A Coffee with Kelly Slater

No, this is not one of those typically misleading 'click bait' articles. I did have a coffee with Kelly Slater and a chat, we are not best buddies and I doubt he remembers the moment. What I really want to talk about the rise and fall of my regard for this unparalleled and without doubt , very special human.

In the beginning there was no Kelly Slater for me, he was a mainstream actor on Baywatch. I can remember him before that as a very winning surfer and of course I had 'Black and White' the surf movie (in my opinion the best of Kelly). But I didn't like the mainstream. I didn't like the quarterback golden boy image. I didn't like the way everyone supported him. The fact that he had won 6 world titles already. That he was crazy good at Golf.

I wanted to dislike him and I was doing a pretty good job until the day I actually met him.

It was October in France and the Quiksilver Pro had just wrapped up, the pros where enjoying some epic conditions before the closely scheduled Mundaka event started. Our old VW van was parked in its usual spot, a grass car park, just behind a sand dune at a now very well known spot in Capbreton. The evening glass had set in and the sun was just dipping to meet the overhead perfect, groomed French beachie creating an enviable ambiance. (In short it was awesome)

I had been surfing with a 'car park buddy' (the guy who lived in the van next to us) and as we climbed the dunes on our way back to our wheeled homes we saw the unmistakable outline of a bald human just ahead. Kelly, as it turns out, had been in the water with us. A fact that had not escaped our respective girlfriends (now wife). My girlfriend ,who surfed, was quite excited as I was, to learn that Kellys rental Volvo was parked just opposite our home. There were many people sheepishly approaching him for autographs while trying to remain cool. The sun was setting and it was getting cold. Fast.

Our kettle was steaming and on the fire ready to give us that hot shot with the chill of the evening setting. My 'car park buddys' girl asked if she should see if Kelly wanted a cuppa. (She later admitted to not having the slightest idea who he was).

Of course he said yes. An attractive girl comes and asks you if you want a 'coffee' in her van? Its France. The sun is setting. And as I said, the ambiance was to say the least, enviable.

Kelly got dressed and came over to the fire, only to be faced with the other 3 of us. His disappointment however did not show and he pulled up a pew and took a swig of the horrible instant muck. What ensued next was one of the most memorable hours of my life, in short the guy was inspiring, intelligent, articulate and interested in what we had to say. Interested in were we came from. It was not so much a gradual change of my mind as a instant respect and slight awe that came over me. I could see why the world loved Kelly and why he was able to do the things he did.

I have remained a true and not a silent admirer of Mr Slaters from that day to this. Through more world titles. Missing out on World Titles. His clothing company Outer Known. Wave company ups, downs and finally success. There have been Chia seeds, Perps and now there is Slater Designs.

Now this is where I have a small problem. Slater Designs. For someone that is so aware, and he is, of his impact in others, why throw your weight behind something that will continue the ruination of the local shaper and degrade the experience of the average surfer. Slater Designs boards are made for Kelly to ride. As we all know and I have just been waffling on about, the man is not average, there is nothing average about him. So why sell factory shaped boards that are based on the models that he surfs? To me, its kind of like he is punching the local shapers in the face? Maybe not, maybe I am way off but I would have thought and expected more. To me it just seems like it is a cheap trick to make more money.

The Tomo shaped Sci Fi  looks pretty interesting and along with the Omni (also Tomo) and the Banana by Greg Webber go to making up the SD quiver for this year. None of the designs are 'out there'  in fact you could find a more adventurous shape at you local shapers or even on line. Its not even as if the boards are cheap, retailing at about 950 US dollars and for a board shaped by no-one, thats pretty steep. I could, right now reel off 10 shapers that all make real boards that are interesting, functional and built 100% by hand and FOR YOU. They also happen to be cheaper than 950 smackers. Kelly does go some way to bridging the gap by saying that folks might be able to custom order them but this is not something new and also who exactly will be able to order a custom SD model?

Enough of the rant, I could go on but to be honest I would rather forget this chapter of Kellys life. As I say, I am a fan and always will be in some form or other but at the moment I kind of feel like most of the British people must have after their vote to leave the EU. Confused and Disappointed.