Despite Being 11x World Champion, Legend Kelly Slater Makes an Honest Confession Ahead of Margaret River Pro: “There Is Definitely Pressure on Me”

Surfing icon Kelly Slater holds the indisputable record of 11 World Surf League wins. While his dominance in the sport has been unmatched, this year, the athlete admitted to feeling a bit edgy, days ahead of the 2023 Margaret River Pro. The event stop is the mid-season decider of this year’s probable semi-finalists. Therefore, Slater was caught by 10 News First at Perth Airport, jotting down his thoughts on the upcoming event. 

The legend opened up about his feelings prior to the pro event in Australia. He claimed that it was unusual for him to be feeling nervous about competing, that too in a championship that he has been practicing for over a decade. 

Kelly Slater shares a truth about him ahead of the WSL event

The sources posted a video of the 51-year-old champion candidly sharing how he was feeling about the Margaret River Pro, on Twitter. “Now there’s definitely pressure on me…but yeah I’ve never found myself in this situation,” he said. That’s not all as Slater continued with his insight encircling mental clarity, which is crucial to competing and acing any surfing event. 

The American star athlete added, “So you win by going out and enjoying it trying to surf with a clear mind and compete with a clear head and…” Donning a laid-back airport look with a black jumper and matching outfit, he started off with a cheerful note. However, eventually, Slater made a serious point, “Sometimes you need a challenge.”

The last stop of the first half of the 2023 tour, Margaret River Pro is kickstarting on the 20th of April and shall continue until the last day of this month. The surfing icon set his name to the WSL Pipeline event in Hawaii last year, beating Hawaiian athlete, Seth Moniz. Nevertheless, for this year, the community might have to wait and watch if Slater exhibits his wrath on the waves. Speaking of his Pipeline triumph, he once chatted about his winning mindset and love for surfing. 

Kelly Slater’s persistent dedication to his passion sport

Talking to host, Boomer Esiason on Game Time, Slater gave the community a glimpse of his staggering ideology. Hailing the athlete for his grand success at the infamous Pipeline, the host picked on his thoughts on the success just days ahead of his 50th birthday. Hence, the pro retorted with a rather genuine response. 

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 “I knew I could do it. But doubt starts to creep in when you haven’t won for a long time. You start to doubt your decisions and get a little nervous,” he shared. The 5’9” athlete emphasized that even though he knew he could do it, he implied, “Sometimes the thing between your ears comes in the way”.

While it is not difficult to imagine that Slater shall leave everyone stunned with his mind-blowing finesse, the steady competition with several emerging surfers might be a tough nut to crack for the veteran pro. What do you think? Tell us in the comments. 

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