SURFING NEWS - From a top-secret wavepool to tight-lipped plans for his future competitive career, the enigma of Kelly Slater has developed into an impenetrable bomb shelter.
But we’ve been granted a key, a high-level security clearance to bypass the laser beams and booby-traps through a new docu-series called “Continuance.”
The show follows Slater beyond the post-heat interviews and into his home(s), into the experimental shaping bay sessions with Daniel “Tomo” Thomson, and, most importantly, into his psyche.
It’s a rare, candid look at the man behind the trophies, hearkening back to the 2005 documentary, “Letting Go.” But this is current Slater, matured, the eldest man on tour, with the one thing everyone wants (a perfect wave in his back pocket), and the burden that nobody desires (an expiration date on his days as a fulltime competitor). It’s the portrait of an aging king, on the verge of conceding his empire to the next generation. But not before a couple more battles.
In the first episode, we see Slater at the start of his so-called swansong – though he might tell you differently – at Snapper Rocks where, you’ll remember, he was dethroned by Brazil’s young prince, Gabriel Medina, in the quarters.
That, followed by two Round 3 finishes at Bells and Margarets, then a sabbatical for Brazil, wasn’t the ideal start to a world championship year. But as the series' title suggests, he’s still moving forward. We caught up with Slater to hear about the project.
