Kelly Slater has stared down towering walls of water, navigated reef breaks that chew up the unprepared, and built a competitive career defined by razor-thin margins and high-risk brilliance. But in a twist no one saw coming, the greatest surfer of all time was nearly sidelined not by surf, but by a staircase. Slater, currently in New Zealand serving as a Pro-Am Ambassador at the New Zealand Open, revealed that a sleepwalking episode almost derailed his trip before the tournament even began. Speaking to a reporter, the 11-time world champion described a disorienting golf moment that turned dangerous in seconds.
A Midnight Fall That Changed Everything
“I almost died,” Slater said bluntly.
According to Slater, he woke in an unfamiliar place and, still asleep, instinctively began moving. “I woke up and basically sleepwalked to the other room. I didn’t know where I was, eyes closed, feeling the wall, and then I fell down the stairs.” The sudden jolt of adrenaline snapped him awake mid-fall. “You know when you jolt awake with adrenaline? I’m so lucky.”
For an athlete whose career has been defined by control and calculation, the randomness of the incident stands in sharp contrast. There were no roaring crowds, no shifting tides, no competitive stakes, just darkness, confusion, and gravity. In a career filled with calculated risks, this was a reminder that unpredictability often strikes far from the spotlight.
Balancing Birdies and Baby News
The scare arrives at a pivotal moment in Slater’s life. At 54, the surfing icon is preparing to welcome his second child with longtime partner Kalani Miller. The couple recently announced they are expecting a baby girl this spring, who will join their 19-month-old son, Tao.
Slater’s growing family joined him in New Zealand, where tournament duties have kept him busy since his arrival. “We got in, like, three nights ago, and it was straight into golf,” he told 1News. While he has been immersed in competition, Miller and Tao have been making the most of the trip. Their son has been enjoying a heated pool and playground on site. “He’s having a blast,” Slater shared, offering a glimpse into the quieter, domestic rhythm now shaping his life off the tour.
Raglan, Retirement, and Real Priorities
Even as Slater competes on the golf course, the surfing world continues to shift. The World Surf League recently announced a schedule change that replaces Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, with the famed lefthander at Raglan, New Zealand, on the Championship Tour. The move sparked speculation about whether Slater might appear, if not as a competitor, then at least as a spectator.
His answer was decisive. “Yeah, I’m not,” he told reporters, pointing to timing as the key factor. With his daughter expected in early May and the event window running from May 15th to 25th, his priorities are firmly set. “I’m having another child in early May, so I think that’s a little more important in my world.”
For decades, Slater’s calendar revolved around swells and standings. Now, it centers on family milestones. The near-miss on a New Zealand staircase serves as an unexpected punctuation mark in a season defined not by trophies, but by transition. Golf may be the focus this week, but the most significant chapter unfolding in Slater’s life is happening far from any leaderboard.
