In 1990, while Home Alone dominated movie theaters and Sinéad O’Connor’s poignant cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” climbed the music charts, an 18-year-old surfer from Cocoa Beach, Florida, was quietly beginning his journey to becoming a surfing legend.
Kelly Slater made his professional breakthrough that year with a victory at Lower Trestles during the Body Glove Surfbout, part of the Bud Pro Surfing Tour. Now, 35 years later, Slater returned to the same iconic spot, making a wildcard appearance at the 2025 Lexus Trestles Pro.
Though Slater did not advance far in the current competition, his return sparked memories of his early career. Reflecting on his first pro win, he said, “I was staring down my senior year of high school. It was the first week of school, and I won this event. I had just signed with Quiksilver, which was really exciting. They were the company I wanted to be with, and they gave me a nice contract. Still being in high school, signing that contract, and winning this contest…I was also filming a movie, Kelly Slater in Black & White, and people still quote that movie back to me in the surf world.”
At the time, his contract with Quiksilver was the largest ever in professional surfing, signaling the start of an extraordinary career. The iconic moment, captured in the phrase “It’s the morning of the final,” spoken by Richard Wolcott—who later co-founded Volcom—remains a touchstone in surfing history.
Slater’s victory at Lower Trestles earned him a $30,000 prize—the first of many in a record-breaking career. His performance from that contest still resonates in surfing circles today.
Since his most recent win at Pipeline in 2022, just before his 50th birthday, Slater has competed less frequently. When asked about his future in competition, he commented, “At this point, it would be fun to win a contest, but it’s not make or break for my life.”
