I’ve thought about writing this column a few times over the years and frankly, I’m glad I waited. It may still be too early. In fact, I hope that at some point down the line, this turns out to all be one, big, moot point.

But if I’m going to write a surfing column, it would be weird to not address that this could be the end for one Robert Kelly Slater. Does that belong in a column in a local beach newsmagazine? Hell, yes.