Legendary US surfer Kelly Slater of team Quicksilver has increased his record total of world championships to nine by clinching the 2008 title this weekend in Mundaka in northeastern Spain.
The 36-year-old crossed the point threshold by advancing to round four of the Billabong Pro Mundaka, which wrapped up Saturday with a win by his compatriot CJ Hobgood.
"The rewards have paid off for a lot of work and commitment to surfing my whole life. I'm stoked, I just try to do the best I can with what I've got," Slater said in a statement issued by Quicksilver.
"I had a great year, and it's nice to be rewarded like this. But besides that it felt like a great year. A lot of good things have happened up to this point on the tour," he added.
The tournament is the ninth of the 11-event ASP World Tour. Slater won five of the first seven events of the year. Brazil and Hawaii will host the final two tournaments.
No other surfer in the 32-year history of Association of Surfing Professionals has won more than four world titles.
The win also made Slater the oldest surfer to win the title 16 years after he won his first crown at the age of 20 -- the youngest surfer to do so.
After winning five consecutive titles between 1994 and 1998, Florida-based Slater went on hiatus citing burnout.
He returned to full-time competition in 2003.
Copyright 2008 AFP Global Edition
