The Tim Ferriss Show

#461: Kelly Slater — The Surfing Legend on Routine, Rickson Gracie, Favorite Books, and Overcoming Setbacks

Sep 8, 2020

Kelly Slater, acclaimed as the greatest surfer ever, shares insights from his legendary career and personal growth. He discusses overcoming setbacks and the transformative nature of rivalry, particularly his battles with Andy Irons. Slater emphasizes the value of humility in learning and reflects on the impact of wave pool technology on the sport. He also highlights favorite reads that shaped his approach to health and performance, along with the importance of self-care and community in sports.

01:18:38

Episode guests

Kelly Slater

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Optimizing sleep is crucial for overall well-being and performance, and Helix Sleep's customized mattresses can greatly help in achieving this.

Element, a sugar-free and additive-free drink mix, is beneficial for individuals following low-carb or paleo diets and for maintaining proper hydration during intense physical activities.

Kelly Slater, the legendary surfer, not only holds numerous world titles and records but also has pioneered innovative wave pool technology that has the potential to reshape the sport of surfing.

Deep dives

Importance of Sleep and Finding the Right Mattress

Sleep is crucial for overall well-being and performance. The speaker emphasizes the importance of optimizing sleep and shares his positive experience with a specific mattress brand, Helix Sleep. He highlights the effectiveness of their sleep quiz in matching individuals to customized mattresses.

Intro

4min

Targeted Promotions for Health and Hydration Solutions

4min

Wellness Habits and Morning Routines

4min

Catalysts of Change

20min

Transformative Reads: Exploring Dietary Wisdom and Personal Growth

3min

Exploring the Physical Practices of a Martial Arts Icon

3min

The Evolution of Sports and Self-Care

22min

Surfing Beyond the Waves

13min

Hydration and Health Insights

6min

“When you’re humble, you’re teachable.” — Kelly Slater

Kelly Slater (@kellyslater) is widely considered the greatest surfer of all time. He holds nearly every major record in the sport, including 11 world titles and 55 career victories. He also has the amazing distinction of being both the youngest and oldest world champion in men’s history. His most dominant days were the mid-’90s, when he won five straight titles between 1993 and 1998.

After topping Mark Richards’ previous record of four straight titles, Kelly tried his hand at retirement in 1999 but failed. He rejoined the tour full-time in 2002, and over the following five years faced his toughest rival in Hawaii’s Andy Irons, who got the better of him for three straight years. Their heated battles became the most compelling in the sport’s history, propelling it to new heights. Kelly finally reclaimed the title in 2005 and repeated in 2006. Kelly swapped titles with Mick Fanning in the years that followed.

Kelly will also be remembered for the wave pool technology that he and his team of engineers at Kelly Slater Wave Co. brought to life in 2015, which has the potential to reshape the surfing landscape for generations.

Please enjoy!

Please note that this episode was recorded in late May 2020.

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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.