Surfing legend Kelly Slater has confirmed he is on the verge of retiring from competition, saying he will end his peerless career “pretty soon”. The 11-time world champion is not just surfing’s most-decorated competitor, but at 52 one of world sport’s greatest stories. Despite nursing an injured hip that needed major surgery last September, the American remains one of the men to beat in the World Surf League.
” Slater missed the most recent world tour round in Portugal because of injury and Tuesday brought his first heat win of the season. He is also expecting his second child, with Slater and his partner Kalani Miller making the announcement a few days ago. His daughter Taylor, from a previous relationship, is 28. “The important things in life change real quickly when you’re having a kid, but I still got a little more stressed in that heat than I wanted,” he said of Tuesday morning’s win.