At the beginning of 2022, when Novak Djokovic’s participation in the Australian Tennis Open was banned because he had not been vaccinated (and therefore could not enter the country), Kelly Slater came to his defense, assuring that with the issue of vaccines there was “a lot of hate and brainwashing” or that he had “five acquaintances who have died within two weeks of receiving the vaccine.” A year later and after some more intervention recalling the subject, Kelly Slater has repeated the speech and incorporated a few more statements in the Hoody’s Athletes with Voices talk series.
The 11-time world surfing champion, the youngest and oldest to win the world title, explains that the vaccine affected a his mother: “He lost feeling in his jaw, tongue, hands and feet. He has what appears to be a type of transverse myelitis (a neurological condition caused by inflammation of the spine)”. In addition, he also mentions the mother of a friend from Barbados: “His mother is in the hospital in Florida and is dying due to the effects of the Pfizer vaccine. She’s in a fast, dark downward spiral and they don’t know how to fix it.”
Slater does not end here and repeats what “A good number of people I know have died. I also know of a doctor in Australia who stopped giving vaccines because two or three of his patients died.” He also criticizes the “social control” that they entail: “It baffles me that someone is forced to get vaccinated to maintain their career, their job, education, a place in society, the ability to buy in a store.” And he specifies: “I do not want to prohibit the vaccine or tell you what to do with your own body. I would prefer that you not do it but if you want it, put it on. Of course, do not force me or my loved ones or treat me as a bad person for not doing it If it works you’re protected, you shouldn’t worry about me.”
In the comments on social networks about these statements, they are basically surprised that because of how direct they are and the relevance of the character, there is still (may be in process) no lawsuit filed against this surfing legend. About vaccines or other topics, because throughout the conversation he also gets into conspiracy theories about emission reduction policies, among other things.
