Kelly Slater capped off an amazing season Friday by winning the Billabong Pipeline Masters contest in Hawaii for a record sixth time.  Slater, who clinched a record ninth ASP World Tour title earlier this year, won a total of six out the tour’s 11 events in 2008.

Slater was unbeatable in the heats leading up to the final, scoring a combined 19.00, 18.63 and 19.40 (out of 20.00).  In his final against Chris Ward waves were sparse, and Slater took the contest with a 14.00 to Ward’s 7.23.

“It was disappointing that the waves didn’t really turn on for us in the final,” Slater said. “That’s what we are here for, to put on a show for people – at least give them some big wipeouts or something.”

More exciting was Slater’s semifinal against Timmy Reyes, when Slater came from behind with minutes left in the head to score a perfect 10.00 and a 9.00.

While Ward’s second-place finish assured him of a spot on the 2009 World Tour, he came up short in the final rankings for the Vans Triple Crown honor.  Joel “Parko” Parkinson, who scored a history-making perfect 20.00 earlier in the contest, ended up taking the Triple Crown thanks to his performance over the three season-ending Hawaiian contests.

The 2008 ASP World Tour surfing season is now complete and will resume next year on Feb. 28 when the holding period of the Quiksilver Pro commences.

Read more about the contest on the ASP website.

2009 ASP World Tour rookie Nathaniel Curran – cr. Covered Images

The 2009 ASP World Tour roster has been decided with the conclusion of the 2008 season.  After the Billabong Pipeline Masters, the top 27 surfers from the current world tour earn a spot in 2009, along with the 15 top-ranked World Qualifying Series (WQS) surfers (who didn’t otherwise qualify) and three wildcards chosen by the ASP.

There are few surprises, since most of the list was decided after the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing earlier this month.

Surfers will get more than two months off before kicking off the 2009 season on Feb. 28 with the Quiksilver Pro in Australia.

For more about the rankings, check out the ASP website.  The full list follows…

1. Kelly Slater (USA)
2. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
3. Taj Burrow (AUS)
4. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
5. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
6. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
7. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
8. Mick Fanning (AUS)
9. Bobby Martinez (USA)
10. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
11. Luke Stedman (AUS)
12. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
13. Andy Irons (HAW)
14. Chris Ward (USA)
15. Kai Otton (AUS)
16. Tim Reyes (USA)
17. Tom Whitaker (AUS)
18. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
19. Dayyan Neve (AUS)
20. Bruce Irons (HAW)*
21. Mikael Picon (FRA)
22. Dane Reynolds (USA)
23. Taylor Knox (USA)
24. Damien Hobgood (USA)
25. Heitor Alves (BRA)
26. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
27. Ben Dunn (AUS)
28. Nathaniel Curran (USA)
29. Chris Davidson (AUS)
30. Michel Bourez (PYF)
31. Gabe Kling (USA)
32. Jihad Khodr (BRA)
33. David Weare (ZAF)
34. Josh Kerr (AUS)
35. Nic Muscroft (AUS)
36. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)
37. Greg Emslie (ZAF)
38. Tim Boal (FRA)
39. Dustin Barca (HAW)
40. Tiago Pires (PRT)
41. Phillip MacDonald (AUS)
42. Drew Courtney (AUS)
43. Dean Morrison (AUS)**
44. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)**
45. Marlon Lipke (DEU)**

* Irons has previously stated that he is retiring from full-time competition after the 2008 season.
** Wildcard chosen by ASP & Surfer’s Union.

First he was at the Quiksilver store in NYC.  Then he took to the airwaves of KCRW and other radio stations to present us with his own unique play list and perspective.  Now the greatest surfer of all time, well maybe next to ERNIE REYES JR, Kelly Slater has been making the rounds to be sure he covers all corners of the earth to promote his new book “For The Love”.  Now I think the title says it all.  I’m sure that no matter where your interests lay, whether it is surfing, or snowboarding, or AC SLATER, his book “For The Love”.

No one knows eight-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater better than this man, Kelly Slater.  That is why this is a unique autobiography reveals a heartfelt illustrated tribute, written with surfing veteran Phil Jarratt.  The book includes rare interviews with friends and fellow surfers who unravel juicy anecdotes, and hundreds of photographs (some never before published) that capture the greatest victories and the quietest moments in equal measure.

Slater has really made it into the mainstream media with his interview of the magazine giant TIME.  Check it!

Los Angeles’ KCRW looks to be tapping into the world of “Extreme Sports”.  Possibly because they are one the country’s leading extreme radio stations.  Not extremist, but extreme.  Just last week they had TONY HAWK as a guest on superstar rave DJ, Jason Bentley’s radio show.  There he discussed some of the most influential music and what it meant to him.  I was quite disappointed he didn’t have more skater-influenced music such as SKATER BOI by Avrile LeVigne, or BROH HYMN by Pennywise.

Anyway, Kelly Slater was the guest on this week on KCRW’s Guest DJ Project, which is a weekly program where they invite cultural icons to talk about 5 songs that have inspired them throughout their lives. Kelly Slater is the most successful professional surfer in the history of the sport, with eight world titles and a record number of pro tour victories.  Let’s hope he brings out the edgeness when it comes to surfing hard to some gnarly tunes.  He has a big passion for music, both as a listener and a player. He picks a track by a surfing buddy who happens to be a chart-topping musician, a Ramones cover song, a road trip tune from his childhood, and more. A new book co-written by Kelly, Kelly Slater: For the Love, is out on Chronicle Books.

Tracklist
1.) Jack Johnson- Upside Down
2.) Paolo Nutini- Rewind
3.) Jackson Browne- Running on Empty
4.) Pearl Jam- I Believe in Miracles
5.) Stevie Wonder- I Wish

Changes are you didn’t get to see much of the action from Fiji.  Maybe you don’t like how webcasts look.  Or maybe your computer doesn’t play video well.  Whatever the reason, now you have no excuses to catch up on all that went down since Globe’s come out with a new DVD that will give you full coverage from start to finish.  Shot in HD Video and Super 16mm film, I guarantee that this will look a lot better than anything you saw online — plus the soundtrack is no doubt top-notch.

Go buy this DVD now and see how Slater made it to world title number nine.

There’s probably no thing more useless than speculating whether Kelly Slater will be there when the ASP World Tour kicks off its 2009 tour next February at Australia’s Gold Coast.  After all, it was a shot in the dark figuring out whether he would show up at this year’s events, even with world title #9 in his sights.

So what about next year?

“I’m not chained and bound to having to do it and sometimes I feel I just want to get on with life and not have to compete,” Slater says in an interview in The Australian.  “So I’ll feel it out and see how things are towards the beginning of the new season.

“If I didn’t win, it would be another year gone, when, for lack of a better term, I could have been living my life. The tour is fun, but there are other things I want to do, too…  It’s just the idea of the double digit for people, I guess – and that’s even for me.”

One thing Slater does dismiss is the notion that primary sponsor Quiksilver is ready to shell out a $10 million bonus if he does secure a 10th title.

“I don’t know who made that up. Purely out of thin air, somebody did that. But maybe hearsay can create reality and as I’m in a negotiating year with Quiksilver let’s see what happens. If enough people keep saying it and they didn’t pay, then maybe there’d be a backlash.”

If you’re interested in reading more of the interview, check it out.  You can find out more about his personal life, his new book and his process of paying taxes (I’d be interested in how much he’s been claiming this year).

When I listened to the radio and every other song contained a high-pitched squealing voice I asked, “What the hell is this?” It was AKON. When watching the television and every entertainment news program were talking about a phenomenon about a bunch of singing teens I asked, “What in God’s name is this?” It was “HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL”. For a second there I thought I was watching Jared Leto from “Requiem For A Dream”, and that chick from “That 70’s Show” singing campy songs to one another.

Now that I’m back in the loop of things, I have a great appreciation for the things I have missed. And with me in the loop again, I can recognize a great opportunity when I see it. I came across this article in Aceshowbiz.com talking about Zac Efron’s love for surfing. While shooting “High School Musical 3” in Melbourne Australia, he said, “I love to surf every chance I get,” he admitted, adding, “Oh man, I would love to go surfing with Kelly Slater at Bells Beach.”

Then a light bulb popped in my head. I know that Hollywood is remaking the 1991 surfing classic “POINT BREAK”, which starred Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. At first the idea of remaking one of the greatest surf films of all time seemed blasphemous. But if done right, the recipe for success can be possible for almost anything.

“POINT BREAK INDO” is set to be released sometime next year. With no attached actors or attached anything for that matter, there is still time for the producers of “Indo” to take a good look at Zac Efron for the role of Johnny Utah and Kelly Slater for the role of Bodhi. I know that I can speak for ALL surfers around the world when I say this, but it would be tremendously entertaining to see ZAC EFRON and Kelly Slater team up for this project. Maybe attach the JONAS BROTHERS to the soundtrack.

Everyone is pretty psyched for next year’s ASP World Tour. There’s a certain level of excitement in the air unlike any year prior.  Is it because of the tour locations set of next year?  Or perhaps it’s because surfing has taken a backseat to KITE SURFING and surfers are ready to take back their spot.  Nope, it’s because the ASP’s new tournament format should lead to more suspense and excitement.  And it’s for damn sure, well hopefully, dominant surfers like Kelly Slater would monopolize the competition, as he did this year. 

Here’s a rundown of the major changes that are the framework for the new format:

- 48-man format consisting of two opening elimination man-on-man rounds. This gets rid of the free three-man round-one heats, which all surfers advanced out of.

- Round one will consist of 32 surfers, those rated 17 to 27 on the ASP World Tour, three tour/injury wildcards, the top 15-rated surfers on the ASP WQS, and three event wildcards.

- The top 16 on the ASP World Tour are seeded directly in round two where they’ll meet the sixteen victors from round one in the re-seeded draw.

- The top ten from the previous year’s Dream Tour will be guaranteed a round two seed all year long, while the next six seeds have to maintain their seeded position and can be replaced by better performing back 32 surfers after the third ASP World Tour event of the year.

These modifications all serve the purposes of maximizing swell windows for events, creating a one world ranking system, making it crucial for surfers to surf every event, and of course, increasing the excitement throughout the entirety of each contest.

Tentative ASP World Tour 2009 Schedule

Feb 28-Mar 11 Quiksilver Pro (Gold Coast, Qld-Australia)

Apr 7-19 Rip Curl Pro (Bells Beach, Victoria-Australia)

May 9-20 Billabong Pro Teahupoo (Teahupoo, Taiarapu-Tahiti)

Jun 27-Jly 5 Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro (Santa Catarina-Brazil)

Jly 9-19 Billabong Pro (Jeffreys Bay-South Africa)

Sep 11-20 Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley (Trestles, California-USA)

Sep 23-Oct 4 Quiksilver Pro France (South West Coast-France)

Oct 5-17 Billabong Pro (Mundaka, Euskadi-Spain)

Oct 19-28 Rip Curl Search (Somewhere…in Europe?)

Dec 8-20 Billabong Pipeline Masters (Banzai Pipeline, Oahu-Hawaii)

Now Slater will be in person at Quiksilver stores in NYC and L.A. to sign copies of the book (just $35!).  Of course, there is a catch — only 200 people will be let in, so get there early.  Locations are below.

To get an inside look at the book, click here.

Nov. 16:  NYC – Soho Quiksilver Store (3PM – 5PM)
Nov. 18:  NYC – 5th Ave Quiksilver Store (7PM – 9PM)
Nov. 20:  L.A. – Santa Monica Quiksilver Store (7PM – 9PM)

Kelly Slater has done it again.  Two years after securing his record eighth world title at the Billabong Pro in Mundaka, the 36 year-old surfing legend won his ninth world title in the same location after making his Round Four appearance.  Slater was knocked out in the fourth round but his place in history was already set.

While it’s been 16 years since his first world title, Slater is still surfing at the top of the game.

“In 1996 I had a good year – I won 7 out of 13,” Slater told the ASP. “In 1996 I won five events of 12 – but both years I was counting ninths at the end of the year. This year I’ve won five events of eight, I’m sitting on a second and I still have a throwaway to spare. The depth of success I’ve had this season is the deepest of my career.”

Slater has his own thoughts as to why he has done so well this season after finishing third overall in 2007.

“I felt a lot more at ease this year,” Slater said. “It’s probably my personal life. That’s the biggest change in my life. I’m happy and settled and I’ve got the support there that just feels amazing. Nothing else has really changed, I’ve worked with my boards a little bit here and there and I’ve always worked on my mind and my emotions, but something just really clicked into place this year.”

Slater’s title years were 1992, 1994-1998, 2005-2006 and now 2008.  He semi-retired from professional surfing from 2000-2003 citing burnout.

Of course, even with two events still left in the season, the immediate question is “Will he be back next year?”

Slater isn’t promising anything yet, but he does admit winning twice in a row is great.

“Winning them back to back is still pretty sweet.”

To celebrate the historic event, Slater’s main sponsor, Quiksilver, has launched a KS9 campaign to replace it’s now out-dated Sl8ter one.  Check it out.

Slater in his winning heat at Mundaka.

Here’s the official story from the ASP about the historic win.

Kelly Slater Wins 9th ASP World Tour Title

MUNDAKA, Spain (Friday, October 3, 2008) – Kelly Slater, 36, has won a record ninth ASP World Title after advancing out of Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Mundaka – the ninth event of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour. Slater came into the event needing an equal ninth finish to clinch the title, he secured that by beating local wildcard Eneko Acero (EUK) in four foot waves at Mundaka this morning.

“It’s going to take a little while to sink in,” Slater said when mobbed at the water’s edge. “I’m probably going to have to call home and talk to family for it to really hit me.”

Slater’s 2008 crowning comes 16 years after securing his first ASP World Title at age 20. He is the oldest and youngest surfer in ASP history to win a world title. The now nine-time ASP World Champion joined the tour in 1991 and won his first ASP World Title in 1992.

When asked if he had ever dreamed about achieving such a feat when he came onto the scene 17 years ago, Slater was close to speechless.

“I never even thought about it,” Slater said. “It never even popped into my head. It’s crazy.”

Despite entering his 14th year on tour already the owner of most every accolade in professional surfing, 2008 has been a banner year for Slater. With five wins in the first seven events of the year, a second place finish at the last event in France and a Round 4 berth at the Billabong Pro Mundaka later today, Slater is on track to post his most successful season to date. Slater’s winning average in 2008 is 89 percent at present.

“I felt a lot more at ease this year,” Slater said. “It’s probably my personal life. That’s the biggest change in my life. I’m happy and settled and I’ve got the support there that just feels amazing. Nothing else has really changed, I’ve worked with my boards a little bit here and there and I’ve always worked on my mind and my emotions, but something just really clicked into place this year.”

After winning his first ASP World Tour title in 1992 and claiming five titles in a row from 1994 to 1998, Slater went into semi-retirement at age 26 citing burnout and lack of motivation. He returned to the tour full-time in 2003, lost a heart-wrenching title race to Andy Irons (HAW) that same year, and wasn’t able to reclaim the crown until 2005. Slater cruised to title No. 8 in 2006, finished World No. 3 in 2007 and is once again World No. 1 after winning his ninth ASP World Title today.

“In 1996 I had a good year – I won 7 out of 13,” Slater said. “In 1996 I won five events of 12 – but both years I was counting ninths at the end of the year. This year I’ve won five events of eight, I’m sitting on a second and I still have a throwaway to spare. The depth of success I’ve had this season is the deepest of my career.”

With such a monumental lead so early in the season, it was less a matter of if Slater would win the title, and more a matter of when.

“I think there were key heats this year, a few I had with Taj, Parko and even Bobby in Fiji, where I got waves under the other surfers’ priority and won important heats, that it really sunk in that it was going to happen,” Slater said. “It was probably JBay where it really sunk in.”

Slater was quick to acknowledge 2007 ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and the support he’s given him both professionally and personally today.

“When Mick won last year I was obviously really stoked for him.” Slater said. “I think I knew from the first contest last year that Mick was going to win. He was really focused and he didn’t have anything standing in his way mentally or emotionally. He was the one person who sent me text when I was looking at leaving that said, ‘We need you to stay on tour. Don’t worry, you’ll find that personal stuff. It will happen,’ and now it has. Even though he is the toughest competitor on tour he’s always been a good friend and I have a lot of respect for Mick.”

Because Slater lost interest after winning five titles in a row from ’94 to ’98, and then toyed with retirement again after winning No. 7 and No. 8 right after each other, it would seem like winning back to back titles might have lost its appeal for the world’s most decorated surfer.

“No, winning them back to back is still pretty sweet,” Slater said with a smile. “If I can go back to back starting now that would be pretty sweet. It is really nice to come back and win it after you lost it the year before though. I’m sure if Mick were to come back and win one, or Andy were to come back and win one – C.J., any of those guys, they would definitely say how sweet it is to win it again.”

For Kelly Slater’s complete biography and career details visit www.aspworldtour.com/kellyslater.

Here’s some propaganda from Quiksilver about its favorite son…

KELLY SLATER WINS UNPRECEDENTED NINTH ASP WORLD SURFING CHAMPIONSHIP
KS9 Micro-Site Launches October 3, 2008 at Quiksilver.com/ks9

(Huntington Beach, Calif.) October 3, 2008 — Quiksilver congratulates team-rider Kelly Slater (Cocoa Beach, Florida) on winning his ninth world surfing championship today in Mundaka, Spain.  Dominating five of the season’s first eight contests, Slater accrued enough points to clinch the 2008 title with two scheduled Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Tour contests yet to be surfed.  Slater’s ninth world championship comes 16 years after his first, in 1992, and is his third championship title following a three-year foray into semi-retirement.

Slater’s win today solidifies what some say is his best season yet in an eighteen-year career, and reaffirms his unequivocal status as the most prolific surfer of all time.

On what his surfing means to him and others Slater remarked, “The rewards have paid off for a lot of work and commitment to surfing my whole life. I’m stoked, I just try to do the best I can with what I’ve got.”

After winning the 2008 season opener at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, Slater built momentum over the next six contests, winning 32 of 35 heats surfed going into the Quiksilver Pro France last week, where he placed second.  He arrived at Mundaka on Sunday as the presumptive 2008 World Champion, and needed only a ninth place finish to clinch a ninth world title.

About his 2008 season Kelly said “I had a great year, and it’s nice to be rewarded like this. But besides that it felt like a great year. A lot of good things have happened up to this point on the tour.”

Reflecting on winning the title again at Mundaka, Slater said “It’s freezing, but a lot of people showed up to see today, so thanks to everyone who is here. Thanks for being here and being a part of this. It’s magic. We have surf and my year is complete.”

In 2006, he earned his eighth world title at this same Spanish surf spot.  Observers at the time felt it would be his last.  But as he was carried today up the rocky Basque country shoreline by friends and cheered by throngs of Spanish supporters on the cliffs above, it was clear that Slater is better than ever.

Asked if he’s going to continue surfing Slater said, “Always, surfing is a constant challenge.  I’m sure when I’m eighty I’ll think I’ll be getting better. It is just my life and it never ends.”