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. 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.
I could not agree more with you on this topic. The one thing that all of the superstar athletes I can think have an incredible passion for what they do. I know next to nothing about surfing and do not follow it at all but I could tell you exactly who Kelly Slater is. He has made a name for himself and gained respect from a lot of people. The biggest underlying factor for me is the irreplaceable feeling of competition. If you have ever played a sport or any sort of activity with competition I’m sure you know what I mean, it is like nothing else. Does he care about going out on top? I don’t think so, I think he is one of those special athletes who enjoy competing and has an intense passion and dedication for what he does. Let’s think about it….I guess surfing sounds like an alright job to me. He is not quitting any time soon. Nor do I think he will quit winning either.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I think the issue with going out on top versus fading away slowly is one that applies to all sports, and even to other areas and careers in life. It's a hard one to answer, but I think an important thing to question is whether one is doing an activity for the love of it or for the recognition it brings. I personally don't think there is any shame in continuing to compete even if you can't perform the way you used to just for the love of competition.
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