Kelly Slater Hints His Decades-Long Surfing Career Is Coming to an End

Kelly Slater’s glittering, decades-long surfing career may be coming to an end.

Slater, 52, who is an 11-time world champion, was defeated by Griffin Colapinto in round 32 of their heat at the Margaret River Pro tournament off the Western Australian coast on April 16.

While speaking to World Surf League, Slater admitted he’d “broke down” and previously told his girlfriend Kalani Miller after the 2024 Hurley Pro Sunset Beach event in February, “This feels like the end.”

“Couldn’t quite pull a miracle off this week, but I’ve pulled a few off over the years and I still had that hope out there,” the sportsman, who is expecting his first child with Miller, told the outlet after his latest event.

“But to lose to the number one… I’m kind of avoiding that emotion ’cause it’s all right there bubbling up,” Slater said while referencing his “close friend” Colapinto, 25.

“Everything comes to an end, and if you don’t adapt you don’t survive, and my motivation just hasn’t quite been there to really put in that 100% that everyone is doing now,” he added, per CNN.

In his interview with World Surf League, Slater said he’d been “struggling since my surgery, since the recovery,” while referencing his performance at the Sunset Beach event.

“I’m just fighting through the pain,” he told the outlet. Slater injured his hip at Bells Beach in 2022 and had to have an operation.

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Slater, who became the youngest world champion in 1992 at age 20, also hinted at his retirement on his Instagram Stories, writing alongside Indonesian pro surfer Wayan Betet Merta’s post of the pair surfing, “So many great memories with my friends around the world.”

Slater also became the oldest world champion at age 39 after winning his 11th world title in 2011.

While speaking to PEOPLE in February 2023, Slater said of his decades-long surfing career, “At some point, everything comes to an end.”

“I think about it a lot,” he added at the time. “It’s a reality, because it’s not far off for me. My competitive flame is burning low, but it can spark up at times.”