A random selection of headlines from the last three days:

'Age Means nothing to Slater' – Sydney Morning Herald 'Kelly Slater aims to win a record fifth Bells title' – Herald Sun 'Slater ready for marathon-like Bells' - ABC Online 'Kelly Slater begins Bells Beach Rip Curl Pro classic defence in 2m waves' – The Australian

On Monday, following the Rip Curl Pro press conference, the ASP issued a press release with a lone photo of Kelly Slater. There were other surfers present and, being the 50th year and all, plenty of other stories to tell.

Following yesterday's Round 1 competition, a round that Parko top scored, the ASP again issued a press release featuring info and a photo of R.K. Slater. The media responded in kind with multiple Kelly stories.

Two years after he tried to tear down the ASP citadel with his Rebel Tour the governing body insist on giving Slater the priority service, and by repeatedly singling him out the ASP aren't future proofing themselves for the day that Slater retires. Who's there to fill the role? Don't ask Joe Public, Kelly Slater is the only surfer he knows.

It's a bit of a chicken and egg thing: Slater makes the news so the ASP reports it, the ASP reports it because Slater makes the news. Except what they report is not the whole news, yet the ASP keeps throwing all it's eggs in the one basket.

The more the ASP bangs Slater's drum the more resounding will be the silence when he calls it quits.