Kelly Slater has set some high standards for fellow surfers to reach. An inspiration for the upcoming generations of superstars, even his defeats had lessons for his competitors. Joel Parkinson, Slater’s arch-rival on the waves, shared a similar moment that is grabbing a lot of fans’ attention. 

One Palm Media shared a clip from the 2012 ASP World Tour of a video featuring both Joel Parkinson and Kelly Slater. 

Joel Parkinson shares an old video with Kelly Slater

December 14, 2012, holds a special place for Joel Parkinson as his decade-long quest for the world champion title finally ended. The Australian surfer finally won his maiden world champion title in Hawaii. One Palm Media made this day even more special after sharing a video featuring Joel Parkinson lifting the trophy after securing the win.

“10 years ago, Joel Parkinson realised a dream”, the caption said. However, what got people’s attention was the great camaraderie between Joel and his biggest rival and competitor, Kelly Slater. Both the stars were seen hugging and greeting each before Slater handed over the trophy to Joel Parkinson.

Read More: “Just Shows How Much of a Legend He Is!”: Mother-Son Saved From the Jaws of Death Couldn’t Help Heap Praise on World Champ Kelly Slater

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Joel reshared the video from his social media handle and expressed his feeling about the unforgettable moment. “A moment I’ll never forget”, he wrote while thanking Slater. The great bonding between the two champion surfers was visible in the warmth of their hug. 

The final of the 2012 World tour holds a special place for Joel Parkinson

The World Tour final of 2012 will go down as one of the most thrilling finishes in the history of surfing sports. After four runner-up finishes to the World Title (2002, ’04, ’09, ’11) Parkinson finally nabbed the well-deserved title by edging ahead of 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater.

Parkinson had his sweet redemption after his stinging loss in 2009. Slater has won various international tournaments in his career, and in the tournament in which he didn’t succeed, he won hearts. 

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