Remember back in 2016 when Kelly Slater announced his retirement plan?

“So next year I’m gonna get my shit (and my body) together for real and see if I can make a last run at a title.” he said on his instagram, and the world rung their hands and cried that the king had finally laid out plans to hang up his crown. Then, a few months later he clarified, saying that “people took it that way, but it’s not necessarily the case.”

Well now it seems, mere hours after Parko officially announced he will be retiring from the World Tour at the end of this year, the GOAT has once again indicated his days of competitive surfing are numbered.

The GOAT right at home in a Fiji drainer. Retirement from competition would undoubtedly see plenty more of these…. Photo WSL / KELLY CESTARI

“I’ll make an announcement,” he proclaimed in an interview with the WSL commentary crew earlier. “I’m in round 2!” he laughed, before clarifying he did in fact have something important to share with the world: “My basic plan is to get myself really healthy, again, get ready for April next year and next year will be my last year on tour and just be done with it.” Sound familiar doesn’t it?

Whether the GOAT will stay true to his word, bow out sooner, or stay on for another several years, is barely worth speculating over, but I suppose we’ll take him on face value and excitedly tune in tomorrow for his Round 2 heat against Jordy to savour every moment of it!

Cover photo WSL / KELLY CESTARI