Kelly Slater's amazing run of surfing world championships continued yesterday.

Slater, who is from Cocoa Beach, Fla., increased his record total of professional world titles to nine yesterday when he clinched the 2008 championship.

"It's going to take a little while to sink in," Slater said when mobbed at the water's edge. "I'm probably going to have to call home and talk to family for it to really hit me."

The third and fourth rounds of the Billabong Pro Mundaka men's contest were run yesterday at Mundaka, Spain.

Slater was actually eliminated in the fourth round, but secured the world title earlier in the day when he defeated Spain's Eneko Acero in the third round.

The contest is the ninth of 11 stops on the 2008 World Championship Tour. Slater had a commanding lead in the ratings after winning five of the first eight contests on the tour.

"I felt a lot more at ease this year," Slater said. "It's probably my personal life. That's the biggest change in my life. I'm happy and settled and I've got the support there that just feels amazing. Nothing else has really changed, I've worked with my boards a little bit here and there and I've always worked on my mind and my emotions, but something just really clicked into place this year."

At age 36, Slater is the oldest surfer to win the world championship in the 33-year history of the Association of Surfing Professionals. In 1992, when he was 20, he became the youngest surfer to win the world title.

No other male surfer has won more than four world titles.

When asked if he had ever dreamed about achieving such a feat when he came onto the scene 17 years ago, Slater was close to speechless.

"I never even thought about it," Slater said. "It never even popped into my head. It's crazy."

Slater is expected to be in Hawai'i later this year to compete in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, which is scheduled to run Nov. 12 to Dec. 20 on O'ahu's North Shore.

Fred Patacchia Jr. of Hale'iwa was eliminated in the fourth round of the Billabong Pro Mundaka. He was the only Hawai'i surfer remaining in the contest.