Robert Kelly Slater (born February 11, 1972) is an American professional surfer, best known for being crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times.

[10] Slater is also the oldest surfer still active on the World Surf League, winning his 8th Billabong Pipeline Masters title at age 49.

He then immediately won his first contest on the Bud Pro Tour, The Body Glove Surf Bout in Trestles, California.

Slater finished sixth in the 1993 rankings but came back to win 5 world titles in a row from 1994 to 1998, during which time televised surfing events had become increasingly popular.

[1] Slater historically and exclusively rode Channel Islands Surfboards equipped with his own signature series of FCS fins.

Slater credits Davis in his biography stating "Brandon's knowledge and poise in large surf had a huge impact on my career.

"[23][24] Some of his favorite surf spots include Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California, US, Pipeline in Hawaii, Kirra in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, Taghazout in Morocco, Soup Bowls in Barbados, and Sebastian Inlet near his home in Florida.

[25] In 2022, Slater won his eighth Pro Pipeline surfing title at the Pipe Masters in Hawaii, 30 years after his first win.

[28][29] In the mid 1990s Kelly Slater joined Rob Machado and Peter King in a band called The Surfers.The trio released an album in 1998 titled Songs from the Pipe, a reference to the famous surf spot Pipeline on Oahu, Hawaii.

[31] Slater played the recurring character Jimmy Slade on seven episodes of the popular TV show Baywatch in the early 1990s.

In February 2017, Slater and fellow competitive surfer Jérémy Florès called for a daily cull of bull sharks by French authorities on Réunion following eight shark-related fatalities over the preceding six years.

From there Slater wanted to start a brand founded on the morals instilled in him through surfing, mainly environmentalism and sustainable production practices using recycled materials whenever possible.

That brand came to be known as "Outerknown"[40] In 2014, Slater launched the beverage company Purps in collaboration with RVCA founder Pat Tenore and Dr. Chris Schaumburg.

In 2016 the World Surf League (WSL) acquired a majority stake in the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC) for an undisclosed sum.

The WSL held a test event for professional surfers, including Filipe Toledo, Mick Fanning, Kanoa Igarashi, Gabriel Medina and others, at the Kelly Slater Surf Ranch (located at 36°15′18″N 119°47′24″W / 36.255°N 119.790°W / 36.255; -119.790) on Tuesday, September 19, 2017.

The contest featured five teams – US, Brazil, Australia, Europe and World – made up of men's and women's surfers from the WSL Championship Tour.

[44] Despite acquiring the 80-acre property for $6.5 million dollars in November 2017, WSL announced that plans to develop the surf facility at this location were cancelled in 2019 due to "unforeseen challenges" related to an unexpectedly high groundwater table elevation.

On winning his fifth world title in 1997, Slater passed Australian surfer Mark Richards to become the most successful male champion in the history of the sport.

Slater did it again in June 2013 at the quarter finals at the Volcom Fiji Pro with two perfect ten waves, only the fourth person in history to do so.

[51] Slater is also the oldest surfer to perform a ten-point ride in World Surf League competition at the age of 47 at the 2019 Billabong Pipe Masters.