You could say Kelly Slater feels pretty at home at our favorite Southern California cobblestone point break. He won his first event here over 21 years ago as a high schooler, and no one could have guessed that he would win 50 world tour events in the two decades following.
On that foggy Thursday morning, with 10,000 beautiful spectators enjoying the 4-6 foot south swell, my money was on Kelly from the start. His poise under pressure, ability to recover from mind-bending arial maneuvers, and overall command of that skatepark of a wave puts him ahead of even the most progressive of surfers 20 years younger. Sure, everyone saw Heitor Alves' rodeo flip on Sportscenter, and it was nothing short of amazing, but Slater's the whole package. Now just 6,000 tour points behind the lead, and looking very strong going in to the second half of the season, he is clearly hungry for world title number 12.
But what a spectacle Hurley puts on in the interest of brand promotion. The Hurley Pro Trestles rivals any other temporary major sporting event when it comes to sheer production value, short of Formula One racing. The digital coverage, aerial footage brought to you by remote control helicopter, a flawless live stream, and classic commentary from the likes of Benji Weatherly and (my favorite hometown hero) Rob Machado. Is it a clothing line, or something more? When a Volcom catamaran started patrolling the outside of the lineup, ruining the broadcasted shots, Hurley event organizers swiftly dispatched the San Clemente Lifeguard gunship to escort the intruder out of the contest zone. For some reason, the pirate ship wasn't an issue…
As usual though, the event was truly a pleasure to attend. After the marine layer burned off, tanned bodies in tiny bikinis (including Brazilian men, unfortunately) littered the shoreline in perfect 80 degree weather. If you've never seen this wave break, or been witness to a world tour event, it should rocket to the top of the bucket list. You're not getting any younger, but it looks like Kelly is…
