Kelly Slater is the greatest competition surfer of all time. He holds almost every major record in the sport, including 11 World Championships, 55 career wins, and the distinction of being the sport’s youngest and oldest World Champion.
When he first appeared on the scene in 1990, he ushered in a new era of high-performance surfing by combining intentional fin releases and aerial maneuvers.
Slater won his first World Championship at the age of 20 in 1992 and his last at the age of 39 in 2011. Furthermore, this well-known surfer is a humanitarian and environmentalist.
Because of his love of the sea, he is concerned not only about marine life but also works to raise awareness about suicide prevention.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Robert Kelly Slater |
| Birth Date | February 11, 1972 |
| Birth Place | Cocoa Beach, Florida, US |
| Current Residence | Los Angeles, California US. |
| Nicknames | Kells, King Kelly, Slates, and The Micheal Jordan of Surfing Slats |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Masters degree in Criminal Law, Sydney University |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Father’s Name | Stephen Slater |
| Mother’s Name | Judy Slater |
| Siblings | Sean, Stephen and |
| Age | 51 years old |
| Height | 1.74 m (5 feet 8 inches) |
| Weight | 160 lb (73 Kg) |
| Shoe Size | 10 |
| Profession | Professional surfer, voice actor, musician, and a film producer |
| Net Worth | $22 million |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Relationship Status | Mingled |
| Girlfriend | Kalani Miller |
| Kid | Taylor Slater (daughter) |
| Favorite Maneuvers | Barrels |
| Salary (yearly) | $3 million |
Kelly Slater Biography
Robert Kelly Slater, born February 11, 1972, is a competitive surfer from the United States. He is best known for capturing an unprecedented 11 world surfing titles.
He won it five years in a row, breaking surfer Mark Richards’ record. He’s also won numerous other titles, such as ‘Boost Mobile Pro,’ ‘Billabong Pro,’ and ‘Rip Curl Pro,’ to name a few.
This talented athlete is more than just a surfer; he also enjoys music and movies. Kelly has appeared in nearly 37 films and documentaries, including, to name a few, ‘Surf’s Up,’ ‘Endless Summer II,’ ‘Down the Barrel,’ and ‘Fighting Fear.’ He’s also known for a brief appearance on the popular television show ‘Baywatch.’
Kelly Slater has dabbled in writing, first with an autobiography titled “Pipe Dreams: A Surfer’s Journey” and then with a collaborative effort titled “Kelly Slater: For the Love.”
Kelly Slater Childhood
Kelly grew up in Cocoa Beach, Florida, where he currently resides. His parents are Judy Moriarity and Stephen Slater, and he has two siblings named Sean and Stephen.
Slater grew up near the water as the son of a bait store owner and began surfing at the age of five. By the age of ten, he was winning age division events all over the Atlantic coast. In addition, he won his first age-division United States championship in 1984.
Two years later, the surfer finished third in the junior division at the World Amateur Championships in England. He also won the Pacific Cup junior championship in Australia the following year.
Career
By 1990, the adolescent surfer had proven his mettle in the sport. He started appearing in surfing magazines. Since then, he has received support from well-known surfwear companies such as ‘Quicksilver,’ until he signed a contract with ‘Kering.’
In the same year, he won the ‘Body Glove Surfbout,’ a California contest. Two years later, in 1992, he won the ‘Association of Surfing Professionals (‘ASP’) World Tour.
In addition, he repeated his victory at the ‘Rip Curl Pro Landes’ in France and the ‘Marui Pipe Masters’ in Hawaii. 1994 was also a good year for this talented surfer.
He won the ASP World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro, the Chiemsee Gerry Lopez Pipe Masters, the Bud Surf Tour Seaside Reef, and the Sud Ouest Trophee, to name a few.
In 1995, this energetic athlete won the ASP World Tour for the second time. He also won the ‘Quiksilver Pro’ in Indonesia, the ‘Chiemsee Pipe Masters,’ and Hawaii’s ‘Triple Crown of Surfing.’ Between 2010 and 2014, Slater won the ‘Hurley Pro’ three times, the ‘Rip Curl Pro’ twice, and the ‘Volcom Fiji Pro’ twice, in addition to victories on the ‘ASP World Tour.’
Kelly Slater Awards
Slater has won the World Surf League 11 times in a row, including five straight from 1994 to 1998. He is the youngest (20 years old) and oldest (39 years old) man to win the World Surf League men’s championship.
On May 8, 2010, Kelly was honored by the United States House of Representatives for his victory in the ‘Rip Curl Pro’ tournament. Bill Posey initiated it in recognition of his significant contribution to sports. Slater became the all-time leader in career event wins when he won the Boost Mobile Pro event at Lower Trestles near San Clemente, California, in 2007.
In the final heat of the Billabong Tahiti Pro contest at Teahupo’o in May 2005, Slater became the first surfer to receive two perfect scores for a total of 20 out of 20 points under the ASP two-wave scoring system. Furthermore, at the 2019 Billabong Pipe Masters, he became the World Surf League’s oldest surfer (age 47) to perform a 10-point ride.
Kelly Slater Net Worth
Kelly Slater’s net worth is estimated to be $22 million as of March 2024. The majority of his fortune stems from his professional surfing career.
He also makes money from his own company and endorsements. His annual earnings are estimated to be between $3 million and $4 million. He also works as an actor and voice actor and has appeared in a successful film that grossed $149 million.
In addition, he has been designated as a Chia Co. brand ambassador. He also co-founded the company “Outerknown” and launched the beverage company “Purps.” In 2020, he was in talks with entrepreneur Michael Schwab about developing a $400 million surf resort on 400 acres.
Kelly Slater Wife, Marriage
It’s no secret that Slater is deeply committed to Kalani Miller, who appears frequently on his Instagram. However, it is unclear when the couple began dating.
In honor of their anniversary, Miller shared a monochrome photo of herself and Slater when they were younger on September 24, 2019. They had been together for 12 years and two days, she wrote in the caption. Kalani Miller grew up in Orange County, California, with her sisters Oleema and Hana Miller in the small beach town of San Clemente. Growing up in a family of designers, surfers, and sea lovers, Kalani developed an interest in surfing, modeling, and travel.
Kalani is the proud and successful co-founder of MIKOH with her sister Oleema, who is also a former sponsored professional surfer. Swimwear, vacation gear, and ready-to-wear beach cover-ups were later added.
Kelly Slater and his ex-girlfriend Tamara have a daughter. Taylor Slater, his daughter, was born on June 5, 1996. She is a multi-medium artist professionally. Taylor claims she is on the verge of recreating the natural world’s effect on human emotion. Taylor’s art show in Montauk, New York, in 2018 was also a huge success. Kelly is extremely supportive of his daughter’s artwork.
