"I think it would've been nice if Elko had won a title." - Kelly Slater

SURFING: What do you think ya'll's legacy will be in 20 years?

Kelly: Umm. Gosh. I'm not exactly sure. I think with Rob and I -- that moment with the high-five -- that really kind of symbolized us and a lot of our generation because it showed that there's a human element -- that we're not zombies out there -- because you could see how much we loved what we were doing right there. And that bridged a gap in some way between competitive and soul surfing for us. You know, when we came along, there was a huge outcry of surfing getting to corporate and I did Baywatch and there was all this fear of what was going to happen to surfing. I think we made our best attempts -- at least I felt like I did -- to try -- not even to try, but just to show -- how much I loved what I was doing.

SURFING: It's funny. Talking to all these different legends from the past, it's almost as if they're still competing -- not just with each other, but against the different generations as well. Guys will say things like, "well, of course we didn’t have today's boards…" Do you think in 20 years you'll still be trying to prove yourself?

Kelly: I'm sure that as you get older, you want to know what your body would've been doing when you were younger on the most advanced stuff. And we're all going to spend the rest of our lives living with some fantasies in a way -- every one of us-- whether it's about your surfing hay day or whatever it is. I feel like I've put so much time and effort into competitive surfing that when I'm done, I don’t think I'll be wondering so much, "What if I'd done this or that?" But on some level, we all have that: I wonder what would happen if I had gotten a 10 in the final at Pipe last year and I would've won that final and I would've been champ. But that's stuff you can't control. You just accept and move on. But I don't think that my generations' going to have to worry like, "What if we would have had these boards."

SURFING: Yeah, you guys certainly don't suffer in terms of equipment.

Kelly: No. [laughs]

SURFING: When you look past the Andy, CJ, Coolie School crew, who do you see coming up?

Kelly: Umm. That's hard to say. Where does the next generation start? Is Timmy Reyes part of the next one? This one? Maybe the next one's 15. But everyone's looking. Like Jon Jon's kind of the face of his generation already. But it's another eight to ten years 'til they're on tour so you never know. David Eggers was the man at 13. And the guys on tour now probably never heard his name. So you gotta hope that the guys have good guidance from their families. And then a lot of times you have guys who peak at a young age and don't advance past that for some reason.

SURFING: Do you think there's something to be said for the group push theory: that it takes more than one talent to make a difference. It seems like the guys who come along on each side of generation don't have the ability to push along and maintain the momentum -- pardon the expression.

Kelly: It definitely seems like there are gaps, where it kind of backs off. It's just a natural cycle. There's probably a group mind there feeding off each other the right way that helps create those levels that surge so it's just natural that people have to sit back and observe what's happening for them to change it. Everything in nature works in wavelengths or cycles.

SURFING: It's weird, for all the talent in your group, Derek Ho won the title between your first and second. It wasn't someone from your generation. Does that surprise you? Does it piss you off?

Kelly: No. Not at all. But I think it would've been nice if Elko had won a title. Because he was right there. Or even Cheyne Horan. Had either of them won a world title it would've been really deserving, although at the time I remember thinking, "I don't want Elko to win." [laughs] Because he was so anti-my-generation. He was so vocally oppressing us that part of me was so out to stop him. Whereas, had he been supportive of the younger group, we probably all would've fully backed him and been like "He's the man." He may have even won a title.

SURFING: But do you think any generation looks at the crowd coming up and says, "I hope the next guys kick ass." Do you think you're supportive of the next generation? Or is it your turn to provide the pressure?

Kelly: I think I've been pretty supportive of 'em, actually. And it's definitely a hard thing to get your head around. It can be tough enough to support your best friends, even more to support a totally different generation. My hope, my goal -- you know, I really want to have a positive effect on surfing. I think it's my duty and my obligation to help the guys after me. I know Curren helped me. And that was huge. And there's really nothing good, in the long run, that comes out of trying to oppress people.

SURFING: Tom Carroll said the same thing. When Occy and Curren came up, it was really hard for him to get his head around the concept of having to change what you do. And he definitely seems less bitter about how things turned out because even if he never won another title, he rose to the occasion and stayed in the thick of it.

Kelly: That's probably the biggest thing: when there's a generational change, there's a change in the way things are done. And people who are stuck in their ways and don’t want to see change are the first ones to be vocal about it. And I feel totally supportive because I'm still trying to take my surfing to different levels and that's exciting for me. Because, honestly, there were times when I first got on tour that I was bored with the level of surfing. And I'd much rather be getting my ass kicked than being bored.

 

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		THE BEST WAVES! THE BEST SURFERS! THE BEST PHOTOS! AND NOW THE BEST DEAL: SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND GET 1 YEAR OF SURFING MAGAZINE FOR ONLY $12.00! Take advantage of this special offer-act now! GIVE A GIFT
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