Every now and then, in every sport in every land, an all-conquering and all-dominating spirit arrives on the scene. Combined with making the right decisions at the right time, and being in the right places at the right time, this competitor goes on to raise benchmarks, set new records, and show everybody else how it should be done.

It is usually at this time that the sport in which they compete gets a welcomed boost in popularity. The headline writers start paying attention, the media become more involved and through all of this, heros are born in the minds of youngsters the world over.

Recently in Formula One, we have been seeing the results of this very phenomena, with Sebastian Vettel rising up through the ranks to become a grand prix winner and championship contender. Whether you think the young German actually has what it takes or not is irrelevant. Vettel is a Formula One driver and more so, a multiple winner with more than one team.

And of course, Vettel isn’t the only German to have decided to follow a successful compatriot into motorsport’s most demanding series. In 2010 we will get to see if Nico Hulkenberg is worth all the hype that currently surrounds him, and the past few years have seen 3 new/returning German talents take on the Formula One World Championship. I would argue that Nico Rosberg – who holds dual nationality with Finland – was inspired to race because of his father’s successes, and that Nick Heidfeld is a little too old to have been affected by Germany’s first world champion. I therefore leave it to Adrian Sutil, Timo Glock, Vettel and now Hulkenberg to raise the Schumacher flag.

And of course, this inspiration-based path to greatness isn’t limited to those who compete on four wheels with an engine. If you look across any sport that has seen a star rise and dominate, you will surely see a flurry of fellow countrymen and women competing in the aftermath.

As I’m sure you are all aware, this level of dominance has occurred in the very sport I truly love, and to watch everything unfold over the years has been fascinating. Although the multiple champion in question is a little quieter these days, choosing instead to let the others step into the limelight, the effects of this man’s performance the late-’90s and early-’00s is still continuing to this very day.

It all started in the early 1990s. One man arrived in a sport he had been practicing at since he was a child, perhaps even before he could stand on his own two feet and walk across a room. Competition was already flowing through his veins and it really wasn’t a case of if, but when. And that moment happened at the start of the final decade of the last millennium. The decade that saw the world stand up and take notice. It was a period of time that saw the record books rewritten as the sport was lifted to never-before-seen standards of excellence.

Very quickly the fans and the authorities alike realised just what this man’s abilities were. It wasn’t a case of starting slow and crescendoing after many years of gradual improvement and near misses. Win number one came in 1992 and once this obstacle had been conquered, it just became easier and easier. Although not yet proving to be the dominant force he would later progress to, people knew they were watching a future champion in the making. It was an exciting time to be a fan.

With another victory in 1993 it all came good in 1994. The championship was sealed and the sporting world had another hero to worship. His abilities within the sport were unparalleled. His determination and perseverance gaining respect from all quarters. Style and precision came naturally to this man as did the handling of the pressure at the sharp end of international competition.

The wins kept coming, and as the years flew by, the records tumbled. In all honesty, it became a bit of a chore to follow the sport. In fact it is still talked about even today. Fans still bemoan the time when they say they stopped watching because they knew who was going to win even before the weekend had begun. I’m sure we have all heard this line many times before.

In some respects this damaged the sport. Some viewers did turn their backs on the sport and this has been acknowledged by those in charge. Of course, how can you stop the abilities of one man? How can you handicap a world champion when all he is doing is just the same as those he is competing with? Albeit, better.

The answer is, you can’t. Sure, you can fiddle with the rules a little, try to make it harder for the force in question, or easier for others to catch up. But ultimately, the abilities of one naturally gifted and supremely talented individual will always outweigh the obstacles that are put in place. Some people simply cannot be stopped.

With talent though, comes close scrutiny. Fellow competitors and rivals, competition marshals, stewards and judges… they all take a closer look at what is happening. Some even pluck up the courage to ‘cry foul’, it seems the heartache of losing over and over again will eventually break even the hardiest of souls. And when genuine mistakes or errors of judgement happen, no matter how rare or inconsequential, everybody pounces and the ‘hero’ his shredded of all dignity and respect. That is of course, until the next death-defying performance that ultimately results in a hard-fought and seemingly impossible victory.

I imagine it must be very difficult being a multiple world champion of any sport, especially after dominating so supremely and taking 5 consecutive titles – it is simply unprecedented. Okay, so the natural talent is there and all that needs to be done is to hone and learn how to use it. This, I guess, is called practice.

But with all the other pressures that surround a sportsman or woman who is at the top of their game, it must be very frustrating at times. Add in the fact that this man in question is a multiple champion – some even say the greatest – someone who has rewritten the rules on fitness, intelligence, tactics and downright ability to win even when it seems impossible, I imagine life away from the arena is tough. When most of a sport’s records are followed with your name, there isn’t anywhere you can really hide except the environment of which you are used to. Although you are perhaps not hiding, you are at least alone with yourself and your thoughts.

I guess that is why he is still competing to this very day.

Mr Slater, I doff my cap to you.

There were a couple of minor alterations made to the post in order to keep the general similarities between Michael Schumacher and Kelly Slater flowing. Schumacher won his first race in 1992, as hinted at in the article, but Slater took his first victory in 1990, his debut year incidentally. Furthermore, Slater took his first championship in 1992 (I chose to ignore this in the article), whereas Schumacher had to wait until 1994 before this milestone was reached. Both men took titles in ‘94 and each had a run of 5 consecutive championships in their careers. More information and results can be found on each sportsman’s Wikipedia entry: Kelly Slater and Michael Schumacher.

Ollie usually writes for BlogF1, but after experiencing some troubles with his site (which should all be resolved this upcoming week), he found that not writing about the sports (plural!) he loves was difficult to deal with. Jackie and Mav kindly offered a guest spot on Pitlane Fanatic for which Ollie is most humbled and grateful for.
Kelly Slater image ©Quiksilver