Tahiti, 2012: Slater’s spent nearly 20 years sitting on top of the surfing world, and he seems in no rush to relinquish the throne. Photo: Glaser

Indonesia, 2002: Kelly poses with villagers during a trip through the Mentawai Islands. Photo: Kenworthy

Waimea Bay, 2009: Slater’s 2009 Eddie Aikau performance was one for the ages. Though he ultimately placed second behind Greg Long, his performance at massive Waimea garnered much respect from the big-wave community. Photo: Ellis

Lowers, 2008: Slater has had more than his share of epic days at Lower Trestles where he’s been winning for more than two decades. Here he adds the 2008 Boost Mobile Pro trophy to his collection. Photo: Ellis

Southern France, 2010: In Hossegor, Slater’s Quiksilver Pro jersey told a simple, undeniable truth. Photo: Joli

Cloudbreak, 2011: In one of the most memorable moments of the World Tour season last year, Kelly Slater pulled a no show during the J-Bay event to stay in Fiji and score flawless left barrels. Photo: Glaser

Mundaka, 2008: You know you’re a dominant force when you have to figure out awkward hand gestures to reflect how many world titles you’ve won. When Slater won his ninth in Spain in 2008, a campaign to straighten his pointer finger seemed inevitable. Photo: Joli

Huntington Beach, 2011: After scoring waves in Fiji while Tour competitors gossiped about his priorities, Slater took the win at the US Open, putting to rest any doubts that Kelly was lacking competitive fire. Photo: Ellis

North Shore, 2007: Though his musical talents are just a footnote in his incredible career, his passion for playing has helped him build longstanding friendships with musicians like Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. Photo: Ellis

Lowers, 2011: As the Kelly vs Owen rivalry gained momentum in the second half of the year, Kelly continued to up the ante with progressive surfing in his heats. Photo: Lowe-White

Pipeline, 2005: After seven years of watching others win world titles, Slater reasserted total dominance in 2005. Here he does a victory lap at a spot that’s given him so much. Photo: Aichner

Off The Wall, 1990: At just 18 years old, Slater turned the heads of the entire surf world putting on clinics at Off The Wall that would mold an entire generation of high-performance surfers. Photo: Divine

Backdoor, 2006: During the 2006 Pipeline Masters a resurgent Slater drops a shoulder and pulls into a keg of a barrel. Photo: Ellis

Santa Barbara, 2010: Although it’s tough to have a home break when you are perpetually on the move, Santa Barbara’s pristine pointbreaks have become one of Slater’s preferred playgrounds. Photo: Burkard

ASP Banquet, Mid-1990s: In a moment that would foreshadow his entire adult life, Slater is mobbed by photographers at the ASP’s annual banquet. Photo: Servais

G-Land, 1995: A picture perfect backside barrel at then-World-Tour-stop Grajagan. While we think of him standing on podiums with trophies in his hands, some of Slater’s most magical moments have occurred sans singlet. Photo: Divine

Shipsterns Bluff, 2010: With his staggering accomplishments in competition, its easy to forget that Kelly could easily transition into a post-contest big-wave career. Photo: Chizholm

San Francisco, 2011: After an ASP miscalculation and premature celebration earlier in the event, Kelly set the record straight with a heat win in the next round and an eleventh world title to add to his collection. Photo: Ellis

20 Years of Slater