“It Could End Today”: On His 51st Birthday Kelly Slater Reminisces About Life, Death, and the Friends He Lost Along the Way

11-time World Surfing League winner, Kelly Slater, has broken and set multiple records throughout his illustrious career. While many athletes struggle to perform at an elite level after 40, the legendary surfer won the Bailong Pro less than a week before his 50th birthday in 2022. On February 11, Kelly Slater turned 51, and reminisced about the life he has led.

Instagram user Gentle Blanton uploaded a story of the 11-time world champion. The user uploaded an old picture of Slater and captioned the post, “What a life.” The former WSL world #1 surfer reposted the story and shared a profound message with his 3.2 million Instagram followers.

Kelly Slater pens a heartfelt message on his 51st birthday

The picture Gentle Blanton shared was an image of Slater from his youth. In the photo, the former world champion looks in a different direction from the camera and has a big smile on his face. “It’s been an amazing one,” Salter wrote at the beginning of his message, responding to the “what a life,” statement. However, Slater’s following lines conveyed a tone of somberness.

“I think about death a lot though,” wrote the 11-time world champion. “I think from losing so many friends now,” he explained. Over the years, Slater has lost many of his friends because of various reasons. Most recently, the surfing world witnessed the tragic passing of legendary surf cinematographer Larry Haynes. Slater was among the first to pay tribute to Haynes in his Instagram story.

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The surfing legend is also an avid golfer. “As someone said to me the other day, ‘we’re on the back 9 now'” wrote the surfer. ‘The back 9’ are the last nine holes out of 18 that a golfer plays. “Enjoy what you’ve got. It could end today,” Kelly Slater wrote in his Instagram story.

The surfing legend is preparing for one last shot at the Olympics

Despite turning 51, the 11-time WSL champion is preparing to take his final shot at qualifying for the Olympics. Slater aims to accumulate enough points by the end of the season to be in contention for making the USA Olympic surfing team. There is also a possibility of a third spot opening up if team USA wins.

However, the past two seasons have not gone to plan for the former world #1. In 2021 and 2022, Slater dealt with major and minor injuries, keeping him from performing at his best. While it’s an uphill battle, Slater is hopeful.

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What did you make of Kelly Slater’s post? Do you think he can qualify for the Olympics? Let us know in the comments.