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Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
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Jul 20, 2011 - 06:05pm PT
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 20, 2011 - 08:11pm PT
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Is he skipping J-Bay or will he pull a Curren phantom move and show up for round two and blow through the competition and win it?
Any bets?
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 8, 2011 - 12:57am PT
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... oh and he just won the mens Open in Huntington. Any bets for the title?
I still hope Parko goes big but where was he this contest?!
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aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Dara Torres competed in five Olympics, not dominating, but it is much harder to stay on top in a mainstream Olympic sport. Surfing for recreation is large in terms of numbers, but for competition the pool of athletes is very very small.
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rurprider
Trad climber
Mt. Rubidoux
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Try Bruce Jenner, Lynn Hill, Jim Thorpe, Babe Didrikson Zaharies, Mark Spitz, Seabiscuit. Loads of all-around athletes that are/were head and shoulders above Kelly Slater.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Seabiscuit!
Not entirely disagreeing but how long were the atheletes you mentioned dominating and at the top of their field?
Hot new surfers are like sharks teeth, there are rows and rows of them, they just keep coming and getting sharper.
And for almost 20 years Kelly has been considered the best surfer in the world.
We've waited for years for the " next Kelly Slater". He hasn't materialized. Not in terms of competitive results, style, longevity, or just plain freakish talent
In a "sport" that is very difficult to judge, and with an ever changing and progessing talent field, Kelly has proven himself to be one of the best competitive atheletes of all time.
Surfers just don't get the credit they "deserve".
It is defnitely odd to put a surfer or surfing in the same running as Bruce Jenner and track and field or boxing, but if we're talking results and longevity, the case is pretty clear.
There are surfers I like more than Kelly Slater.
But no one blows my mind like kelly has.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Hot new surfers are like sharks teeth, there are rows and rows of them, they just keep coming and getting sharper.
And for almost 20 years Kelly has been considered the best surfer in the world.
We've waited for years for the " next Kelly Slater". He hasn't materialized. Not in terms of competitive results, style, longevity, or just plain freakish talent
In a "sport" that is very difficult to judge, and with an ever changing and progessing talent field, Kelly has proven himself to be one of the best competitive atheletes of all time.
Surfers just don't get the credit they "deserve".
It is defnitely odd to put a surfer or surfing in the same running as Bruce Jenner and track and field or boxing, but if we're talking results and longevity, the case is pretty clear.
There are surfers I like more than Kelly Slater.
But no one blows my mind like kelly has.
Well said drljefe
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 8, 2011 - 12:11pm PT
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Bruce Jenner? Seriously? I know the guy, he practiced on the track across the street from where I grew up. Super cool guy, and nice to us kids too. But he was a hell of an athlete for a short period of time.
Now he's a Kardashian right?
Hot new surfers are like sharks teeth, there are rows and rows of them, they just keep coming and getting sharper.
And for almost 20 years Kelly has been considered the best surfer in the world.
Perfectly said. And right after Shark Week... nice touch. Bonus points.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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I have been in the water when KS was out, at Trestles, Rincon, and Malibu. Really cool to watch in person.
Even Kelly gets burned at crowded pointbreaks! Difference is, he'll bottom turn around the snake and do a carving 360 around them.
Literally surfing circles around people.
No burning at Lowers, that's where I've seem him go most mental. And like a stoked grom, i can say, "I've sprayed Slater!"
I hope the f*#ker keeps winning, just cuz. Doesn't really matter anyway. All those guys make dough and live the life. So you didn't win, again. Oh well, you still make 7 figures and travel the globe...surfing. All on a jr.high education.
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P.Rob
Social climber
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Determining and labeling The Greatest Athlete really does seem to be the proverbial pissing match. I have seen and been acquainted with unsung heroes of the street participating in games with such talent and ability that they definitely would have to be labeled world class, and they do what they do in relative obscurity. And the need to compare likes with likes also needs consideration.
That being said, it is my conviction that Dan Gable, Gold Medal wrestler in the ’72 Munich Olympics, achieved one of the greatest International records ever; defeating 7 world class opponents in route to the gold WITHOUT A SINGLE POINT SCORED AGAINST HIM. I do acknowledge that Kelly is far pretty the Gable .
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big ears
Trad climber
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not gonna argue he is the best athlete of all time, but maybe most bad ass/ least likely athlete of all time?
First person to complete a loop on a skateboard, orginator of the disaster, destroys pools, and a damn good punk singer. All of this while generally blacked out drunk, or tweaked on meth. From what I hear he has been sober for a few years now. 50 years old and still wrecking his body skating pools. (if anyone has ever ridden pools, it is the HARDEST thing i have ever attempted).
Duane "the master of disaster" Peters!
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P.Rob
Social climber
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I truly remembers Duane Peters, witnessed the 360 loop in a barnstorming skate show back in the 70’s. I do believe Jay Adams can be mentioned in the same breath. My relationship with skating goes back over 40 years and the love and respect for the sport is as great as any.
In fact one could argue that skating, both the culture and the sport, has influenced & brought surfing, rollerblading, skiing, snowboarding, freestyle motor cross, etc, etc. into the 21st century.
Just browse and gander at the names & tricks performed in all those sports and you see they came directly from skating. So bringing this diatribe to an end, the logical conclusion is that Duane Peters just might be Kelly’s daddy.
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big ears
Trad climber
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i agree one hundred percent about skating/ skate culture influencing surfing and snowboarding. without skateboarding there would be no halfpipes or parkstyle snowboarding.
Arguably, without surfing, skateboarding would never have been. But on the flipside, without skating, its doubtful that people would be getting air on surfboards. ( I could be talking out my ass here, i know very little about surfing culture. Just picked up a bit here and there from when i lived in folarida for a few years.)
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P.Rob
Social climber
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I always saw it as a case of the son reaching back and influencing Pops to reach to a new level.
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FRUMY
Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
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JIM THORPE.
Nothing against Kelly Slater. Best surfer I've ever seen.
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FRUMY
Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
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Big ears that's the funniest & one of the best quotes I've ever seen. Please post it on the
favorite quotes thread.
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 29, 2011 - 11:43pm PT
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So he just won his 47th contest (out of 67) in the biggest contest surf at Teahupoo. His case just gets stronger.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Aug 30, 2011 - 12:53am PT
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I just can't fuking believe that no one has mentioned me in this thread. wtf.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Aug 30, 2011 - 03:28am PT
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This argument makes it sound like democracy and democratic values are some kind of summum bonum, ultimate good. Let's hope not!
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