Kelly Slater, looking Gold Coast sunburned here in Western Australia, yet fit and athletically composed with two four fin surfboards under his arms, strolls toward the WSL accreditation booth where he will pick up his all access pass to the Margaret River Pro. It seems like a bit of a joke, really, as if he would really need a pass at any WSL contest to go anywhere he pleased. This the truth, considering the fact that he casts his own shadow at any contest site, even on cloudy days. His star power is as overwhelming as ever.
More now, considering all the rumors of his final, final, final and possible retirement buzzing around like the very flies that annoy all visitors to Western Australia. Still, on this beautiful bluebird day at the most spectacularly beautiful site of all the WSL contest venues, Kelly seems no where near quitting. Why should he? He has never had any quit in him. Think of it this way; if you were a 52 year old boxer maintaining your stadium filling status and still striking fear into the hearts of opponents less than half your age, would you quit?
One look in the eyes of a young opponent as the guy waits behind Kelly to get his competitors pass, puts all this talk about Kelly now being the easiest draw in the field to rest. That is something that will never, ever be. Anyone worth their salt knows it. As Kelly grabs his passes and walks with timeless purpose toward the changing rooms, you see this young opponent watch Kelly go until the woman in the booth has to remind the young opponent of why he is in line.
Later, as Kelly makes his way through the pre-contest civilian crowd like Moses parting the Red Sea, you can sense, like a powerful spoor in the air, the respect that Kelly still garners and wears like a Viking Laird’s wolf skin.
After a few smiles and how-ya-goin’s to some worshipful little kids, Kelly paddles out into a pre-contest line-up of such talent that it seems that aliens have landed and have taken over the break. My God, you think, how far surfing performance has come. The great man takes off and there it is, the class act.
Double hips surgery or not, Kelly Slater is, as he always wished to, as he once declared long ago “fitting into the patterns of water”. All the questions about his retirement are answered on that one wave. Kelly will never be leaving the ring. Nor should he.
If nothing else, he is still the DNA strand of what makes pro surfing fascinating and meaningful. With a lifetime of wildcards ahead of him in the most deserving of his talent surf spots on the planet, Kelly will never surf a legends heat as long as he lives.
