| 'LETTING GO' WITH KELLY SLATER BY RICHARD LIVSEY |
NEW YORK CITY - A large majority
of New York’s surfing population
made it out to Chelsea Piers this
past June, for the premiere of
Kelly Slater’s new surfing film
Letting Go: Kelly Slater 2005 -
Trials and Triumphs.
The event took place on an old
barge docked on the Hudson
River, and with a pleasant
breeze off the water and plenty
of cold beer being served, the
scene quickly became a party.
Quiksilver hosted the event,
along with Surfrider Foundation,
Patagonia and Outside
Magazine. Kelly Slater arrived
quietly and made his way
through the crowd toward the
stage without many people
realizing that the seven-time
world champion had just
brushed against their shoulders.
When Slater was introduced, he
jumped onto the stage and took
the mike with a gracious smile.
He came across as confident,
but not cocky. He’s one of the
greatest surfers of all time, but
he’s not going to rub it in your
face, unless of course you're
competing against him.
“I had one of the best years of
my life last year,” Slater told the
crowd as he spoke about the
turbulent road toward his
seventh world title.
The movie was basically put
together in hindsight. Slater
didn’t want the pressure of
having a film crew following him
around on tour. He wanted to
concentrate on surfing and the
ultimate goal of being the only
surfer to win seven world titles.
“So once I won it,” Slater said.
They went back and looked over
all the footage that had been
shot.
When your job is to travel to the
best breaks around the world,
you get a glimpse into a wide
variety of surfing communities.
Yet even with all his experience
Slater was genuinely impressed
with the turnout for his premiere.
Continued at top of page
of New York’s surfing population
made it out to Chelsea Piers this
past June, for the premiere of
Kelly Slater’s new surfing film
Letting Go: Kelly Slater 2005 -
Trials and Triumphs.
The event took place on an old
barge docked on the Hudson
River, and with a pleasant
breeze off the water and plenty
of cold beer being served, the
scene quickly became a party.
Quiksilver hosted the event,
along with Surfrider Foundation,
Patagonia and Outside
Magazine. Kelly Slater arrived
quietly and made his way
through the crowd toward the
stage without many people
realizing that the seven-time
world champion had just
brushed against their shoulders.
When Slater was introduced, he
jumped onto the stage and took
the mike with a gracious smile.
He came across as confident,
but not cocky. He’s one of the
greatest surfers of all time, but
he’s not going to rub it in your
face, unless of course you're
competing against him.
“I had one of the best years of
my life last year,” Slater told the
crowd as he spoke about the
turbulent road toward his
seventh world title.
The movie was basically put
together in hindsight. Slater
didn’t want the pressure of
having a film crew following him
around on tour. He wanted to
concentrate on surfing and the
ultimate goal of being the only
surfer to win seven world titles.
“So once I won it,” Slater said.
They went back and looked over
all the footage that had been
shot.
When your job is to travel to the
best breaks around the world,
you get a glimpse into a wide
variety of surfing communities.
Yet even with all his experience
Slater was genuinely impressed
with the turnout for his premiere.
Continued at top of page
| Kelly Slater is just as ease in front of the microphone as he is in the water. June 12, 2006 |
“I wouldn’t have imagined, without
seeing it, how much of a hardcore
group of surfers there are in New York.
It’s pretty classic.”
As the crowd’s applause died down, a
surfer from the audience yelled out, “I
came all the way from Biarritz to see
you.”
“You came from Biarritz,” Kelly said
with a grin creeping across his face.
“Drop in on that guy.”
As the crowd's laughter died down,
Slater warned the heckler, “You don’t
want to surf with these New York guys,
they’ll beat you up.”
During the screening of the film, I
caught up with Slater backstage.
I mentioned to him that Duke
Kahanamoku surfed at Rockaway
Beach back in 1912 when he
introduced the sport to New York. I
asked Slater if he would ever consider
surfing at Rockaway?
“I almost went out about a year and a
half ago,” Slater said. “I was here, and
it was like one of the best days of all
time out there. It was supposed to be
double overhead and perfect barrels. A
couple of my friends surfed, and I was
going to go, but I don’t know why, I just
didn’t get my shit together to go out
there.”
But Slater assured me, that it’s only a
matter of time until he’s in the line up at
Rockaway Beach. “Oh yeah, if I was
here with my equipment, and there
were waves. I would be out there.”
More Surf Stories:
Rob Machado Interview Cick here
The Planet Reef Tour Pictures click here
Check Out This Sick Surfing DVD Click Here
Spring 2006: East Coast Goes Off Click Here
seeing it, how much of a hardcore
group of surfers there are in New York.
It’s pretty classic.”
As the crowd’s applause died down, a
surfer from the audience yelled out, “I
came all the way from Biarritz to see
you.”
“You came from Biarritz,” Kelly said
with a grin creeping across his face.
“Drop in on that guy.”
As the crowd's laughter died down,
Slater warned the heckler, “You don’t
want to surf with these New York guys,
they’ll beat you up.”
During the screening of the film, I
caught up with Slater backstage.
I mentioned to him that Duke
Kahanamoku surfed at Rockaway
Beach back in 1912 when he
introduced the sport to New York. I
asked Slater if he would ever consider
surfing at Rockaway?
“I almost went out about a year and a
half ago,” Slater said. “I was here, and
it was like one of the best days of all
time out there. It was supposed to be
double overhead and perfect barrels. A
couple of my friends surfed, and I was
going to go, but I don’t know why, I just
didn’t get my shit together to go out
there.”
But Slater assured me, that it’s only a
matter of time until he’s in the line up at
Rockaway Beach. “Oh yeah, if I was
here with my equipment, and there
were waves. I would be out there.”
More Surf Stories:
Rob Machado Interview Cick here
The Planet Reef Tour Pictures click here
Check Out This Sick Surfing DVD Click Here
Spring 2006: East Coast Goes Off Click Here
