“I Wish My Mom Was a Hippie”: Kelly Slater Made a Bizarre Wish to Overcome His Unhealthy Habit in 2019

Even the greatest ones have things they wish they had done differently. A few years ago, surfing legend Kelly Slater opened up about the regrets he has in life and how he dealt with some of them later.

In 2019, Slater appeared in an exclusive interview with Surfer Today. From talking about his thought process in the competitions to sharing what his legacy would be like, he answered it all.

Does Kelly Slater have regrets?

The interviewer asked Slater if there was anything that he regrets or wishes he had done sooner than later. In his answer, Slater wished that his younger self would’ve dealt with his injuries differently. He revealed that he tore his labrum at the age of 19 but did not seek proper treatment for the same.

Amongst other regrets, were not taking care of his body and not sticking with yoga. However, there was one very peculiar wish that the surfer had. He wished that his mother was a hippie. Slater said, “I didn’t really get into my diet until I was sort of like mid-20s – 23, 24 – and looking back, I wish my mom was a hippie.”

Read More: “We’re in the Olympics”: With Legends Like Kelly Slater, Big-Wave Surfer Laird Hamilton Remained Optimistic About the Future of Surfing in 2017

One might wonder, why would he say that. For the unversed, in terms of food, hippies are associated with a healthy lifestyle. Their diet is based on fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. So when Slater said he wished his mom was a hippie, it connotes that he would’ve grown up with healthy eating habits had his mother been one.

He further added, “I didn’t learn about eating well until I was in my 20s. I grew up on sugar and chips and ice creams and created a lot of habits I wish I didn’t have.” However, the all-grown-up Slater knows what he should and shouldn’t eat. He revealed that he now sticks to a clean diet.

Turning Mockery into Motivation

Another thing that Slater regrets was his role in Baywatch. He revealed that there was a time when he questioned himself wondering why he went ahead with the project. He admitted that he was embarrassed and believed that people made fun of him for it.

However, the incident drove his competitive spirit. He added that after a while, he looked at the situation from a different point of view. While looking at his opponents, he would imagine them making fun of him. According to Slater, the best way to give them a befitting reply without actually engaging with them was to crush them in the competitions. Slater used that to fire up his spirit for several years.

Watch Story: A Huge Shock for Surfing Fans Before Vans Pipeline From Kelly Slater and John John Florence

There can be no one without a single regret in their life. Slater added that now when he looks back at it, he finds the situation and his response hilarious. The reason being, that at the end of the day no one ever made fun of him to his face. It was all a part of his imagination!