Pipe Dreams

A Surfer's Journey

By: Kelly Slater

Narrated by: Todd Haberkorn

Soon to be an ABC reality series entitled Ultimate Surfer, starring 11-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater

Eleven-time world surfing champion, actor, and American heartthrob Kelly Slater tells his inspiring story of triumph over adversity

From Beach Blanket Bingo to Baywatch to Blue Crush, surfing has fascinated people for years, and Kelly Slater is the sport’s hottest star. He has won more world championships than any other competitor, and he continues to change peoples’ minds about what can and can’t be done on a surfboard. His wild ride has included fame, fortune, a stint on Baywatch, and a high-profile relationship with Pamela Anderson. Not bad for a skinny kid from a broken home in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

In Pipe Dreams, Kelly takes the reader into oceans around the world to take on thunderous walls of water and shares the outrageous stories, solemn moments, and undeniable spirit that have made him a superstar.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

good book

interesting how someone can be so good at something and be so focused on one thing from so early on.

Hey a narrator who bothers to learn pronunciation.

This guy doesn't take the time to learn how to pronounce a lot of names and places. Being from North Carolina his pronunciation of Hatteras is like a slap in the face each time.

Interesting life story of the GOAT of surfing

I enjoyed the author’s account of his life. The narrator was fine, but I wish he had looked up how to pronounce the names of the places Kelly wrote about. The way he was saying “Hatteras” was killing me haha. I grew up near there and I cringed every time he said it.

Nice insight into Kelly's life.

it's nice and entertaining enough. i wanted to finish it as I was listening but it wasn't super captivating. i put it on during walks and it was perfect to listen do during them.

It was just ok

I didn't know much about Kelly Slater before. Story was a little long-winded and egotistical. But i guess if you figured out the strategy to win so many contests and so often, it's to be expected. If I hadn't been painting the house while I was listening, it may have been an in-progress book in my library for a long time.

I was a bit shocked, not in a good way, the words he wrote about his French stalker. The way he described her (hideous and at least 40 years old) and the fact that he could have killed her (holding her against the wall with a 12 ft fall with her 3 year old child hitting his leg and bringing him to his senses). Not sure if he is misogynistic or at the end of his rope. (BTW, a very short portion of the book - so don't buy it solely to hear this story).

Narrator pronunciation left a lot to be desired. Especially when he called Ocean Pacific "Op" instead of OP (O.P.) A little coaching would have been nice in name pronunciation would have helped the audiobook.

I may check out other better rated surf memoirs. It didn't turn me off from surf- themed books completely. But this guy's ego was a bit much.