Watch: Unseen Iconic Clip of Kelly Slater Surfing at His Most Hated Spot Goes Viral

Sunset Beach in Hawaii is the best spot north of Oahu for catching the biggest waves in the world. The swells in this area pose the ultimate test for the surfing world and have played an important role in making the careers of many athletes. The O’Neill World Cup of Surfing, held annually at Sunset Beach, is one of the most prestigious events in the sport. Over the years, seven winners of the event have gone on to become the world champions. However, the world’s most celebrated surfer with eleven world championship victories has yet to conquer the formidable waves at Sunset Beach.

Kelly Slater has had a tumultuous relationship with Sunset Beach. At one point, the legendary surfer proclaimed his hatred for the surfing spot. However, in a recent social media update, he dropped a surprising hint of a turnaround in his feelings for Sunset Beach.

Surfing legend Kelly Slater shows love for Sunset Beach

An Instagram channel by the name Surf Radio posted a video of Kelly Slater riding the waves in his majestic style at Sunset Beach. The post was captioned, “A rare moment of love from Kelly towards Sunset”. The sensational surfer contradicted the uploader’s assessment and shared the video with a caption of him. Kelly Slater set the records straight with his caption, stating, “What you guys talking about? I love Sunset!”

This statement goes against Slater’s previous reaction to Sunset Beach, when he said, “Look, I don’t love Sunset,…I don’t like the wave. I don’t like the crowd out here. Everyone’s on a 10-foot board. I don’t respect the wave and it doesn’t respect me back. Unless I change, it’s not going to change”. What brought on this sudden change in his perception of Sunset Beach?

When Kelly Slater said those words, he had just been thrashed by the waves during the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach. The surfing ace was running at full steam at the competition and even acquired the yellow jersey for the first time since 2014. However, he was disappointed when he wound up in the elimination round against Koa Smith and Matthew McGillivray.

He got out of the elimination round and faced off against former WSL champion John John Florence. Slater had no inkling of the direction the waves were going to go and ended up with an interference call. Now, with this most recent update, it seems like that was just the frustration of the loss talking. Although he could not dominate the waves at Sunset Beach, Kelly Slater made up for it with his numerous other achievements.

Kelly Slater’s surfing achievements

Kelly Slater holds the G.O.A.T title in surfing circles. The American surfing legend’s eleven world titles speak volumes about his talent and determination. Remarkably, he is both the youngest and the oldest world champion. Apart from the world championships, he has also won 55 other surfing events. Until very recently, the 51-year-old surfer was competing at the highest level with hopes of making the U.S. team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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Out of the five spots on the team, four had already been filled. Kelly Slater hoped to occupy the last berth and make a splash alongside Carissa Moore, Caity Simmers, Griffin Colapinto, Caroline Marks, and John John Florence. But that hope ended in despair during the Tahiti pro. However, his love for surfing and the ocean still remains as strong as ever.

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