True - the more appropriate term would be "Legendary" as opposed to "Best" - but to say it's much harder to hit a 90 mph fast ball - than do this shit.....

Kane Waselenchuk a racquetball player won 100% of his matches last year and finished with a 98% game win ratio. He only lost one match the year before that. He has won 5 US Opens (equivalent to a Tennis US Open). He was banned for two years (cocaine) during his prime and probably would have won in those years. He is freakishly strong, fast, and accurate. Can kill the ball from any angle.

I think to be considered the greatest athlete ever you have to have dominated a major sport and probably multiple major sports plus set some track and field records. The decathlon winner generally gets the moniker "world's greatest athlete". If Jim Thorpe won that plus owned several major sports he is probably the best. I don't know how he would stack up to a modern athlete now when it it more competitive.

was that sig spam?

Did you watch that last wave - Garret McNamara at Teahupoo - filthiest barrel I have ever seen.

good point the decathletes are often called the greatest due to their all-around skills.. But dude your sig is bigger than pipe at 8 feet.

Kelly Slater just won his tenth world title in Puerto Rico even though there are a few events still left in the 2010 tour. :thumbsup

It will be hard to come up with any other athlete that as a single competitor has won ten world championship titles. What makes it even more amazing is at 38 years old he still dominates when most pro surfers retire by the time they hit thirty and he regularly competes against others 15 years younger.

He still has the physical ability to win more world titles and now it's just a question whether he wants to go through the grind of earning another title or calling it quits and enjoying other things in life.

One thing is for sure and that is Kelly Slater is a VERY special human being.

You can watch him surfing right now live at the contest here:

http://live.ripcurl.com/PuertoRicoLive.html

Kelly's 10th WOW!

http://sports.espn.go.com/action/sur...ory?id=5771045

Kelly is clearly the best surfer ever but best athlete ever is far to subjective, like I wouldn't put Jerry Rice or any baseball player in my top 50 but that would be due to my lake of understanding and not their athletic ability.

Here is my top ten surfers list of all times.
1) Kelly Slater
2) Tom Curren
3) Duke Kahanamoku
4) Tom Carroll
5) Mark Richards
6) Nat Young
7) Laird Hamilton
8) Mark Occhilupo
9) Martin Potter
10) Layne Beachley

Layne I put in for the way she has changed woman's surfing, so many more hot chicks in the waves theses days :)

Yes almost no one :thumbsup

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._7146533_n.jpg

http://www.morethanthegames.co.uk/fi...eymarshes2.jpg

that's not sport that is piece of shit goofying around on the beach

riding giants is a sick movie.

Kobe bryant is a good athlete - maybe the best. He could be a wide receiver or short stop for the yanks.

He won his 10th today

Don't make me laugh..

Ronaldo?

http://www.braziltravel.com/culture/...pele/pele.jpeg
http://mdst1070.files.wordpress.com/...hammed_ali.jpg
http://www.usposttoday.com/wp-conten...ael-Jordan.jpg

I was just watching this video and it made me think of this thread. It does a nice job of describing
the kind of person Kelly Slater is and shows why he is so unique.

I've been surfing for over 35 years. It's not just a sport it's a lifestyle and yields a greater understanding of life and the world we live in. There is no disputing that Kelly Slater is the greatest competitive surfer ever and should be considered one of if not the greatest competitors of any sport, ever. Until " athlete " is defined using a set criteria, the title of " Greatest Athlete " will be subjective.

Watch this video to help form your own opinion :)


http://www.surfinglife.com.au/news/a...68-kells-bells