WHEN KELLY SLATER HITS TOWN, THE AIR MOISTENS WITH EXCITEMENT. AND SO IT WAS FOR THREE DAYS OF EASTER WHEN THE SIX-TIME CHAMP CUT OUT FROM THE LAKE AT BELLS TO CHASE A SWELL ALONG THE NSW COAST THIS INCLUDES ONE MEMORABLE DAY AT THE CENTRAL COAST HE SHARED WITH HIS MATE, NATHAN WEBSTER
You've seen it all over the news, all through the papers and now six weeks later it dribbles into the surf .mags. The kid puts Bells on hold, watches the ,rnaps, holds tightin Sydney and slaghters any swell that moves. If it's smoking, he's on it, entourage in tow. And you know when the champ's firing textoids and leaving messages to a stinking surf mag he's gotta be happy with a session. When we picked up from an private number, guess who we found at the end of the line?
Hello?
Hey, it's Kelly, What's going on?
Cruising. You in good spirits?
Yeah, not bad.
You scored, huh?
Oh man, I surfed so many spots. I surfed Cowries, Sandon, Redsands, Deadmans, Carpark Rights at Narra, Crackneck and The Zone, That was only three days of surfing. That was like the best three days I've ever had in Sydney.
We've got the photos back, those waves at The Zone look like oil paintings...
How crazy wave is the face of that wave?
So smooth. There's one where you're standing tall - you'll know the one. It's technically perfect, beautiful colour, just a big gaping tube.
I remember that wave.
Yeah, and you copped a couple beatings too, huh?
Yeah, a couple. How's that wave look, really sick?
Unbelievable, it doesn't look huge, just a good six foot and magic...
It wasn't huge, but it was just pound for pound as heavy as anywhere, So much thickness in the lip, especially on the big ones. There were a few waves that weren't really rideable, I wanna go build a house in front of that wave. I can't believe I didn't know about that wave until now.
Who told you about it?
Koby did, he surfed it that day we were at Cowries and he said it was really crazy.
It's only the last few years all the sutlers have gotten onto the body-boarders' waves.
Did you see any shots of the bodyboard-ers on a couple of the big crazy ones?
They took some nuggets...
Fuck, there was this one kid who got a couple that were so psycho. I don't know whether you could have got on 'em surfing or not, I mean you coulda tried...
Was it one of the Player brothers?
Yeah, it was one of those guys. They were slipping into waves you couldn't even get onto because there was a ledge under it. You have to be so low on the face and so committed. I was trying to sort it out and there were, like, a dozen bodyboard-ers in the way, It was pretty cool because you knew it was, like, their wave, y'know. It was like such a fricken role reversal. I was out there and Noodles was behind me but it was like being out there with 12 bodyboarders and I was like feeling really out of place. It was funny, I looked at one or two and gave 'em a little laugh and then they were cool, Koby had surfed it last week and Koby's such a dick to all those spongers that they were kinda sketched out there, like fuck, not again...
When it lines up it's like you're surfing perfect Sunset bowl...
Yeah, that's kinda what it's like, sort of - obviously with a lot more sketchy take-off. Now and then, Sunset really does that ledge thing down on the inside. Fuck, it was already so glassy and then to top it off it sucks off that ledge, the waves look like glue, they were like the smoothest faced, glassiest waves I've ever seen.
There's a couple of shots from the Deadies session too...
Who shot those?
The same guy who shot the cover of the paper, Dallas Kilponen. You know how on the Gold Coast it's really easy to get on the cover of the paper?
Uh huh...
Well, it's a really big deal to get on the cover of the Sydney Morning Herald. It's real rare to have surfing on the cover...
Really? I wouldn't have known that. What, is it kinda like a Wall Street Journal or something? How do the waves look?
It looks really good. There are some where you're taking off under the ledge, some with warped lips.
I got a couple nice barrels, I got one behind some other guy that was pretty fun, He towed on and was on the shoulder and I was, like, "What's this guy doing?"
And one where Tom's falling off and it looks like you're doing a floater above him.
Ah no, I was trying to take off, Tom had a two-wave hold-down on that wave, It was really thick one, right? He got caught in the gnarliest part and he didn't come up until after the next wave, I'd like to see it about two feet bigger with more of a straight wall, like clean. It was fun, there were some good waves, So, you surfed it early uh?
Yeah, but I came in as you went out. It looked like it got way better.
Well, I surfed it when it was low, It got better when I was out there, The guys on skis were going straight through the line-up. All they had to do was sit wide and let the guy whip at it from 50 to 100 yards away, they didn't have to drive through the surf-ers, y'know? Tom and Barton were towing too but every time someone towed in I was trying to take off inside 'em or drop in.
Anything else on the boil right now?
I think I'm going to Hawaii next week because I've got my property over there and I'll dealing with a few things with it, just trying to get a house designed.
Where'd you buy land at?
Overlooking Log Cabins, up on the bluff. It's a really great spot.
What kinda house you gonna build?
I don't know, something cosy. It's a really nice property so it warrants having a really nice house. Probably not something too small, but I don't want to go crazy. A dream house of sorts though.
Apparently, building a crib is one of the most stressful things you can do.
Yea, but one of the most relaxing things once you have it done. It's kinda gnarly traveliing and doing the tour and trying to build a shouse all at once but I don't feel like waiting till I'm done touring and then waiting and dealing with all that shit. I want to be chillin' then.
It's always good to be busy though.
Yeah, but there's a little too much going on right now.
How 'bout the tour?
I just want those guys to know I've got 'em fucken pegged.
How bout Trent?
Jesus Christ! Trent is fuckin' on right now. He surfed so good
And Andy's still there. You got some cathing up to d, buster.
Yeah, you think?
Yep. Bring back the confident head, kid.
Yeah... yeah... Alright man, late...
