AS a child, Kelly Slater surfed the modest swells near his home in Cocoa Beach, Fla.
“You wouldn’t ever say we had world-class
waves,” he recalled. “They don’t have good shape and aren’t especially
great in any way.”
In fact, among surfers, the ocean off the
Florida coast has long been likened to dishwater. Yet it was out of
these humble waters that surfing got one of its most revolutionary
figures and greatest champion. In 2011, Mr. Slater, now 40, won his 11th
Association of Surfing Professionals World Champion title, becoming
both the youngest and oldest person ever to win, and surpassing the
previous record holder by six titles. His impact on the sport has been
as indelible as it is undeniable. Below are excerpts from a conversation
with him.
Q. What are some of the best places you’ve surfed?
A. I’ll start with my home.
Florida has a shallow and long continental shelf. The swells start out
in the Atlantic and drag pretty far before they get to the coast, losing
a lot of their energy and speed. Because of that you usually end up
with a slow, relatively small wave. The good thing is those work well
for beginners. A wave isn’t like a skate ramp or mountain; everything’s
moving around and you have to time how to move along with it. That’s
easier with a slow wave.
Currumbin, Australia, is just south of
Brisbane, near a city called Surfers Paradise. Within 10 minutes, on
either side, you can find half a dozen world-class waves. The waves are
point breaks, meaning the swell comes in at an angle, instead of
directly toward the beach, and peels to the side. The waves here are
clean-tapering and just perfect; not too slow, not too fast, not too big
and scary, but never slow and boring. A few years back a guy came here
and caught a wave that went for five minutes — that gives you an idea of
their length. The beach is crowded, though.
Most of what Hawaii has to offer is no
secret. Pipeline is probably the most famous wave in the world. Millions
of years ago, lava poured out and just happened to form a
perfect-shaped bottom. The result is really good waves. It’s not often
you’ll get a huge one. On a big day they are somewhere between 15 and 25
feet. Most only last five seconds.
And a few more people wouldn’t think of:
Israel, Egypt and Tunisia are all fairly active spots. Also, Morocco is
very interesting, given the Muslim influence and the food. In Agadir
there are 10 to 20 different surf schools, and hundreds of people there
at a time.
Q. What should you know when surfing a new location?
A. Know what the reefs are
like and what the bottom is made of. You could paddle out over flat rock
and find out it’s covered with urchins. If you are in South Africa,
South Australia or Northern California, you can guarantee there’ll be a
“great white factor.” You also have to look out for the locals. There’s
inevitably a pecking order at every break. Let the established locals do
their thing and let you in when they want to.
Q. What resources can you recommend?
A. Surfline, Windguru, Magicseaweed, Stormsurf and Buoyweather. I go through all five of those to get reports on wind, swell and weather.
Q. Any traps newcomers fall into?
A. A lot of times I’ll see
guys who are nowhere near the level of the board they’re riding. They
might love surfing and love how it looks, but you really have to work
your way up. It takes eating a little humble pie at first, and stepping
back to equipment that might be a bit slow, but do it. It makes things
better for everyone in the water.
