Kelly Slater clinched his record eighth ASP world championship title in Mundaka
Photo : ASP/Covered Images

Billabong Pro Mundaka

ASP WCT Mens Event
Mundaka, Euskadi-Spain
3 - 14 October 2006

Kelly Slater wins record breaking eighth world surfing title  |    (Version Francais au dessous)

Scroll down for quotes from Kelly Slater      |      Congratulatary video

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 13 October, 2006 : - - Mundaka, Basque Country, Northern Spain –Kelly Slater today clinched a record breaking eighth world surfing title when he defeated Joel Parkinson in the semi-finals of the Billabong Pro Mundaka in Spain to take an unassailable ratings lead with two events still to be run in the 2006 Foster’s ASP Men’s World Tour. 

The 34 year-old from Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA, needed only to finish ahead of his four closest rivals in this event to secure his second successive world title since coming out of retirement in 2002.  

“It’s not as much of a rush as winning the title last year,” commented an elated Slater after his semi-final victory, explaining “That came seven years after the last of my six titles in the nineties, and having come so close in 2003 (when he finished second to Andy Irons (Haw) in the closest title race in ASP history) to win the again in 2005 was the best.” 

Bobby Martinez showers Kelly Slater with Fosters Beer  : photo ASP/Covered Images 

“I’ve really been relaxed about competing the whole of this year,” he said when asked what he attributed his victory to, adding “I nearly retired before Bells this year (the second of the 11 events) and then I tore a cartilage in my ribs while winning that event, and then got hit by my board in the exact same place in Tahiti, so I was out of the water for five weeks and missed Fiji.”   

“That made me more focused, and I had the advantage of competing in one less event than the other guys but still had the ratings lead, so I could afford to relax and take things as they came.” 

While Friday the 13th may be unlucky for some, Slater’s road to the title at Mundaka was made easier when Parkinson took out fellow Australian Mick Fanning in their quarter-final match-up to reduce the contenders to three.  

Then rookie Bobby Martinez (California) ended the hopes of former three-time world champion Andy Irons (Hawaii) and Aussie Dean Morrison stopped compatriot and current world #2 Taj Burrow in his tracks. 

In the spirit of tradition, the winner of the Billabong Pro Mundaka is tossed off the harbour wall and
because Kelly Slater just won a world title, he is too. P photo ASP/Covered Images

This left just Parkinson to keep the title race open going into the next event but it was not to be as Slater dominated their semi from the start, ending the encounter with a spectacular 9.17 point ride where he repeatedly smashed the lip of the one to 1.5 metre (3-4 foot) waves with vertical backhand manoeuvres that threw spray in every direction in the last minute. 

Considered the greatest surfer of all time, Slater exultantly punched the air with joy, knowing that he had secured his eighth crown and setting yet another record in the annals of ASP history 

After Martinez disposed of Morrison in their semi-final, the 24 year-old from Santa Barbara went on to defeat Slater in the final to earn his second event title of the year in his rookie year 

 
Kelly Slater in the "after press conference" : photo courtesy Quiksilver

Quotes from Kelly Slater;-

Slater on the realisation of his 8th world title sinking in:
I’ve got to get away from everyone for it to sink in. I need a little space.

Slater on beating the records of successful champions such as Lance Armstrong and Michael Schumacher:
I haven’t even thought about that. I’ve just got to sit back and think about that, Schumacher nearly won his 8th the other day but he blew his engine out and Lance didn’t even try for his 8th so it would be interesting to see if he tried for that.

Slater on going for a 9th world title next year:
I feel good, I feel like I’m surfing as strong and as good as ever. I feel like I’m competing better than ever. It makes me feel like I can keep going if I want. I just don’t know if that’s what I want now. At this point I’m not sure.

Slater on nearly giving it all away at the beginning of the year:
It was really close, I almost didn’t even come to Bells Beach, I’m sure there’s some sort of moral in that for me for my life.

Slater on the decision to defend the title next year:
Can’t I just enjoy 8!

Kelly drinking to his eigth title : photo courtesy Quiksilver

Slater on the temptation to retire at the pinnacle of his career:
Yeah it is tempting, but it’s also tempting when you’re doing well to keep going. If I had come back and not won the title it could have been a frustrating thing for me looking back, but it’s also part of doing everything possible to try and have everything you can have.

Slater on a straight forward year:
I think the one key thing was that I just didn’t have that stress. I’m sure other guys were feeling it, but I was just relaxed. I really honestly didn’t care until the last couple of events, where it started sinking in that I could win my 8th title, but up until that I was just thinking ‘don’t worry about it, I’ve got the 7th, I’m stoked I can just relax now, everything else is just a bonus’. That attitude allowed me to be a lot free-er in my decision making in the water. To be not stressed and to take chances and stuff and it’s all sort of paid off.

Slater on how satisfying this world title is compared to others:
This one’s a real different feeling, last year was just such a pressure valve and just such a big release. This year is maybe the most satisfying cause it just flowed so well. I’m throwing away a 5th place now and I’ve never come close to that in my career. It will be nice to throw that 5th out come the end of the year.

Slater on the remaining two contests of the year:
I’d really love to win those contests, I’d really love to win Pipe, so I’m going to really focus on that.

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See the video

After his semi-final win: 

Slater on his 8th world title:
I used to play little games with myself, like paddle for waves and say, if I catch this one I’ll win this many world titles. I used to just plant these seeds in my head and I don’t know what number I put in there but eight sounds pretty good.

Slater on the possibility of beating Tom Curren’s record of most WCT event wins:
I’d have to think about that one, Curren is my all time surfing hero. I know we’re tied right now. I could have had it in Trestles if I won that one, it would have been a little ironic there because Tom (Curren) and I both won our first events at that wave. If I could do it today it would mean a lot to win my eigth world title and win that at the same time.

Slater on taking the world title here in Mundaka:
It’s an incredible amphitheatre for sure, it’s pretty incredible. I’ve had my head down all day trying to stay away from the cameras and stuff. I’m sure after the final I’ll be able to lift my head up and look around a little more.

A full release will follow later today

- Images of Kelly Slater leading up to his clinhing his 8th World Title at the -
- Billabong Pro Mundaka -

      

- All images courtesy ASP/Covered Images -

Version Francais

Le surfer du team Quiksilver KELLY SLATER (Cocoa Beach, Floride, Usa) vient de remporter un 8ème titre historique de champion du monde aujourd’hui à Mundaka, en Espagne.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 13 October, 2006 : - -Après deux victoires lors des deux premières épreuves du Championnat du Monde ASP cette saison, Kelly Slater a systématiquement terminé parmi les 5 premiers de toutes les épreuves suivantes auxquelles il a pris part (hors Fiji, forfait pour blessure), terminant sa saison par une magnifique finale à Mundaka, en Pays Basque espagnol qui lui permet de décrocher, avant les deux dernières manches de l’année, le 8ème sacre mondial de sa carrière. L’épilogue fantastique de cette saison haletante scelle le destin hors du commun du plus grand surfer de tous les temps…

La tension était à son comble à la veille des 2 manches européennes du circuit WCT 2006 à Hossegor (France) et Mundaka (Espagne) avec les australiens Joel Parkinson (vainqueur du Quiksilver Pro France à Hossegor), Taj Burrow, Mick Fanning et le triple Champion du Monde hawaiien Andy Irons, tous à la poursuite de Kelly Slater au classement mondial WCT.

Comme rapporté dans la presse australienne, les amis Parkinson et Fanning avaient établi un pacte visant à empêcher Slater de décrocher ce nouveau titre. Fidèle à leur engagement, les deux compères ont tenu la dragée haute à King Kelly en empochant respectivement la première et la deuxième places du Quiksilver Pro France début octobre. Mais le Champion du Monde en titre, Kelly Slater, est resté concentré sur son objectif et le duo australien n’est pas parvenu à stopper son irrésistible ascension en Espagne.

Après une victoire sans équivoque et avec la manière sur Joel Parkinson, n°4 mondial, aujourd’hui en demi-finale à Mundaka, le floridien était sûr d’empocher son 8ème titre avant même de disputer la finale, en raison de l’élimination de tous ses rivaux. Dans l’ultime série de la compétition qui l’opposait à la révélation du Tour 2006 Bobby Martinez (Californie USA), Slater, un peu déconcentré par le tumulte provoqué par ce 8ème titre s’est incliné face au rookie lui offrant sur un plateau, une deuxième victoire en WCT cette saison (après Tahiti).

C’est au début des années 90 que Slater a débarqué sur la scène surf mondiale. Très vite, son aisance et ses qualités hors du commun ont captivé le monde du surf. Entre 1992 et 1998, le floridien a décroché 6 titres de champion du Monde. En 2005, 6 années après son dernier sacre mondial, Slater a signé l’un des plus grands come-backs de l’histoire du sport en remportant un 7ème titre lourd de sens et d’émotion au Brésil.

Or, Slater, compétiteur dans l’âme, ne s’est pas laissé déstabiliser par des statistiques flatteuses (nombre record de titres de champion du monde, plus jeune et plus vieux vainqueur du championnat du monde) et débuta la saison 2006 qui se termine magnifiquement aujourd’hui, avec le talent, la détermination et le style qui font sa marque de fabrique. 

Quiksilver Europe : Cathy Rourre

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