Kelly Slater : The Greatest of All Time

Dive into surfing legend Kelly Slater''s tumultuous life, from his abusive childhood to becoming the youngest world champion—experiencing stardom, tragic losses, and years of soul surfing.

In this first-ever biography of surfing’s Greatest of All Time (GOAT), sports journalist Stéphane Cohen shows the world the passion for surfing that made Kelly Slater the enduring legend that he is today. 

This book chronicles his perseverance in both his personal life and his chosen sport, from his beginnings in the surfing world and his return as an unparalleled champion, to his business ventures and relationship with his daughter. Woven throughout is Slater’s revolutionary surfing technique that allowed him to reign for over thirty years, winning eleven world championships before culminating in surfing his final competitive wave in 2024. But was that really the end of Slater’s multi-decade competitive career? 

Providing an intimate look at his personal and professional struggles and triumphs, Cohen documents the constant push and pull competitive surfing had, and still has, on Slater’s life, and what we can expect next from the Greatest of All Time.