Who is Kelly Slater? I’d be surprised if there’s a surfer anywhere in the world who doesn’t know the name “Kelly Slater,” but do you know just how accomplished he is? Yea, I know about his surfing victories but I’ll admit it, I didn’t know he jammed with Eddie Vedder or Perry Ferrell or he appeared in a couple of movies.  Do you know who Kelly Slater really is?

I voted for Kelly to grace the cover of SI when SI asked consumers to vote. But when a surfer is up against athletes in more traditional sports like basketball – and it’s a vote by SI readers, who do you think would win the votes?  Part of Sports Illustrated’s job as a premier magazine is to teach their readers about athletes like Kelly Slater.  I think the magazine missed the mark on this one.

Quik did a great job with the infographic above (thanks Quik!) but they missed at least one award I know about.  This year Kelly was awarded the 2012 Laureus World Sports Action Sportsperson of the Year Award. (Read about that here.)

And if we’re going to celebrate Kelly’s artistic success (music, acting and writing)  shouldn’t we also acknowledge his business acumen? Of course he has many business successes in his quiver, but one we’re intrigued with is the surf park. (Read about that here.)

So, who is Kelly Slater? Athlete, artist, businessman – and one of the 50 most beautiful people.  And you thought he was just a surfer!