“Hit My Head and Got Knocked Out Instantly”: Kelly Slater’s Near Death Incident Before Tokyo Olympics Left Surfing Icon on Cusp of PTSD in 2018

Kelly Slater is the greatest competitive surfer in the world. His records speak for him. The 50-year-old has been in competitive surfing for more than 30 years. He played his first CT in 1989. He is the surfer with the most (11) World titles in the world. Interestingly, Slater is the youngest and the oldest man to win a World Championship title in surfing. He won his first title in 1992 when he was just 20 and won his last title in 2011 when he was 39-year-old.

He broke the record of 4-consecutive-titles by Mark Richard. Slater won 5-consecutive titles from 1993 to 1998. However, Slater once disclosed a traumatic accident that occurred while surfing. On Graham Bensinger’s YouTube channel, he also shed light on the dangers involved with the sport.

An accident that hit hard to Kelly Slater 

Kelly Slater is a legendary surfer. Other than 11 World titles, Slater also has the most (55) career victories in the sport. Graham Bensinger asked, “The danger that’s inherent with your sport. How badly did you hurt yourself when you knocked yourself out in France not too long ago?”

Slater replied, “Yeah, I got knocked out. I’d laugh about it now but I had to use all my brainpower to not get Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder afterwards because the wave just kind of bent away from me so my board kind of got air and flew out of the water and I just judged it wrong and I over rotated in the turn and when I fell.”

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He added, “I fell backwards and my, my board separated from my feet and went below me and I fell backwards and hit my head and got knocked out instantly. So I guess as I came to, I realized I was underwater so I didn’t breathe and then I came up and I started going to shock really fast and you potentially could have just down right then.”

Slater’s journey of becoming the greatest

Becoming the greatest is not easy in any sport. Especially when it is a sport like surfing that needs immense concentration and the support of nature as well. The accident mentioned above was just about a difference in understanding of wave direction and it led to such a dangerous accident. And Kelly Slater has been doing it for 30 years plus now.

The young boy began his journey of competitions in 1989 Men’s CT. He dominated the decade of the 90s and then when he came back in 2002, Andy Irons had taken his throne. However, Slater, as a fighter, took it back in 2005. Furthermore, his competition was with Mick Fanning. He is currently standing with 11 titles with the last title coming in 2011. 

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Water sports are one of the toughest sports to master. Moreover, continuing to play at 50 needs immense belief and courage. He needed to utilize all his brainpower to get over the traumatic accident. His experience and willpower had an enormous role to play in his comeback.