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TEAHUPO’O, TAHITI, FRENCH POLYNESIA – AUGUST 18: Eleven-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater of the United States looks on after surfing in Heat 4 of the Opening Round at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro on August 18, 2022 at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (Photo by Beatriz Ryder/World Surf League via Getty Images)
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TEAHUPO’O, TAHITI, FRENCH POLYNESIA – AUGUST 18: Eleven-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater of the United States looks on after surfing in Heat 4 of the Opening Round at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro on August 18, 2022 at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (Photo by Beatriz Ryder/World Surf League via Getty Images)
Kelly Slater is well-known in the modern surfing community. Widely known as the “GOAT of surfing,” Slater has dominated the sport since he was 20 years old. The legend is still going strong at the age of 50. Slater’s passion for the sport is evident from his performances. However, this passion has rarely converted into aggression.
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Kelly Slater’s driving force for his exceptional performance is his hunger for wins. He is giving tough competition to every newcomer out there. However, the legend found himself in trouble due to aggression issues sometimes. One such incident happened in 2014 during the Moche Rip Curl Pro league.
Kelly Slater’s actions and his reaction
Kelly comfortably won the first round, but things didn’t go according to him in the second round. Slater faced a crushing defeat in round three to Aritz Aranburu, a Spanish surfer. It was a significant blow for him, and he lost his calm while returning to his locker room.
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JEFFREYS BAY, EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA – JULY 14: Eleven-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater of the United States after surfing in Heat 6 of the Elimination Round at the Corona Open J-Bay on July 14, 2022 at Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape, South Africa. (Photo by Beatriz Ryder/World Surf League via Getty Images)
Kelly Slater kicked his board while heading to the locker room. The video of the incident went viral on various social media platforms. Kelly faced criticism for his actions. Fans were expecting an apology from him in the following press conference, but things went another way.
Read More: “Lost Four Friends in Four Weeks”: Kelly Slater Once Opened Up on a Deeply Dark Time in His Life
The legend defended his actions, saying it was a sudden release of emotions. The 11x champion admitted he went with the flow of emotions. “Sometimes you just get frustrated,” he later told Surfing Life.
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Kelly Slater defended himself
Kelly Slater further added that the media was selective about his attitude. According to him, there were thousands of similar cases that got normalized. “Rockstars break guitars all the time and no one gets mad at them,” he added.
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PENICHE, PORTUGAL – MARCH 6: Eleven-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater of the United States prior to surfing in Heat 8 of the Round of 16 at the MEO Pro Portugal on March 6, 2022 in Peniche, Portugal. (Photo by Thiago Diz/World Surf League via Getty Images)
Kelly Slater has won 55 events throughout his lengthy surfing career, earning 11 World Surf League (WSL) crowns. He is both the youngest and the eldest player to hold the title. The legend has always maintained his reputation as a calm-headed guy. He further acknowledged, “I haven’t done that, ever – it was just an immediate release of emotion”.
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