Kelly Slater is an interesting man. Yes, he’s the GOAT, but he’s also a man who isn’t afraid to say what he thinks to whoever he thinks needs to hear what he thinks. He’s dabbled in many things — energy drinks, wave pools, ayahuasca, fins, pads, acting — and he’s been largely successful at most of them. Recently, he sat down with Gracie Kramer, the host of Athletes After Hours.
Slater has eclipsed surfing. If you were to ask 100 non-surfers to name three surfers, I’ll bet the average answer would be Kelly Slater, Bethany Hamilton, and Laird Hamilton. There likely wouldn’t be a Medina or a John John in there. Certainly not a Filipe Toledo or Caity Simmers, despite the fact that all of those names are at the top of their game. But Kelly? He’s bigger than surfing.
“What does it take to become the greatest of all time?” Athletes After Hours wrote. “And after spending decades at the top of your sport, how do you learn to define yourself beyond it?”
The 11-time world champion has accomplished more than most ever will. He’s done it all not just by surfing extraordinarily well, but by extraordinarily well and having a unique mindset.
“In this episode, Kelly opens up about the mindset that allowed him to dominate his sport for decades, the physical and mental demands of competing at the highest level, and how his relationship with winning, failure, and competition has evolved over time,” Athletes After Hours continued. “We dive into the realities of maintaining peak performance as you age, how he approaches training and recovery, and what continues to motivate him after accomplishing virtually everything there is to achieve in surfing.”
It’s a long chat that covers how Slater navigates the pressure of being the GOAT, what he does to fulfill himself outside of surfing, and, most importantly, how fatherhood changes the way he looks at life.
“Whether you’re an athlete navigating your own relationship with competition, someone learning to redefine success, or simply curious about the mindset of one of the greatest athletes to ever live, this episode is a reminder that greatness isn’t just about what you accomplish,” Athletes After Hours finished. “It’s about who you become along the way.”
