Between the lines with Matt George
Considering that Kelly Slater is still going strong at 50 years old, this memory from when he was 37 holds a deeper meaning. Between the lines will be a new series of excerpts from Matt George’s upcoming book, IN DEEP. A collection of his best work from his long career as Surfer Magazine’s Senior Contributing Editor.
KELLY SLATER, Bali 2009
Those moss green eyes were looking into mine again and I must say it was damned good to see how bright they still burned after all these years. I had never seen Kelly Slater so fit. He looked in better shape than the eighteen year old kids in the room. He and I sat together, chatting in the wet heat of another Bali night. We were at Rizal Tandjung’s balcony restaurant waiting for the lights to go down. Seemed the whole world was there. All the heroes. The Rip Curl contest had ended earlier that day and we had all gathered for a homegrown first look at Taylor Steele’s new movie “Stranger than Fiction”. Kelly had his pretty girlfriend in hand and he gingerly sipped his red wine as we caught up on life’s great events. The party swirled around us but I could tell Kelly was in a thoughtful mood. I’d seen him like this before. He had something to say, but wasn’t quite sure when to say it.
When the light’s came down and the movie started, Kelly leaned forward in the darkness, his elbows on his knees, hands clasped and he began to watch the movie very closely. His face at my shoulder, he began whispering me all sorts of questions about the surfing that was taking place up on the screen. I whispered my answers. He was very quiet about it, didn’t want to broadcast anything. He would comment from time to time as the best surfing the planet had to offer sailed across the screen above the packed, smoky, boozy bar. He had a wrap up on just about anyone who was new school.
No power.
Not enough rocker.
Can’t read waves.
Needs a better shaper.
Doesn’t know where the power is.
No bottom turn.
Too much time looking for air.
Should look down the line more.
Too much time in beach breaks.
Board’s way too small.
Hawaii will kill him.
Doesn’t understand accelerating in the tube.
There was no ego in what Kelly was saying. No bitterness or sour grapes. Just pinpoint observations. I figured he’d earned the right. It also looked like
he was dead on.
Eventually the lights came up and the party really began to howl. Dean Morrison and the beer swilling Aussies already had lampshades on their heads. But Kelly remained quiet amid the madness. Most could feel it and were giving him plenty of room. He hesitated a moment, looked around the room and then leveled his eyes on me and finally said what was on his mind:
“I can’t do this forever” He said,“Whose gonna take my place?”
We looked around together. Bruce Irons had just won the contest, but we all knew he was going to quit the tour any second now. Brother Andy was over in the corner surrounded by fans, looking fragile, trying real hard not to drink or accept any of the more dangerous things on offer, looking like there was nothing to worry about other than everything in the whole goddamned world. The rest of the young guns in the room were slavering with free booze and the free weight of their own early fame and good fortune.
I looked back at Kelly and he just smiled that lonely smile of his. Then he squeezed my shoulder and stood. And with a easy dignity, made his way out of the place with his girlfriend. I watched him go.
And I was damned if I knew the answer to his question.
-end-
Want to read more legendary Kelly stories ? Check out Tracks Issue 584.
