Stats: Six World Tour wins on the Gold Coast, including two in the Billabong Pro (1997 and 1998) and four in the Quiksilver Pro (2006, 2008, 2011 and 2013). 2001: Slater won the 1997 and 1998 Billabong Pro Gold Coast events and made his return to the Glitter Strip in 2001 as a wildcard for the Quiksilver Pro. He missed the 1999 Pro due to ‘personal problems’ believed linked to his ill-fated romance with former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and the 2000 event following the death of his grandmother. 2006: Then a seven-time world title winner, Slater celebrated his first Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast win by beating West Australian Taj Burrow in the final at Duranbah. Slater, 34, looked switched on in the final and posted a 16.17, while Burrow, who fought gallantly, just could not keep up with the American and finished with 14.60.2007: Between his attempts to win another title on the Gold Coast Slater spent 2007 helping Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey learn to surf while the Pro was on at Snapper Rocks.McConaughey was on the Gold Coast filming the movie Fool’s Gold and surfed nearly every day in order to prepare for another movie.2008: Slater crushed reigning world champion Mick Fanning’s fairytale return to Snapper Rocks, powering to victory at the Quiksilver Pro.“I think the ego probably comes out with all of us and you want to show what you have in the tank and what you can do,” Slater said.“When there is all that hype about another person, it definitely makes you step up your game.’’2011: The G.O.A.T of surfing looked set to miss the 2011 Quiksilver Pro when he emerged from a free surf at Duranbah covered in blood and with a gash to the side of his head.His board struck him during a wipe-out. Not only did he not miss the event, he went on to beat Taj Burrow in the final to win the entire contest.2013: Slater caught the attention of the globe when he said recreational drug use was “rampant” in surfing while declaring no substances could make athletes better at the sport. It followed revelations of Lance Armstrong’s doping and Australian football’s own drugs crisis.He went on to beat Gold Coast’s very own Joel Parkinson in the Quiksilver Pro final that year. 2014: Slater declared the Gold Coast had the most crowded surf breaks in the world and voiced his concerns about the safety of boardriders.“It’s tough. I’m worried what five years or 10 years, or 20 years from now, brings,’’ Slater said at the time.“If it’s this crowded right now, I don’t know what we’re going to do. It’s really unsafe – there’s just people all over the place. It’s so not fun for the average person.”He received enormous backlash for his comments, with Slater later posting a picture of himself standing in front of his car with the swear word “Fxxkwit” scrawled across the window in wax.
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