Kelly Slater mulls retirement as surfing world awaits decision on his incredible career

Kelly Slater's immediate future in the sport he has dominated for decades will be revealed within days.

The greatest surfer in professional history and current men's world number one is deciding whether he will try to win a 12th world title or retire.

«That may be it for me,» Slater said after his magnificent Pipeline victory at the weekend.

Kelly Slater has won Pipeline just days shy of his 50th birthday.

Slater will turn 50 on Thursday.

The next tour event is scheduled to begin at Sunset Beach on Friday. Not even the World Surf League (WSL) knows what he will do.

It would not surprise organisers if the champion went out on «the best win of my life».

However, there is great temptation to have a go at one more crown, as the reformatted tour schedule is favourable to Slater.

After Hawaii, the top 34 male surfers will travel to Portugal and Australia.

A mid-season cut will diminish the field to 24, then there will be more events in South America, South Africa, and Tahiti.

The world championship is to be decided by a season-ending final of the top-five ranked surfers at Lower Trestles, California.

Up until now, guesses at Slater's future on the 2022 tour have focused on his COVID-19 vaccination status.

Could Immigration Minister Alex Hawke find it in the public interest to not let athletes such as 11-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater into Australia for the upcoming WSL events, given the reasoning behind Novak Djokovic's deportation and the top surfer's vaccine comments?

If the American wants to continue competing, he will have to be jabbed. Several host countries — including Australia — require proof.

Slater spoke out against Australia's treatment of tennis champion Novak Djokovic with this comment on a New York Times Instagram