Surfing: Kelly Slater to compete one more year in the World Surf League Championship Tour

Kelly Slater is an 11-time world champion. Photo / WSL

Kelly Slater has confirmed he will retire from the World Surf League Championship Tour at the end of next season.

The 11-time world champion made the announcement last night during the Corona Jeffrey's Bay Open in South Africa.

"My plan is to get myself ready and healthy for next April and make next year my last year on tour and just be done with it" Slater said.

The 46-year-old missed the first five events on the 11-leg Championship Tour (CT) this season due to a foot injury, but made his return at the South African break on Monday. Unable to get a first-up win, Slater will fight for survival in the competition against South African Jordy Smith in round two on Tuesday.

Slater is currently ranked 36th in the CT. If he doesn't finish among the top 22 on the tour, he could be offered a wildcard to compete in 2019. Returning to the tour in 2019 gives Slater a chance to earn one of two spots to represent the USA at the Olympic Games in 2020.

Joel Parkinson has announced his retirement from the World Surf League Championship Tour. Photo / Getty Images

A few hours before Slater's revelation, Australian Joel Parkinson announced he would be walking away from the CT at the end of the season.

"I have no more fire or want to win" the 37-year-old said.

Parkinson, who competed as part of Team Australia at the Founder's Cup earlier in the year, will surf his final heat as a full time member of the CT at the final event of the year - the Pipe Masters on Oahu's North Shore.

View this post on Instagram

The first time I went to J-Bay was 19 years ago. I was just a kid back then. I’d just finished last in a contest in Reunion, turned up at J-Bay with a toothache, but then got my first glimpse of the wave and the pain went away. It was six foot and perfect from Boneyards to Impossibles, I paddled out through the keyhole, caught my first wave and that was it. I was gone. I lost my mind. Next thing I was standing there on stage holding the trophy, not sure what had just happened, but I knew I’d found my second home. This is where it all started for me on tour, and that’s why I wanted to be here in J-Bay to let you know that this will be my last year on tour. The Pipe Masters in December will be my last event. The fire just hasn’t been there for a while now and I never want to surf without it, so it’s time to go look for it somewhere else. The tour has given me so much. So many memories, so many friends, the chance for my kids to see the world, but it’s time to move on to the next chapter. That means one last lap of the tour and I can’t wait to catch up with a lot of old friends and get a few waves along the way… starting this week at J-Bay.

A post shared by Joel Parkinson (@joelparko) on Jul 1, 2018 at 9:29pm PDT

The 2012 world champion is the second Australian star to announce his retirement this season, after Mick Fanning left the tour earlier in the year.