Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
|
|
|
Jun 12, 2013 - 08:07am PT
|
It must be so frustrating for the younger and nearly as immense talents coming up that this old guy (41) won't go away and keeps winning many of the contests, leaving them no place in the sun.
I love this. I'm kind of the same way, until I wake up.
|
|
pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
|
|
|
Jun 12, 2013 - 10:31am PT
|
Kelly can keep winning for all I care. He is better than lance berkheart.
|
|
Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
|
|
|
Aug 18, 2013 - 11:14pm PT
|
Billabong Tahiti Pro 2013... burned on a priority call that might have cost Slater the contest in the final. Regardless, Slater is now world number 1 and on track for possibly world title number 12.
Slater's favorite event is next, the Trestles contest, right in Orange County California just north of Camp Pendleton. Should be exciting.
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
|
|
|
Aug 18, 2013 - 11:27pm PT
|
Yes! Gunkie!
He is rolling.
|
|
Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
|
|
|
Dec 14, 2013 - 10:26am PT
|
Pipe finals today (rd5, qf, sf, f)
http://vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters2013/live
Slater could still win his 12th title if Fanning loses in the 5th round or quarter finals and Slater wins out. Slater have moved straight to the QF and Fanning has a 5th round match-up with CJ Hobgood. Could be very interesting, but I think Fanning is on a roll and wins his 3rd title. But I think Slater makes the final against John John Florence in an epic battle in double overhead, 2nd reef, cracking pipe surf.
|
|
bjj
climber
beyond the sun
|
|
|
Dec 14, 2013 - 01:17pm PT
|
He's amazing, but as noted, the talent pool is very small.
I liken it to climbing in the prior to the mid 80's. The guys who were the best were ones who happened to live near good outdoor rock. Some guy with incredible genetic (and other types of) potential who spent his whole life in the flat lands would never have had occasion to try it at a young age and get hooked. Imagine if John Gill or Bachar grew up and then lived their whole life in Omaha Nebraska.
Then came climbing gyms and now there is the opportunity for so many more people to at least get some taste of what pulling down is like. So now we have an explosion of talent being exposed to the sport in some degree.
Until some kind of surfing wave simulator becomes as common place as rock gyms, we won't have anything but the big fish / small pond syndrome of surfing, IMO.
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
|
|
|
Dec 14, 2013 - 08:49pm PT
|
Kelly Slater, once again Champion Billabong Pipe Masters just now. What a genius and very cool person.
|
|
Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
|
|
|
Dec 14, 2013 - 08:50pm PT
|
Slater rules. He crushed it at Pipe.
|
|
Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 15, 2013 - 12:46am PT
|
Gunkie... way to call it!
If you lose the world title, at least win the event! That's gotta help!
|
|
Leggs
Sport climber
Tucson, AZ
|
|
|
Dec 15, 2013 - 01:09am PT
|
Kelly = imaginary boyfriend #2
:)
|
|
stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
|
|
|
Dec 15, 2013 - 01:35am PT
|
Pretty damn amazing that he is still charging this hard after 20+ years. Very, very few people manage to stay on top that long.
As for talent pool, it's not that small. I'd bet there are more surfers in Southern CA then there are climbers in the entire world.
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
|
|
|
Dec 15, 2013 - 11:17am PT
|
Yeah, the notion that the population of surfers is really small is an oblivious one. And I should note that next year some of the contests are going "general population" in their approach for the first time. Their numbers are showing it will work and viewership as well is apparently huge.
http://www.statisticbrain.com/surfing-statistics/
Source: International Surfing Association, Boardtrac, All About Surfboards, Ezine Articles
Date Verified: 4.5.2012
Surfing Statistics
Estimate population of American surfers (surf at least once a year) 1,736,000
Estimate number of surfers worldwide 23 million
Longest amount of time spent surfing one wave 37 minutes
Average weight of the original design for a surfboard 100 pounds
Most money made by a surfer in a single year – Kelly Slater, 2009 $3 million
Height of the biggest wave ever recorded 1740 ft.
Record number of people surfing tandem on a single board 47
Record number of people to surf the same wave simultaneously 103
Average cost for a bar of surf wax $1.50
Surfing Industry Revenue Statistics
Surfing industry revenue in 2010 $6.24 billion
Surfing industry revenue in 2008 $7.22 billion
Hard good sales in 2010 (surfboards, skateboards, and accessories) $1.46 billion
Wetsuit sales in 2010 $110.4 million
Footwear sales in 2010 $1.5 billion
Stand up Paddleboard (SUP) sales in 2010 $14.5 million
|
|
o-man
Social climber
Paia,Maui,HI
|
|
Right on Kelly!
|
|
bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA/Boulder, CO
|
|
The dude is playing golf at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am this week!
|
|
o-man
Social climber
Paia,Maui,HI
|
|
RESPECT!!
|
|
BruceAnderson
Social climber
Los Angeles currently St. Antonin, France
|
|
|
Oct 17, 2014 - 12:00pm PT
|
Yep, mind blown. Best athlete ever.
|
|
pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
|
|
|
Oct 17, 2014 - 01:16pm PT
|
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Kelly Slater best surfer video shot by my me Me!
Had the luck to see him surf Malibu's big Wednesday!
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!