More on Kelly

So Kelly Slater has won 10 World Titles. What's next for him? We already saw him win the Quicksilver Pro in Australia but just because he is doing so well doesn't mean he should continue.

There is a debate on whether or not Slater should retire from professional competition.

Matt Warshaw, former editor of Surfer Magazine, wrote an article for the New York Times about how he thinks Slater should "do the thing that virtually every other sports legend, from Ali to Armstrong, has been unable to do. Go out on top." He has the mentality that a "perfect" 10 is "perfect" for a reason and Slater should retire as a successful surfer.

In contrast, Chas Smith believes that because Slater is so talented, even beautiful, that he should never retire from professional surfing.

I've never been a huge fan on debates on what an athlete should do for their career. Its hard to believe that an athlete would choose the desires of the public over his own, making this discussion pointless. The only people that should care are the ones competing against Slater. But what they want probably won't be in the best interest of a competitor that continuously claims all the glory and cash prizes from contests.

Right now he still is competing and I don't think he's going to stop in the near future. One thing Slater has in common with other great athletes like Michael Jordan for example is his unwillingness to quit. Just like Jordan, he retired and came back because great athletes have a personality that won't let them quit. Just look at Brett Favre, a great quarterback who held on until the very end of his career.

This no quit attitude is very inspiring and even though it might be nice to see an athlete retire while he is still on top, I don't think its possible. Slater's personality won't allow it.

I don't think Slater will retire from the World Tour until he can no longer perform at the same level he is performing today. And if he does he will most likely return like many others before him have done.

Kelly Slater

Kelly Slater on March 8th, 2011 won the Quicksilver Pro.

I think that its unbelievable that at age 39, he's still dominating the World Tour. Unlike others of his generation, he's been able to keep up with the younger more innovative surfers of today.

The types of airs and tricks that these younger guys do are insane but Slater continues to do better than them in contests.

I believe that part of his success comes from 2 things. He is more experienced than the younger generation when it comes to competing and his drive to dominate the surfing world is unmatched. I recommend reading Why Kelly Slater is the Greatest Athlete of Our Time to gain a better idea why he is so successful.

But, I disagree with the claim of "greatest athlete of our time." I think comparisons between sports are very difficult if not impossible given the specific circumstances of each sport. What Micheal Jordan did in basketball is very different and hard to compare with what Slater did in surfing.

Natural Disaster

The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan a few days ago are terrifying to think about. CTV News reports that the magnitude of the earthquake has been measured to be between 8.9 and 9.0 depending on who you ask. And the death toll could be close to 1,700 people.

I am very thankful that all my friends who have family in Japan are ok. There were several days when my friends did not know if their family members were alive because lines of communication were cut off.

The tsunami also hit other areas. In the U.S. five people were reported pulled out to sea in California and Oregon. In addition there was flooding in areas like Hawaii and Latin America.

The SF Gate reported that in Northern California there was significant damage to harbors and boats. Crescent City and Santa Cruz each have 18 and 17 sunken boats respectively. Plus, both cities are expected to need significant environmental cleanup from other damaged boats leaking fuel and oil.

Crescent City is in the northern most part of California and right next to the Oregon border.

This isn’t the first time a tsunami as hit California. The Great Alaskan Earthquake in 1964 caused tsunami waves up to 21 feet in Crescent City and 11 feet in Santa Cruz. Even though the threat of tsunamis is considered to be low in California, it is something to be concerned about.

I’m starting to wonder if we are actually prepared for this in Southern California. But the other day I did notice a tsunami evacuation sign that’s been near my house ever since I’ve been there. I guess we do have a plan. Unfortunately, I don’t think many people are aware of it.