Champion (2019, 1998, 1995)


• Billabong Pro Pipeline (2022)


• Chiemsee Pipe Masters (1996, 1995, and 1994)

Kelly Slater’s plan to retire from surfing

Kelly Slater has teased his retirement from surfing several times now, but it seems like his heart is not done yet. He first revealed his plans of retiring from the sport in 2018, saying he will leave the sport when 2019 came. However, in 2022, he was still competing in the WSL Championship Tour. Now, he has revealed he might retire from the sport in 2024, but only after he tries out for the Paris Olympics. According to him, if he does qualify for the Olympics, he wants to retire after competing in the Olympics.

Slater almost qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, but was only able to make it as the reserve of the USA team. Now, it seems like he is vying for the ever-elusive Olympic medal before saying goodbye to the sport once and for all.

In the 2024 Paris Games, the surfing competitions will be held at Tahiti’s monster lefthand tube, Teahupo’o, a wave at which Kelly Slater has excelled in the past, which is one of the reasons he wants to try out for the team. He has hinted that he might retire this season, if he gets enough wins, though he has not confirmed the same.

Kelly Slater’s girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, and daughter

Kelly Slater is currently dating Kalani Miller, a surfer, artist, and former model from San Clemente, California, who runs a fashion label called ‘Mikoh’. The pair met at a surfing event held in San Diego in around 2006.

They both decided to be together after having their first date in France. They have been together for more than 15 years. Miller is seen accompanying Slater on several Championship Tours to offer encouragement and was also present when he won the Billabong Pipe Masters in 2022 days before his 50th birthday.

In the past, Kelly Slater has dated his Baywatch co-star Pamela Anderson, the model Gisele Bundchen, and the famous actress Cameron Diaz. He also dated Tamara Mitchell, with whom he has his only daughter, Taylor Mitchell, who was born in 1996. Even though Kelly and Tamara have split, he enjoys an amicable relationship with his daughter Taylor, who is known to share pictures with him, including birthday messages, on social media. 

Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch

Kelly Slater always wanted to find out if humans could mimic the waves of the ocean. His vision was to create a soliton wave, i.e., a self-reinforcing solitary wave that maintains its shape while it propagates at a constant velocity. In 2006, Slater met up with Adam Fincham, a British amateur surfer and aerospace engineer with a specialization in geophysical fluid dynamics, who became the head scientist at KSWC. In 2007, he founded the Kelly Slater Wave Company to give effect to this dream. After a decade, he was able to realize it. Slater named the venue the Surf Ranch, which comprises a 700 m-long lake in which the artificial waves are formed.

The Surf Ranch is located in the Central Valley region of California in a town called Lemoore. The wave is created by a locomotive that moves along a track on the side of the pool and drags along a hydrofoil underwater which creates 6-foot barreling waves. These waves are WSL Certified Competitive waves. It is estimated that the Surf Ranch took up to $30 million to design, develop and build. The Surf Ranch is not open to the public in general. However, special groups can booking access can book sessions at the Surf Ranch, and a full-day pass can go up to $85,000 for 20 people.