Even after more than three decades in the sport, the question of who inspires Kelly Slater in the surfing world still feels relevant. Over the years, Slater has named several figures who shaped his journey. He credits Brandon “Big Wave” Davis with having a major influence, praising his “knowledge and poise in large surf” for motivating him to take on massive waves. As a kid, Slater idolized Buttons Kaluhiokalani and Tom Curren, while later in his career he admired surfers like Andy Irons and Dane Reynolds, who he felt challenged him and elevated the sport. Still, there’s one name you might notice missing from that list.

The missing name? Dale Webster. The Northern California legend who paddled out every single day from 1975 to 2015—no breaks, no excuses. Three waves a day, minimum, whether it was pouring rain, blazing sun, icy Pacific swells, or the not-so-friendly sharks off of Sonoma County. That’s 14,642 days in a row. No wonder the surfing world called him “Daily Dale.” Dale watched Kelly Slater’s whole journey—from the young kid making waves to the undisputed WSL king. And while there’s no official quote from Kelly, you can almost imagine him saying something. And now, here comes the hard part—the heartbreak.

On August 12, Kelly Slater reposted Surfer Magazine’s tribute to Dale Webster on his Instagram story. The post confirmed the passing of “Daily Wavester,” the 77-year-old surfing icon. News of his death surfaced on social media, though the cause remains unknown. Slater didn’t dwell on those details—instead, he kept it simple, writing, “#RIP Dale. Unsung hero in the surf world.” From one king to another, who has already set sail for another world!

Born in Alhambra, California, Dale Webster’s path couldn’t have been more different from Kelly Slater’s. He first tried stand-up surfing in 1961 at just 13 years old, and before long, he was tackling a 100-day surfing challenge. That was the spark—and he never looked back. Chasing ever-bigger goals, Dale shaped his entire life around the waves. He skipped inland vacations, left jobs that clashed with his surf sessions, and paddled out no matter the weather, illness, or conditions. “I think of all the things I’ll have missed in life because of this,” he once told The New York Times. His record-breaking streak ended nearly a decade ago, and now, he’s riding waves in another world. For Kelly Slater, this loss feels deeply personal.

At 53, Kelly Slater wasn’t prepared to bid farewell to Dale so soon. After all, the record-setter was one of the trailblazers who helped shape the sport. But Kelly wasn’t the only familiar name to honor Dale on his final journey.

Apart from Kelly Slater, another big name is lined up

Kelly Slater may not have hailed from Bodega Bay—the rugged stretch of coast where Dale Webster honed his legendary skills—but Billy “Blaze” Beal knew those waters well. He spent years taking on Bodega Bay’s towering waves, and when Dale’s final day came, Blaze made sure the icon’s name echoed across the lineup.

“The surfing world has lost quite a character,” Billy wrote on the Instagram page for his shaping business, Surfboards by Blaze.“Dale Webster, a guy who surfed over 14,000 days in a row, has passed on to that big point break in the sky. Dale really was one of a kind, and it’s hard to even fathom in the slightest bit what it must have taken to have a streak as long as he did. To not get injured, or sick, or have any kind of situation that stopped you from surfing. It’s truly an amazing accomplishment.” That day, two very different surfers—one the king of competitive surfing, the other a local legend—found themselves on the same path, paying tribute to a man who will forever be part of surfing’s soul.