Months After Providing Saddening Update, 51-Year-Old Kelly Slater Still Awaits a ‘Real Dream Come True’ Moment

Securing victory in the Billabong Pipeline Event 8 times and winning 11 world titles, Kelly Slater is regarded as an unstoppable force in surfing. So when the World Surf League champion hinted at his retirement after the 2024 Paris Olympics, the sporting world was evidently disappointed. Nevertheless, Slater is focused on his dream to compete on the world’s biggest platform for one last time.

In 2024, for the first time, a massive surfing event, like no other will be held in Teahupo’o in Tahiti. Surfing at the Paris Olympics is scheduled from 27th July to 29th July 2024 and will feature some of the world’s best surfers who will compete to create history at the event. Having surfed at Teahupo’o in the past, Slater expressed his eagerness to participate in this event before retiring.

The surfing legend referred to the upcoming surfing events of the Paris 2024 Olympics in Teahupo’o in his recent interview with Reuters. Talking about this golden opportunity, Slater disclosed, “My hopes are still up for it and it would be a real dream come true for me to make that happen.”

Continuing about his final stand, he added, “When I started, we didn’t have surfing in the Olympics, so it was never my ultimate goal. That it has presented itself, it just lines up so well for me for when I want to stop competing.”  The 51-year-old surfer clearly wishes to end his career on a high note.

Slater has already started preparing for his future after retiring from competitive surfing. Earlier, the iconic surfer updated his fans about the big decisions he has taken to not only leave a legacy in surfing but also in other fields.

The surfing legend recently announced his own brand KLLY. The designs of this footwear brand were influenced by turtles, the moon and water. On his Instagram handle, Slater disclosed how this new brand focused on comfort and that the footwear could be used for daily use.Earlier, the 11-time World Champion had also introduced his own brand of clothing called Outerknown, as well as the Kelly Slater Wave Co, which helps to organize and provide memorable surfing experiences for customers.

The surfing legend’s intentions are proof of his desire to make his career end memorably. It remains to be seen whether Slater can achieve a final triumph before retiring from competitive surfing.