Given Kelly Slater waltzed through the pack three years ago, rimming Backdoor for nines to win an unlikely 56th grand slam, what chance do you give that he dominates the Shootout?
The Florida-born surf virtuoso Kelly Slater, who will turn fifty-four in six weeks, will headline the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout, a prestigious Hawaiian-owned and run event which runs sometime between January 4th-16th, 2026.
Kelly Slater will be the lynchpin of musician and ferociously anti-communist, ant-trans gals in sport pal Peter King’s team, which flies under the A New Earth Project banner, a fine group that aims to get global packaging suppliers to chill on the unnecessary packaging.
Below, an excerpt from King’s powerful support of President Donald Trump who, like PK, was never so hot on trans gals in gal divs.
Slater will join Jamie O’Brien, Moana Jones Wong and Koa Smith on the team.
“The shootout is an incredible event that has endured for so many years while other brands have come and gone from being involved on the North Shore and so many events fall off and disappear,” King wrote.
“Eddie Rothman and Da Hui have kept the shootout going strong at the best wave in the world, providing the best contest for anybody fortunate enough to get in.”
Given Kelly Slater waltzed through the pack three years ago, rimming Backdoor for nines to win an unlikely 56th grand slam, what chance do you give that Kelly Slater dominates the Shootout?
Kelly Slater, the king of retirement game
Retirement, of course, is a sport that, like surfing, Kelly Slater has long dominated.
Two years ago, and following his second-last finish at Margaret River, which opened a geyser of teary tributes, Kelly Slater retired only to compete in tour majors in Fiji and Tahiti, as well as that year’s Championship Series Gold Coast Pro.
Tour observers will remember the first time Kelly Slater retired in 1998, the then six-time world champ having just-turned twenty-six. He competed sporadically over the next few years, winning Pipe in 1999 and the Eddie in 2002, before re-joining the tour to take on Andy Irons head-on, hinting at retirement every year thereafter.
Other retirement announcements can be found here, here, here and here.
Watching Slater at Pipe does remain one of the great viewing pleasures in life, however.
Yes?