The Outsider: Private Dancer - Part One (an interview with Kelly Slater)
It's not everyday you get a lap dance from the King. While Taj and Adriano surfed the final of the Quiksilver Pro I had a chat to Kelly Slater about the state of the sport, the ASP, China and its attendant moral issues, plus the disconnect between pro surfers getting paid big bucks and an industry shedding jobs. I found the experience quite surreal.
Steve Shearer: You've been in the game for more than twenty years, what's your assessment of the current health of the sport? Kelly Slater: Well, the surfing's obviously always gunna evolve and be better every year. I think surfing has grown and grown in terms of the surf industry and the visibility of contests and the marketing of surfing, so it's more under the microscope. Pro surfing is only really as healthy as the businesses I guess and they've been struggling lately, but that's an economic factor that's totally out of surfing's hands.
S: There was a Dream Tour in place and then there was a perception that companies moved away from that to the big cities to colonise urban markets. Do you think they alienated a lot of the core fan base with that move? KS: No. Because when you talk about big cities you're talking about San Francisco which is The Search which goes to a different location every year. The New York event wasn't a replacement for any other event, it was an additional event and we've always had Rio, or Brazil. We lost Fiji because of certain sponsors. I don't know, certain companies are putting their focus into....Hurley/Nike are putting a lot of energy into the US Open and the Australian Open... [Taj catches a wave and Kelly loses track.] I think there's been certain circumstances: we still have Pipeline, Teahupoo. J-Bay I'd say we still have but it just comes down to a business thing for the company. It's not like they're trying to get away from it. Billabong's having troubles right now. Every spot can be great or terrible. I think people are just being critical and it's just something to either complain or write about to be honest.
S: As far as the ASP goes, it's lacking a CEO at the moment... KS: That'll save it money (laughs).
S: Well an organisation without a leader is seen as a ship without a rudder. KS: Well the ASP with a leader was seen that way. I don't know who that person is going to be but I don't think they should just grab the first person who comes along. You could easily argue it's better to wait until that right person comes along.
S: What would you like that CEO to bring to the ASP? KS: I think the CEO should be a business person first and a surfer second. Personally I think we need a CEO and we need a commissioner. And a commissioner is more the surf guy who relates to the business and the CEO is the business guy who can relate to the surfing.
S: So you think there should be a separate person with a strong vision who can sell the sport like Rabbit did? KS: Um...we also had a lot of complaints about Rabbit. We were unhappy, at one point the surfers wanted his head. But I think that problem was caused by Rabbit being put in a position where he was the business guy and the surfer guy.
I think a commissioner could almost be like a contest director for every event and more like a visionary.
S: Is there a sense that the sport needs some renewal, that a CEO should bring a new vision? KS: I think so. But there also seems to be a lot of expectation on that person. I don't know if you can make magic happen when the situation isn't ripe for it. When Rabbit came in surfing was growing in a certain way and there was that vision for the type of waves we wanted to surf, but also businesses were growing and there was a lot more money coming in. It wasn't that hard to take a vision and sprout it. Right now it's hard. There's not a person out there not complaining about the workplace and the money that's there.
Where'd all the money go? Not just in surfing but in the world. Seems all this money just disappeared.
S: It was all debt fuelled. KS. You can't have wealth without debt. You create money by creating debt at the exact same time. You can't have one without the other..
S: There's never been a time when the economy was based so much on debt as opposed to real 'things'. KS: Yeah, virtual. It was all virtual.
S: There was no basis to it. So when it all collapsed.....
[Taj catches a wave and falls. Slater groans: "Struggle Street".]
S: There's been a sense that the industry will try and colonise new markets and that will extend to pro surfing. We've already seen pro surfing move into China. What are your thoughts about pro surfing colonising China? KS: Colonising? That's a good word for it. You think we haven't been in China for the last 30 years making clothes?
S: True. It's been using China as a manufacturing hub but I mean in terms of getting access to Chinese consumers and turning people on to surfing. KS: Well, if it needs to do that it's already in too big of a bind. You shouldn't need to do that. Our world should be big enough as it grows organically by who's already attracted to surfing. If you can't make your numbers there what makes you think you can grow bigger and make your numbers?
S: Well there's a billion potential Chinese consumers. There's already been strong indications from certain companies that they want to move in that direction. KS: Well you start to get into this fight about what's a real culture and what's a manufactured thing that you're trying to create.
S: So, you've got reservations about it? KS: Well, not if the waves are good there. Some of the guys who went to that contest said they were getting three spitting barrels on one wave. If they have waves like that there then you can.... I mean surfing was brought to America, it was brought to Australia, it was brought to Europe. I don't think anyone's complaining about France being a manufactured surf place. When I first went to the Mentawaiis none of the locals surfed and now all the kids are getting out there. They see it and it looks fun and thats the organic growth of surfing.
S: As far as moving into China goes should pro surfing be mindful of ethical considerations in terms of human rights? KS: Well, those are human rights everyone should be aware of, not just surfing. But yeah, do you wanna go and create something in a place where there's major stuff happening that shouldn't be. What are those things? You have to bring those things to light through the media. That's your job buddy.
S: We saw Tom Carroll and Cheyne make statements about apartheid in South Africa. I wonder if there could be a place for pro surfing to make a statement, to be an agent of freedom, rather than just be used by, say, communist governments to make themselves look good. KS: Yeah. Ahhh...(long pause).
S: It's a big issue to think about. KS: Yeah, it's a big fish to fry for sure. It's obviously something to think about. I don't know. There's so much stuff happening with human rights in Africa that America does nothing about, but we go to Iraq
[Taj catches his winning wave and the crowd in the tent goes berserk...the idea is dropped].
S: We've spoken about the economy and the fact there's a lot of people doing it tough, what are the obligations for pro surfers to give value for companies considering this? KS: It's a good question, I mean when you go to work for the day what do you do to create your value? You have to think about what you're being paid for. Sometimes I wonder about what the actual value is of that. It's sort of an intangible thing. I think if you're not mindful of trying to create something positive, or valuable, or worthy for your bosses then you should get fired probably.
S: Or take a pay cut. KS: Or take a pay cut. Yeah.
S: As a working pro surfer whose competed most of his career and a Quiksilver stockholder do you look at other surfers and evaluate their value to the company? KS: Yeah, moreso with really young guys.
[Judges drop the Taj score. Slater calls it: "9.43 they gave it. De Souza needs a 6 something with 13 minutes remaining".]
S: For instance, do you look at Dane sometimes sitting at home doing this and that around Ventura and wonder if he's worth the money he's getting paid? KS: I think Dane probably thinks about it. Y'know, I don't think Dane's outta touch. He has a lotta friends who work everyday and don't make a lotta money. He's probably at the lucky end of an industry that's grown, he's become very famous whether he likes it or not. He's reaping the benefits of what that image creates. Who knows, Dane might figure out what he needs to live on and give the rest of his money away. You never know what he's going to do with what he has.
S: That'd be pretty rad if he did that. KS: That'd be rad if everyone did that.
S: Imagine Dane just wandering around like a Buddhist monk after having renounced money. It'd be incredible. KS: It does come back to people in lower classes or whatever having less money and billionaires making more and more.
S: This whole question of income inequality and the rich getting richer is a big issue, especially in America isn't it? KS: It is.
S: You wouldn't ordinarily associate surfing with that, but there it is. KS: All cultures are relative to themselves. It's sort of frowned upon in the surf culture to have a lot of money but most of the people I know who are surfers who have a lot of money take their friends on surf trips. I've got a friend who's one of the biggest hedge fund guys in the world and loves to surf. He has a private jet and all that stuff. I've never gone with him but he's taken lots of my friends on surf trips. He just loads up his plane with fuel and follows a hurricane or follow a swell to the Caribbean.
S: That's nice work when you can find it.
Comments
S: Well an organisation without a leader is seen as a ship without a rudder.
KS: Well the ASP with a leader was seen that way.
Somewhere in France Brodie Carr squirms in his seat.
Steve, in light of your question about the moral concerns of surfing-goes-to-china, I ask you:
How might we meaningfully differentiate the maneuvers of surfing's globalisation into assessable ethical categories?
For instance: hosting a contest in any country necessarily involves cooperating with that country's government. If that country violates the human rights of its people (eg. China; Mexico) or is in fact a military dictatorship (Fiji; Brazil until 1985), then are the companies that put on the contest more culpable than those that are selling clothes to a population? (They may be the same companies, but it is the specific actions that I'm interested in here).
I think it's not enough to bluntly ask "surfing's in China, is that bad?"
Hosting contests in any sort of country focuses more minds and eyeballs on said country than anything that any other organization could ever do.
Clue Clifton.
Or is he too busy running the bullshite on behalf of that load of fukal called, global warming!
Stiv, Looking forward to your questions asked of the champ on the subject of Brazilian style.
Now, Brazilians didn't invent surfing. And neither did the seppos, Aussies, or the Euros.
Still, everyone has their own personal take on it. Which is a valid as it ever was.
in light of this, here's a couple very stylish performances from a Brazilian bru, KaBASS.
&feature=related &feature=relatedGood questions TRZA....I hope from this interview with Slater to start a conversation like this that asks those ethical questions.
Did sporting boycotts of South Africa help end apartheid?
I'd reckon it was part of that process, certainly individual statements by Carroll and Horan raised awareness of the situation.
If Pro surfing marches blindly into these repressive situations without at least asking these questions (will this help or hinder the people in repressive situations), then I think it deserves whatever backlash it gets.
This is just the beginning of a conversation.
Ask him if he ever gets the irits with press conference questions. Twenty plus years of the same henhouse questions must drive him nuts.
-KS. You can't have wealth without debt. You create money by creating debt at the exact same time. You can't have one without the other...-
STUPIDEST THING I'VE READ IN 10 YEARS. !!!!!!!!!!
no wonder he can't work out where all the money went.
just as well the guy can surf.
what does kelly think about love? does love move him to surf? to surf professionally? where is the love. does his surfing express love? does his every breath? a love of life. does he love his fellow man and woman? does he love t.v.? the radio? his country? the world? the stars? everything. does he love earthworms? ostriches? surf journos? his dog. is he a backdoor man? what is a backdoor man. does he think it's possible for a woman to be in love with three men but bow down to no man? has he ever had sex with a man without loving him? what's his favorite love song? what's his karaoke number: a whole lotta love?
What makes love grow,
Can you tell me what makes love grow?
A smiling face and a helping hand,
the love of God makes love grow.
@ Steve
Nice work mate, looking forward to the rest of the interview
Well hang on SidtheFish...I'm interested to know where you stand regarding Newtons Laws of Motion whereby for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Is that too the most stupidest thing that you have read or maybe even heard of? Interesting parallels really - not that Slater is Newton.
And like you say, just as well the guy can surf. But you don't get to where Slaters been for being dumb. That's left to simpletons like me.
Adios.
"As long as we've had debt, there have been people who cannot manage it well".
BKS is right as rain, debt, for the most part, is good.
http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2009/03/zywicki_on_debt.html
And if you think that debt is a bad thing, you've never googled the term "debt rollover".
I'm sure BKS and his hedge fund friend have.
rolls - yank horseshit.
Debt is the thief of future prosperity.
as the world is finding out, and you yanks will find out BIGTIME.
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
if slater thinks DEBT is money, that explains why he accepted Quik stock as payment...how'd that work out.
sid, BKS knows all about divertifying assets. Doubt he has all of his crumbs in ZQK... an hey, i guess It could have been worse, he could have been paid in BBG script. ;-)
As to debt, there are two sides to every debt transaction. A lender and a borrower. with either side making the choice that the trade is in their own best interest...
As to sovereign nations, plenty of people on this globe still freely exchange their crumbs for debt.
After all, debt/the bond market, is the largest, most liquid market of them all. And will continue to stay large and liquid for many generations.
@Sid
Mate... I find your new Av to be.... Unsettling
hey these time pieces are cool....
wonder if one can get one on a wrist watch?
http://www.debtclock.com.au/
besides, Sid, a when viewing and or contemplating a nations debt is best when it's matched to not only it's income, and ability to service their debt, but it's assets as well!
yes, assets...
and it's always surprising when people quote and or look at just one side of a balance sheet.
I like a lot of your stuff Steve but that really was a huge bag of sh*t. "the current health of the sport" People go surfing Steve and thats it. Theres a difference between surfing and the business, surfing doesnt need the asp or the competition or any of the other shit for it to be healthy... surfing is just surfing.
fck all you ho's!
Ah, good on yer, Loofy, you joined up just to say "fck all you ho's". Deep. Thanks for sharin' and carin'.
Well said loofy.
Whaaaaaat, wants to get all deep on a KS interview!!! How deep do you have to dig to realise there aint much substance to the interview? I think Sid hit the nail on the head with the debt wealth spiel.. Lost me right there...
Business aint great, bye bye BBG, but surfing as most of us know it is pretty damn healthy....... Especially with Autumn and a new swell here in Sydney.. I'd say it's in fine form...
Well to be fair "whaaaat" "fck all you ho's" isnt all I said was it. needles to say, sorry if it offended but I think we both know it was just a throwaway jestful remark at the end of my statement for effect.
I remember Kelly was once asked "What do you want to be remembered for and he replied "That I gave everything to surfing and helped evolve the sport".
What does evolving the sport mean, helping to create a commercial premise for good surfers to make money out of mass marketing corporate companies whilst popularising a sport which unlike soccer for example does not benefit from more people doing it.
loofer,
now no one cares or comments on your free choices in life,...
it's just that some choose to make hay while the sun shines....
while other's, whether it's day or nite,.. just choose to burn hay...
have at it, bru.
Buddwa, ectshually, I wasn't getting nor have I any wish to get all deep on the RKS interview. Loofy, the point made in yer first para was as incontrovertible as it was unremarkable. Fair nuff and no probs at this end. It was just a bit unnecessary to add the second para, doncha reckon? Just trying to keep the conversation civil. After all, we've just seen off the Idiot Bunny and Stab Mag this ain't. Thought your second posting raised a good question, though.
rolls, you're talking out your bunghole.
there is very little diff between BBG script and ZQK script. or barely a buck. each is as financially sick as the other.
as for the bond market, its a ponzi scheme, US has been for years, Europe is from now on.
thats why Central Banks so called "assets" have blown out by the trillions and why they're printing money to do it.
you're fucking tripping if you think Tbonds are worth jackshit.
sid,.... i'm not recommending you go out and buy bonds at this time in space, i'm just stating the facts that the bond market is large and liquid... and it has handily beat the average stock indices for a few years now.
me? no bonds in the port... i'm not a coupon clipper... i choose to put more risk on, and own shares in actual companies that grow over time. or are about to turn their shitehouse business around.
i guess i get off on the pain.
&ob=av3eWas the song "Imagine" playing in the background during the interview?
Seems as if every time the Champ strays from the topic of surfing I start snoozin. Stick to cutbacks and barrels Bro and leave all the socialst dreams to the other liars in the Obama Administration.
Breaking News
Kelly Tweeted this tonight.... You read it first here... but is he serious??
Kelly Slater †@kellyslater
I'm officially retired. #PreTweet
@post-mark,... socialist dreams... good one, braddah.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/JB26Aa01.html
@surferjoe, noting that it's a hash tagged PRE TWEET, in other words, a twit joke,... did old Baldy mentioning offloading all his shares of ZQk before today's earnings "surprise"?...
or did he just get scalped?
@surferjoe, take this hint from George Lopez,...
Kelly ain't going nowheres.....
Kelly Slater is a person with an apparent 'superhuman' talent of riding waves. The proof is in the pudding cliche.
Obviously he loves surfing and has devoted his life to this wonderfully momentary buzz;nothing more. Simplicity.
Regarding evolution of the 'sport': new surfing tricks and tactics, equipment testing, marketing of his sponsors brand and making cash are the modern ethos;make a living from what you love and are good at.
There are many people doing much more interesting and valuable things in their professional life but give me one day of his life away from a contest free surfing....
Question for Kelly, what is life after the pro circuit? What can you achieve?
nice little read. for all those voices on here saying debt is bad... have you ever bought a car? or house? unless you paid cash for it out-right; you bought it on credit (i.e. debt). and I will bet that most people's lives improved with a car or home (unless you bought your home when the market sucked AND used it as an ATM to get "fast" cash from the equity/or were in a car accident). I would love to hear some points of view on this little tid-bit...
Debt works well for debtors in inflationary times. (Not as well for lenders though).
And just the reverse, during a deflation, being a big debtor is a big ass no no.
For the many who've found this out the hard way, that's the way the cookie crumbles.
And those with the liquidity and foresight will always be there, picking up your crumbs.
not only am i on a roll,...
i'm on a motherfucking bike.
Yew!
http://motherfuckingbike.com/
@roller
add me on fb roller, I cant friend coz fb suspended me for friending people I don't know??
Roller I have had sessions with your addiction expert in Canada (no shit reallllly) but on your bike man that is out of here
Roller I have had sessions with your addiction expert in Canada (no shit reallllly) but on your bike man that is out of here
@idiot, which Canadian bush doctor are you speaking of, mate?