U.S. Surfing Icon Kelly Slater Reveals the Biggest Influence of His Life

Kelly Slater has been the surfing sensation of all time. Legend’s stunning flips moves, jumps, and graceful rides with waves have made headlines in the past. Recently awarded the 2024 wildcard by the WSL, he surfed at his new wave pool in Surf Abu Dhabi alongside surfing greats. Back in 2016, a deep and revealing interview of Slater with sports broadcaster Joe Buck offered a colorful memory lane. It was re-released over the weekend.

Making it a captivating revisit, Slater shared his biggest influence on his life in the video. The words might sound “funny enough”, but, it comes with a great piece of advice for boys and girls.

What did Kelly Slater say in the interview?

Kelly Slater recently reposted the video in his Instagram story. Joe Buck introduces the interview with enthusiasm. The video is captioned, “Surfing Legend Kelly Slater’s drive to be great is UNMATCHED.” During the interview, they delve into various topics, including Slater’s unique childhood with a trailblazing mom and an unconventional dad. However, what truly grabs headlines is Slater’s revelation about the biggest influence in his life. Slater reflects on the profound impact a single quote had on his formative years. “I wanted to finish high school. You know, funny enough, I was sort of, this one quote from a guy that was an influence on me”. But it has a reason.

The person who made the influence wasn’t a surfer but a bodyboarder. He adds, “A guy named Mike Stewart, who I still believe to this day is one of the all-time great surfers has said, high school is easy if you can’t finish high school, we can’t finish anything. And I remember hearing him say that, and I’m like, I’m finished in high school.”  The same has been added by Stewart and Slater on his Instagram stories on 29 November 2023.

Slater also disclosed memories of younger days

The following segment unveils Slater’s childhood. The conversation gets deep, touching on various aspects. It’s not only about his experiences but Slater also shares insights into his upbringing. He boasted a remarkable mom. She is the 1st female firefighter in their county. And, a dad who taught him to handle guns and craft bullets at 8.

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As a youngster, Slater idolized surfer Tom Curren. He added, “I wanted to be able to blend that Tom Curren power and style and flow with that more of a trick style that’s kind of come in,“. Interestingly, before aspiring to win world titles, Slater dreamt of becoming a ventriloquist when he grew up. In a nutshell, the world is blown up by looking at what influenced the legend and awaits his more upcoming updates.

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