Kelly Slater: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Features

If there is a Mount Rushmore of novelty waves, Ben Gravy may have just carved his face onto the cliff face. The New Jersey surfer, who has built a career chasing everything from river bores to tanker wakes, teamed up with Jacob “Zeke” Szekely for a mission to the Pacific Northwest in search of a ferry wave they had heard rumors about for years.

Surfing News / SURFER / September 18

19-Year-Old Erin Brooks Wins 3 In A Row On Championship Tour

Taking out the Lexus Trestles Pro in dominant fashion, Canada’s Erin Brooks has now won the last three events of the 2026 Championship Tour. Entering extremely rare air, it’s been exactly 30 years since a surfer won three events in a row in one season on the Championship Tour.

Surfing News / SURFER / September 13

Sketchy and Scary: Cloudbreak Goes XXL

“Cloudbreak is that rare wave that’s good from very small to as big as waves get,” Kelly Slater explained to SURFER last year. “There are very few waves in the world that have a reef or bottom that handles waves of all sizes and keeps good quality.

Surfing News / SURFER / September 13

Kelly Slater, 54, Dismantles Lower Trestles And Rekindles Wildcard Debate (Video)

At some point, Kelly Slater is supposed to start looking his age. Apparently, 54 isn’t it. Fresh off a memorable wildcard appearance at the Tahiti Pro, the 11-time world champion resurfaced at Lower Trestles during Hurricane Marie’s south swell—and proceeded to remind everyone that retirement and irrelevance are two very different things.

Surfing News / SURFER / September 4

WSL Scraps Surf Abu Dhabi Pro at Kelly Slater Wave Pool as Middle East Conflict Erupts

The World Surf League has officially removed the 2026 Surf Abu Dhabi Pro from the Championship Tour schedule due to ongoing military conflict, regional unrest, and severe logistical complications across the Middle East.

Surfing News / SURFER / August 25

This Has To Be The Most Perfect Boat Wake Ever Surfed

When footage of Kelly Slater’s wave pool first dropped in 2015 it broke the Internet. Nearly a decade later, weird wave maestro Ben Gravy just revealed a wave breaking off the wake of a ferryboat that rivals that man-made perfection.

Surfing News / SURFER / August 21

How A Robot Rebuilt Kelly Slater's Hip -- Then He Stormed Teahupo'o

Kelly Slater’s near-flawless performance at Teahupo’o the other day is a feat the surfing world will be analysing and talking about for years to come. Posting a 19.06 during a heat at 54-years-old is a testament to the mentality of Slater.

Surfing News / WorldSurfLeague.com / August 14

Watch: EVERY EXCELLENT WAVE - Outerknown Tahiti Pro presented by I-SEA 2026

Surfing News / SURFER / August 13

Hawaii's Seth Moniz Claims First Championship Tour Win

After eight long, hard-fought seasons on the Championship Tour, Hawaii’s Seth Moniz has earned the first win of his career at the 2026 Outerknown Tahiti Pro.

Surfing News / WorldSurfLeague.com / August 10

Watch: Kelly Slater vs Gabriel Medina | Outerknown Tahiti Pro pres by I-SEA 2026 - Round 2 Full Replay

Surfing News / SURFER / August 10

Hank Foto, Surfing’s ‘Gonzo Photographer,’ Dies at 62

The surf world has lost one of its great characters. Hank Foto, born Brian Stephen in Southern California, died August 8, 2026, following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Surfing News / SURFER / August 10

Luke Thompson Launches GoFundMe to Send Surfers Not Street Children Athletes to ISA World Games

When thinking of all the surf empowerment programs in the world, Surfers Not Street Children is one that quickly comes to mind. The program has changed the lives of many since its inception and has received help and recognition from notable figures such as Kelly Slater, Prince William, and even the Pope.

Surfing News / SURFER / August 9

Kelly Slater, 54, Dominates 20-Foot Teahupo’o and Schools Kids Half His Age (Video)

Kelly Slater continues to defy Father Time. At 54 years old, the 11-time world champion put on an absolute masterclass during day one of the Outerknown Tahiti Pro, securing a phenomenal 9.00-point ride on a monstrous 20-foot bomb at Teahupo'o.

Surfing News / WorldSurfLeague.com / August 8

Watch: World’s best answer Teahupo’o’s monstrous call in opening spectacle I Corona Cero Post Show Day 1

Surfing News / WorldSurfLeague.com / August 8

Watch: Kelly Slater vs Eli Hanneman | Outerknown Tahiti Pro presented by I-SEA 2026 - Round 1

Surfing News / SURFER / August 4

Teahupo’o Locals Torch The WSL Field In Perfect Pre‑Event Swell (Photos)

More so than most marquee surf spots spanning the globe, Teahupo’o is a wave where the locals perpetually outshine visiting surfers. Of course, there are

Surfing News / SURFER / July 30

Kelly Slater, 54, Welcomes Daughter as He Plots Wildcard Return to Teahupo'o (Photos)

Kelly Slater has spent more than three decades redefining what's possible on a surfboard. These days, though, the 11x world champ is embracing a new path.

Surfing News / SURFER / July 12

Maya Gabeira Confronts Kelly Slater and Laird Hamilton’s Brutal Warnings After Near‑Death Wipeouts (Video)

A resurfaced interview featuring Maya Gabeira is taking the surf world down memory lane for another look at the extraordinary highs—and painful lows—that defined the Brazilian big-wave surfer’s career.

Surfing News / SURFER / July 11

Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer Clip Explodes Online 24 Years Later: ‘Better Than Games Today’ (Video)

If you were a surfer of a certain age in the early 2000s, then it’s more than likely, you had a copy of KellySlater’sProSurfer video game hooked up to the console of your choice, and plugged into the large, dishwasher-sized television sets of the time.

Surfing News / SURFER / July 8

Kelly Slater’s $171M Austin Surf Club Rescue Plan Collides With $16M Debt

There’s big trouble brewing in Texas. The highly anticipated Austin Surf Club, an ultra-exclusive private residential community backed by surfing legend Kelly Slater and the Discovery Land Company, has slammed into a massive financial roadblock.

Surfing News / SURFER / July 6

Kelly Slater, 54, Charges Back Into Teahupo’o Wildcard As Local Eimeo Czermak Nails Perfect 20 Heat (Video)

The GOAT is back. Just when it looked like Kelly Slater's competitive career had finally slowed down, and family life was settling in, the 11-time world champion is heading back to one of the waves that helped define his legacy.

Surfing News / SURFER / June 29

Watch Paris Hilton Surf Kelly Slater’s World-Famous Wave Pool (Video)

Paris Hilton can surf…with a little help from the world’s foremost surf coach, that is. The entrepreneur, media personality, and pop culture icon recently traded DJ decks for perfect waves, taking on Kelly Slater's famous Surf Ranch in California's Central Valley.

Surfing News / Outdoors on SI / June 12, 2025

Legendary Surfer Kelly Slater Faces Elimination at Lexus Trestles Pro

Stop No. 8 of the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour, Trestles Pro in California, is now underway. The men's elimination round is in progress with five heats already completed.