Slating the 11 times world surfing champion, Kelly Slater

I wince while watching a video replay of Kelly Slater jumping switch-foot between 6-foot barrels at Padang Padang. He’s so awesome and yet I’m so over it. This twenty-year long adulation has become a little schizophrenic of late, a little up and down; I think I have Slater Fatigue Syndrome (SFS). Not to be confused with tall poppy syndrome, SFS is directed more at Slater’s sparring partners – or lack of.

Where has the competitive spirit on tour gone? In a recent post-heat interview a young new talent admitted he’d been “so honoured” to surf with the world champion. Modesty and respect aside, it makes me wonder if he and the other title contenders have lost sight of the competitive point: wanting to win and the faith to do it. Are they afraid to knock the King off his pedestal?

Confidence and competition are so entwined in surfing, or any sport for that matter, that the slightest erosion of either compromises potential and success. Take Tiger Woods as an example of what a blow to the ego can do to a sportsman. Woods’ list of accolades includes 14 professional major championships, 16 World Golf Championships, and 71 PGA Tour event wins, equating to more major career and PGA Tour victories than any other active golfer. But what’s Woods been up to lately? After December 2009′s hyperbolic media attention over the extramarital hanky-panky, he’s finalised a divorce, been dropped by a heap of sponsors, lost the world number one ranking, and hasn’t won another PGA Tour event. “Confidence is contagious, so is a lack of confidence,” said Vince Lombardi, the NFL’s most successful and competitive coach.

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I’m not asking that Slater be cast as a moral reprobate; I’m just looking for a bit of perspective. He was also once a plucky start-up, copping criticism from the old stalwarts as he sidestepped Tom Curren-like flow in favour of air. He didn’t rocket to the top straight away, either. In Kelly’s first year on tour he finished 43rd, and it wasn’t until half way through the following year that he exploded into action to take the title. The tipping point could have been sparked by anything and I wouldn’t want to hazard a guess. But I like to think that he just decided it was time to win, because he knew he could. And he still can, he knows it, the surfers on tour know it, the media feed it, we love it. It’s like a self-perpetuating cycle and it will only end when the surfers start believing in themselves, when they stop snapping under pressure and start giving it back to him.

You can admire Kelly’s alien ability all you like, but don’t underestimate the unwavering faith he has in himself and the cunning competitiveness that clinches each win. After two decades these are very well practised assets. Combined with his skill, it’s the winning trifecta.

“Kelly plays the heaviest mind games,” says Maurice Cole. Having shaped the board Kelly won his first world title on and enjoying a working relationship with him since, Maurice would know. “He might say, ‘You’re riding that board? I reckon your other one was better this morning. He’s always planting that seed of doubt and that’s part of his psychological edge.”

Before this year’s Quiksilver Pro final Kelly asked Taj, “40 minutes, right?” He was referring to a Hurley Pro a few years ago where Kelly trumped him in the dying minutes of a final that had five minutes added to it. It was a tactical psyche-out and it seems to work every time. After 14 years on tour Taj can only come second so many times before succumbing to a severe case of Slater Fatigue Syndrome, surely. ”Second is the first fuckin’ loser,” Andy Irons told Stab a few years ago. “If I can’t get first I’d rather get last.” Surfing has enjoyed some spectacular rivalries: Midget Farrelly and Nat Young, Rabbit and Mark Richards, but none as ruthless as the fight between Irons and Slater.

Irons had true grit. He understood that while surfing is fun, winning is business and business is cutthroat. “My whole driving force right now is to take his little pretty picture and just crush it,” he said in Blue Horizon, a movie that portrayed him as an arrogant prick. His whole driving force, that’s what it took to lift three world titles from Slater. While it’s all the Hawaiian master would muster, he never lost the mongrel and he never backed off.

Today, there seems to be a disquieting lack of hunger on tour. “There’s no room for nice guys,” Maurice reminds us. “You’ve really got to be his enemy. Everybody is too scared because they want to be liked and the last person you want to be hated by is Kelly Slater,” he laughs. “That’s part of the psychology and he plays the card very heavily.”

There’s one guy on tour Maurice thinks doesn’t have the ability to beat Slater, but at least he’s not afraid to hate him. Adriano de Souza represents a new crew of ambitious Brazilians who have come from hardship and have had to fight for every dollar, scrap for every win. Unlike many of their Australian or American counterparts, these guys have already faced their fears on the streets and slums of Brazil. They’re up for it.

Irons wrote the blueprint to beating Slater, and Mick squeezed a couple out through sheer will. Otherwise the Darth Vader intensity has debilitated the confidence, competition and ability of three generations of surfers. In 2011 though, a couple of new kids on the block have shown themselves to be precocious much in the same way that Kelly was twenty years ago. It is now their turn to challenge the status quo, to come up with the antidote to SFS. They just need to decide that they can.

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2010 Hurley Burleigh

Contest Wrap Up

Dean Bowen (Gerroa, NSW) is US$25,000 richer after winning the fourth annual Hurley Burleigh Pro Junior on Australia Day.

cha-ching

A fit looking Bowen claimed the prestigious title after defeating Chris Friend (Alex Headland, QLD) in a King Kong style battle.

The NSW powerhouse got off to a good start in the 0.5m waves. A bit of a State of Origin clash ensued as each surfer trumped the other’s score. Friend gave Bowen a run for his money for the entire 30 minute heat, finally leading Bowen to retaliate with a 9.17 (out of a possible 10). Despite a perfect start and great surfing, Friend did not manage to snag the wave he needed in the dying minutes of the final.

In the face of tiny 0.5m waves the spray off both surfers’ rails impressed the judges and the heat was full of healthy scores.

Friend was vexed but gracious. “It was a great event, everyone was ripping through the whole week but Deano smoked me so what can I say?” said Friend at the prize giving.

“To come so close and not be able to walk away with the US$25,000 is disappointing, but in saying that placing second is still a great result,” Friend said.

“Dean is such a competitor in the water and he’s as Aussie as they come so it’s great an Australian walked away with the cash in the end,” he said.

As for Bowen, another day another dollar? “I’ve been thinking about it (the prize money) for the last two months” he laughs. “I’m stoked about the money but I want to save it all up and hopefully do something good with it,” he said.

“I was definitely really motivated. I had a bad start this year. I lost second round at Bells and I got knocked in the third round of the world juniors so it’s good to get some form again and get on a roll…the whole goal is to win the junior series and this is going to help me,” said Bowen.

“Those small little right handers…that’s kind of my forte,” said the renowned big wave surfer with a spark his eye. 

Contest in Context

Overall the competition was fierce in a field of over 130 international contestants hungry for the title and cash. But a talented pack of Australians pulled out all the stops to deny the international onslaught, ensuring a particularly Aussie vibe on Australia Day. Out of the four Australian semi-finalists, two were from the Gold Coast: Mitch Crews and Blake Ainsworth. 

Crews: doing the GC proud

The Gold Coasters captured the crowd’s attention with the extra energy they were able to give to the challengingly small conditions. While the surfers were unable to pull off big airs their exhibition of flow and style was commendable.

As the event was forced to relocate to the Spit due to the lack of swell competitors were forced to approach their heats with patience and choice wave selection. Mitch Crews described the event as a “wave catching competition.”

A clear contest highlight was Crews’ quarter final heat against an in form Peterson Crisanto (Brazil).

Needing an 8.5 ride with a minute on the clock, Crews plucked a wave from who knows where and carved a series of powerful turns as the crowd held their breath. The wave chalked up a winning 9.17 and impressed Crews’ fans, including former world champion Barton Lynch who jumped out of his beach seat with a smile wide enough to split a watermelon.

Bowing out in the semi-finals to fellow Queenslander Chris Friend was a clear disappointment for Crews.

“I’m pretty disappointed to have come so far and to get third. But I guess it just makes me hungrier for the next event,” admitted a dismayed Crews.

At the time of printing Crews has the number one position atop the ASP Australasia Junior Men’s ratings holding a 770 point lead over his nearest rival Davey Cathels (Narrabeen, NSW). This is the last year in the junior series and he has his eyes on the big picture.

“I really want to try and win the junior series this year…my main focus is that. But I am going to move into a few WQS’. I have a year to really think about my surfing and work on it and try and improve…I want to get to that level so in a few years time I will be surfing good enough to make the WCT,” said the Currumbin surfer.

How far away is the WCT for Crews? “Who knows, its hard to say, I want to say I’m close but I’ve still got far to go….I’m just going to take it step by step and see”.

“I really want to try my best and do as best as I can not only for myself but for the Gold Coast,” he said. 

Hurley’s Heart of Gold

Bob Hurley recalls the first time he met a professional surfer. It was a very long time ago, at Huntington Beach. Swimming in to the shore to recover his board Hurley saw Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew surfing the shore break. He invited the at the time world champ to surf out the back with the local boys.

Hurley remembers Rabbit saying to him, ‘that’s awesome thanks! But I’m just having a blast with the kids here in the shore break; you know they really energise me’.

Bob and Rabs reminisce

The founder of Hurley International thought about that for years and it really changed his life. He’s thankful for that.

At the press launch Hurley gave Rabbit a replica of the board he used to ride, shaped by Lee Stacey, so that when the waves are small Rabbit can ride it with his kids. Rabbit was chuffed.

The company’s focus is still on junior surfing. Presented by Nike 6.0, the Hurley Burleigh Pro Junior offers a total prize pool of US$50,000. It is twice as much as any other junior contest this year. In claiming the world’s richest junior surfing prize the investment into junior surfing has sparked industry interest.

Bob Hurley hopes the initiative will raise the profile of professional surfing to ensure the respect he thinks it deserves. As junior contenders define the sport for the future Bob Hurley, who flew out from his home in California, says he is happy to “take an active part in an investment towards the future…to make surfing better.”

“These guys are going to decide the sport for the next ten years…junior surfing is it… (The junior surfers) work hard and they deserve a continued elevated experience, elevated prize money,” says the founder of Hurley International.

Young surfers “stimulate us all to imagine what the future could be,” he says at the event’s launch. “We’re really inspired by the kids. We would like to help them with their dream and keep elevating everything…the future is all about the kids right? We just want to be a part of that,” the Californian continues.

It is a lucrative sport. “Surfing globally is a $25 billion business, whereas in the late 80’s it was probably a $1 billion dollar business …where’s all the money going? First priority should be the athletes who are growing your business,” points out Hurley himself.

Having visited the Gold Coast dozens of times the founder of Hurley International has a special regard for Burleigh and describes it as a “home away from home.” It is the first time in ten years that he has been back on the Gold Coast and the Californian was stoked.

“For me to drive up and see that (Hurley) sign on the headland, it’s amazing, really heart warming,” says Hurley.

“I love it (Burleigh Heads), and it hasn’t changed a ton. When you’re sitting over there you’ve gotta be thinking this is one of the best places in the world…right?”

The investment is in line with last year’s landmark decision by Hurley to offer US$100,000 first place prizes for the WQS six-star Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing and the ASP World Tour Hurley Pro.

Hurley boasts record first place prizes in these two WQS events. However, the total prize pool for each is $145,000, which is on par with all but one of the other 27 six-star WQS events (and $110,000 less than the equivalent woman’s WQS, mind). So what it comes down to is the amount Hurley awards specifically to the first place winner.

Keri and Pat

Celebrated Californian surfer Pat O’Connell (you’ve seen him in movies such as The Endless Summer II) is Hurley’s Vice President of sports marketing. He says that scattering the total prize pool through the whole pack of surfers instead of concentrating on the first prize “ultimately breeds a little bit of stagnation, everybody is just cruising because they’re all getting a couple of bucks.”

It makes sense. Who wouldn’t be hungry for a golden carrot?

“Ultimately the money will filter down,” asserts O’Connell.

“But for right now it’s important to put it at the top. Also, it’s like shooting a missile at the rest of the industry saying hey look we’re willing to put some money into the first prize, are you guys willing to step up and really put some more into it?” he asks.

But will the move create a mob of spoilt surfers? Not according to Barton Lynch, 1988 World Champion.

“I won the original pro junior in 1983 and got a trophy,” Lynch says laughing. “I think that if you’re a good surfer, a motivated kid you’re going to want to win whether it’s a trophy or 25 grand…really when push comes to shove,” he affirms.

“The money is going to help evolve their careers, create opportunities, set them up for life… 25 grand is a down payment on a house, mate. I think it’s a fantastic thing to do,” says Lynch.

“I think that a lot of us feel that the surfers more than anyone have been the underpaid element of the business…they are the whole culture of the business and it’s nice to see Hurley elevate it to the level it should be,” continues Lynch.

Economics aside, Lynch’s child like enthusiasm for the surfing is obvious. “I watch the aerial moves and I think it’s such a bummer that I’m never ever going to feel that! I’m never going to be able to actually experience it…it must just feel so incredible …to fly through the air and land clean into another turn!” he laughs.