Slater wows with style and skincare
Yesterday I stood out under grey skies that sometimes spat rain and sometimes spat sunburn and watched the opening day of the ASP World Tour. The Quiksilver Pro presented by Landrover. And it was so the best! So many plots and sub-plots! Rookies! Kelly going for 10! Mick defending number 2! Andy back! Luke Stedman’s totally gorgeous smile! Dane! Jordy! Rookies! Judging changes (which, by the way, aren’t real. Brodie told me that they just made the criteria easier to understand for the media. What a cad he is!) Brodie! Joel shaking off defeat! Neco shaking off something! Taylor Knox turning 50! Taj turning 13! But there were two things that stood out the most. Kelly Slater’s wave and Peter Mel’s skin.
Kelly paddled around the rocks near 10:30 in the morning, just ahead of Newcastle’s Ben Dunn and Brazil’s Marco Polo. He looked like he always does. Focused. A bronzed, singleted package of directed energy and attention and preparation and years and lack of jitters. He paddled around the rock and sat on his board, still.
The surf had turned good, or at least better. The first heat of the morning (at 8:30) had featured mostly swampy weird things. Things that steamed in and maybe looked ok, all lip and action, but then bogged to a fat puddle of slow. Things that left Dane screaming swears in Italian at the top of his so pure lungs (he doesn’t smoke) during his first heat of the morning. “Vafancullo!”
But, for Kelly it was churning barrels. Walls. Off-shored breezes. Ben Dunn and Marco Polo enjoyed the same waves. I can’t remember who caught the opener. It was maybe Ben and probably pretty good. Probably some top turns and roundhouse cut backs and maybe a little tube. Applause maybe.
And I don’t know that I necessarily remember Kelly’s first first wave (I watch so many heats!). But there was one wave. One that gave me such a thrill! Set my heart a flutter! One that weakened my knees.
It was like this, a set appeared, the sky still grey and the waves a little grey too. This set danced on the horizon and Robert Kelly Slater had both priority and great position. It looked like a runner! A little over head high! He took off near the rocks, the peak and shoulder and possibility down the line so totally delish! He popped to his feet as smooth as always. Trademarked. Dropped down the face into a perfect bottom turn and then right back up toward the lip. He flew, all body parts controlled and poised. He could have done anything. Massive snap. Bucket throwing gouge. Floater? But he flew flew flew, crouched down low, and started to spin. A beautifully executed carving 360 right in the pocket. Water flew as Kelly drove back down the line and hit the coping somewhere else and did more stuff and ended with a 360 on the face. It was not his highest scoring wave of the day, or even of the heat but it was my favorite.
I had watched Kelly do carving 360s at Backdoor during the Pipeline Masters. He fell on one and I thought to myself, “WTF? Carving 360s don’t look that good and look difficult and awkward. Please don’t!” I said to Brodie Carr sitting next to me, “Ugh! Could he not?”
But I was totally wrong! Kelly made the carving 360 a true work of art yesterday. And as I watched him do it, I said to myself, “You complete me.” And I said to Peter Mel standing next to me, “Ooo-ee!”
Kelly won the heat and Peter Mel, who was doing the post heat interviews, asked me for a question. I told him to ask Kelly about his skin care regiment. How does a near 40 year old man who is out in the sun and salt all day keep such a glow? Such elasticity? Peter laughed and proceeded to not ask Kelly. But as I watched Peter conduct the interview, I noticed his own skin. So caramely! And without Kelly’s natural Lebanese leg up even. It was a tan so natural and deep, yet without any harsh leathered wrinkles. The forehead wasn’t marked with the sun’s wrath, the cheeks were not rosy (gay!) but a little ruddy (masculine!) and the neck and chin were shaved without nick. Peter Mel’s skin is also a work of art. - Charlie Smith
All photos, Matt O'Brien
Posts: 17
Reply #17 on : Wed March 03, 2010, 00:49:44