Kelly has won his seventh world title… This solidifies his presence as the greatest surfer ever to exist on this planet!
Big call eh? Try and dispute it!
is not…
You are right, if he was from Australia he would be the best ever. Let me change that OCCY is the best of all time…
Nah just kidding, Kelly can surf alright for a Seppo!
greatest contest surfer
I think he is the best “surfer under pressure”, but of all time? it is a very different thing to surf with a time limit v.s. sitting for hours out in the water waiting for a perfect (or at least one where you wont get thrashed) wave. In others opinions, who deserves the title “best surfer ever”?
Predictable response… may have been true if we were still using contest formats from the 80’s. I stand by my quote, the most gifted surfer of all time and one that has probably done more for surfboard design than any other non shaper ever. This guy understands more about design and has forgotten more than 95% of shapers on the planet will ever know.
In contests, free surfing or big waves.
predicatable response? By age group perhaps, how old are you and what is your perspective of surfing history and the surfers before your time? And by what measure has he done so much for surfboard design? With all respect, back up your statements with more than exuberence, please.
well i can say one thing for sure hes probably the best surfer ever to come out of cocoa beach fl. you cant really dispute that he is the best contest surfer of the the 90’s and 2000’s. something that us cocoa beach surfers are very proud of.
he has a place as one of the best surfers of all time but probably not the most influential. and thats what makes you truly great.
simon anderson and lots of other guys could be more important they just didnt get all the credit.
Perspective of history… I regularly have Simon Anderson stay at my house. Have discussed this many times with him over a schooner and a steak! I speak with guys like Bob McTavish, Al Byrne, Mark Richards on a regular basis so yeah I kind of understand and respect our forefathers and those that have influenced design over time. Ask them who the best surfer of all time is… One answer Kelly! Who’s the best to make boards for that can influence your design as he can give clear, definitive answers from the top level? Kelly!
I’m old enough to have seen and ridden boards evolve from fat wide corks in the early eighties to over curved spears in the early nineties at Kelly’s influence and then evolve all of the way back to somewhere in the middle to where we are now at the highest point of all time. It’s no surprise that at the top of the tree he’s still there. He’s the Schumaker, Makybe Diva, Tiger Woods and Robbie Naish all rolled into our sport.
These observations are the basis of my conclusion. If they don’t work for you then we’ll just leave it there.
Kelly best ever for sure hands down contest or no contests! even without 7 word titles, then comes Tom in my book
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Perspective of history… I regularly have Simon Anderson stay at my house. Have discussed this many times with him over a schooner and a steak! I speak with guys like Bob McTavish, Al Byrne, Mark Richards on a regular basis so yeah I kind of understand and respect our forefathers and those that have influenced design over time. HA ! yeah right ! lets see a pic …
Definitely Tom at Number 2. How many hands up top turns are there?
I didn’t know Kelly was the best longboard rider, mat rider, bodyboarder, body surfer, tow-in surfer, paddle surfer, kneeboarder, tandem surfer and whatever-surfer. But I guess he is, since you say he’s the best all time surfer.
Rio
did you not see kelly riding the coffee table in surfer magazine a yr or so back come on you try that! the guy has such wave knowledge he could ride cat turd at second reef pipe still be better than anybody in the water.
Oh you mean this thing?
http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=189844;#189844
I’m not knocking kelly and all his achievements…but to say he’s the best of ALL of surfing…a bit cheeky, no?
For some reason I’m reminded of this story my japanese friend told me about karate. He says in Japan they only have white and black belts. If you’re a white belt: you’re a student. If you’re a black belt: you’re a teacher/master. There are no other ranks. Once you get your black belt everyone considers you as great as other masters. So I guess my point is…why can’t we just say kelly has a black belt in surfing?
Rio
Tom Stone rode a cardboard box at Pipe…Based on contest stuff and Huevo’s in the big stuff Kelly’s pretty much on top. I’d put him in 4th behind Curren, Machado and Michael Peterson for just plain stylish ripping*. Give him some time away from the contest stuff to get rid of that hideous tail slide shit and he’ll probably pass my top four. He certainly has the tools.
*What about Lopez, Dora, Occy, Lynch, Midget?
i think dora could only go right but other than that he is in the top tier
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Kelly has won his seventh world title… This solidifies his presence as the greatest surfer ever to exist on this planet!
Would he be the best if he didn’t win the title (his 7th)?
Will Andy Irons be the best if he wins 8 titles?
If surfers of all different levels of skill in the future, say 2025, have access the equipment that allows them to surf better, faster, higher, than Kelly, does that make Kelly no longer great?
i think that Nat Young is the best surfer ever. and i mean ever.
until then kelly is king. what other world champ got pam anderson for a time as arm candy!