Kelly Slater will join the upcoming Big Wave Bodyboarding Tour (BWBT), right after the end of his professional surfing career.

The multiple-time world surfing champion from Florida has taken a dramatic decision to join the best big wave boogie riders in the world, when he considers the time has come to conclude his successful pro surfing life.

"There are two reasons why I accepted the Big Wave Bodyboarding Tour challenge. First of all, the age. In the next year, it will be physically impossible to compete against the new generation of talented young surfers", Kelly Slater tells SurferToday.com.

"Then, and because I still want to compete at the highest level, I want to challenge waves that simply cannot be ridden by surfers. I want to take the vertical drops with the boogie boards. It will be extremely challenging", adds the Floridian.

The Big Wave Bodyboarding Tour will gather some of the most experienced wave riders in the world. There will be board sports athletes from many disciplines, such as bodyboarding, surfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, kitesurfing and even wakeboarding.

"I've got a deep respect for bodyboarding and bodyboarders. Mike Stewart is a master and I certainly imagine myself getting pitted in prone mode, with the most incredible watermen in the planet", Slater underlines.

The Floridian surf star also plans to develop a new line of big wave bodyboards, under the Kelly Slater Wave Company brand. The board logo will feature the flag of Florida and its great seal.