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You are waiting all year for a retreat, then two are coming at the same time. After Joel Parkinson announced that 2018 would be his last year of competition, Kelly Slater dropped a bomb in the J-Bay booth. "Parko has beaten me a bit," he told Pete Mel and Ronnie Blakey. "Next year will be my last year on tour and I'll be done."
Unlike Parko, which had been carefully planned, launched with an Instagram post and a Billabong video starring Occy and Mick Fanning, Slater's announcement seemed more spontaneous. Now, if it was not exactly in the same league as when he dropped the first clip of his Surf Ranch, the day after Adriano de Souza's world title victory, he definitely took a part of the oxygen Parkinson 's announcement. However Kelly explained that Parko was so well done and gave him a plan so clear that it was time to get a clear idea of his own future. at Kelly's 18-month retirement party remains to be seen. In the case of Parko, there was just universal recognition of what was an incredible career. "What you did to surf was amazing," said Mick Fanning after Parko announced his retirement. "What you did as a father is unprecedented." In this little diagram of Venn used champions of the surf world and fathers of three Parko stands very alone
Parko will surf in the remaining events and will end his career at Pipe. "I thought about continuing to make another event," Parko said. "To make Snapper a consecutive one year event, but I just thought that there was no better place than Pipeline, I had so many good memories there." So many great victories out there.I decided that's it.It's my last time in the world on this tour.This makes me cry a little tears in my eyes. "[19659005] Joel Parkinson ” width=”2000″ height=”1333″ srcset=”https://d14fqx6aetz9ka.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/02112027/2009-CT5-JBay-WIN-parkinson5796jbay09kirstin.jpg 2000w, https://d14fqx6aetz9ka.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/02112027/2009-CT5-JBay-WIN-parkinson5796jbay09kirstin-768×511.jpg 768w, https://d14fqx6aetz9ka.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/02112027/2009-CT5-JBay-WIN-parkinson5796jbay09kirstin-540×359.jpg 540w, https://d14fqx6aetz9ka.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/02112027/2009-CT5-JBay-WIN-parkinson5796jbay09kirstin-1024×682.jpg 1024w, https://d14fqx6aetz9ka.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/02112027/2009-CT5-JBay-WIN-parkinson5796jbay09kirstin-780×519.jpg 780w, https://d14fqx6aetz9ka.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/02112027/2009-CT5-JBay-WIN-parkinson5796jbay09kirstin-1560×1039.jpg 1560w, https://d14fqx6aetz9ka.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/02112027/2009-CT5-JBay-WIN-parkinson5796jbay09kirstin-1200×799.jpg 1200w” sizes=”(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px”/>
2009 J-Bay wins. Photo: Kirstin / WSL
It is fitting that Parkinson officially announced his retirement on the eve of the competition at Jeffreys Bay. It's here in 1999 that the 18-year-old made his first jump for the surf celebrity. Two years after this victory, Parko is qualified for the CT. In his first full year in 2002, he finished second. A few years later, her first daughter, Evie, was born
"People often wonder how difficult it is to compete, travel and raise a family," Parko told Surfline. "But honestly, I do not know a different way to do it.I was just 24 when Evie was born.With the support of Monica, I've combined my family and my career from the beginning."
Photo: Cestari / WSL
As Mick embarking on research, the Parko announcement surfing. "I'm really at a point where I love my surfing, and I have to say that I've been wearing a jersey for a long time, but this part of the surf is not as strong as what I've been wearing." She was, "he said. "I do not think I have ferocity in my blood, do not boil to put on a jersey, my blood boils down to surfing the good waves now."
Following his announcement, tributes quickly spread to the networks social. "You have no idea how much you've inspired me and what sport," Jordy Smith posted. "I love you brother, you'll always love to watch you surf, Big Fan!" Said Gabriel Medina. "Congratulations on an amazing career, I'll miss you watching you surf," Mark Richards wrote, "I hope you win J-Bay, no pressure." And that's 14-year-old Saber Norris. " do not want to pretend to be you when they make a reduction? "
2013 Bali Victory – complete with a perfect heat of 20. Photo: Kirstin / WSL
While his positivity and his omnipresent smile Have made it popular, among the thousands of strange comments (and counting), many were centered on the essence of Parko's appeal – his style
. For his versatile approach to surfing he has, in many ways, eclipsed his remarkable record of competitions.One again, this is an oversight, given his continued success at the top of the sport.On his 17 years on tour he has won 12 races CT, finished four-time reigning world champion, won the Triple Crown at t Three times and finished in the top 10 three times (one because of a girl injury). And, of course, there was the world championship in 2012.
Even now, it's hard to underestimate the importance of this win, or the amount of hard work that has produced it. . In 2009, when he had three wins in the first half of the season, it was an ankle injury that derailed his attempt. In 2010, a brutal finchop saw him miss half of the year. He then recruited coach Luke Egan and coach Wes Berg, and embarked on his first ever competitive training and drill program. As fit as he's ever been in his career, he emerged with a disciplined and determined focus on the World Championship.
World Champion Pipe Masters, 2012. Photo: Cestari / WSL
it is at this point that the first cracks appeared in his friendship with Fanning. Apart from his unwavering commitment to his family, Parko had eliminated all distractions and deviations. Friendships were put on the ice as a dedication to the task took over. This earned him the dramatic victory of Pipe in 2012 and removed the idea that Parko would end up as the best surfer to never win a world title.
It was this competitive race, or the lack of, that finally led to Parko's retirement. "I have no more fire or want to win, I just want to surf," he said in his retirement video. To be fair, this flame had diminished since winning the world title. At the end of each of the last three years, he had had serious discussions to know if he should continue. But now the time has come.
And in 18 months, Kelly will do it too.
