Never Forget That Time Kelly Slater Featured in an Apple Ad

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“It’s just some really basic surf stuff.” Kelly Slater is a basic bitch. He said so himself! Why are we on this Apple ad from 2002 (when Kelly still had hair…sort of)? Last night, the King got barreled in front of 122 million-plus chest-thumping football fans, making for his simultaneously most-watched barrel EVER. And with an estimated $4.5 million spent per 30 second commercial spot, that might also be the most lucrative tenth of a second barrel as well.

Anyway, all of this got me thinking about how Kelly Slater has long capitalized on his widespread popularity — such as the Errol Morris-directed Switch campaign in support of Steve Jobs’ black turtleneck fetish. And he was in good company. From Tony Hawk and his kid Riley…

…to Will Ferrell…

…and even De La Soul. DE LA SOUL!

The best/coolest part is that aside from that whole Baywatch incident, he has capitalized on his widespread popularity in stride.

Even today.

For the past year, I've been working with @PBTeen on a line of eco-friendly furniture and bedroom basics for kids (and adults!?). The line is crafted from sustainable materials, recycled fabrics and 100 percent organic cotton. I'm actually blown away at the depth of work that went into this project by #PBTeen. Their level of commitment to creating products the right way has been nothing short of amazing. I know people these days like to be skeptical of large brands and poke holes in their processes but these guys have done such an incredible job. It's good to be proud of what you do and awesome to be able to trust those you work with to make great decisions and products. Thank you to #PBTeen for choosing me to collaborate with. I'm extremely happy with the end result and honored to be part of the family. We recently shot an ad campaign at my place in Hawaii with a few of my friend's and neighbor's kids which will be released in the coming weeks and months. The line is set to hit stores early April.

A photo posted by Kelly Slater (@kellyslater) on Jan 29, 2015 at 10:40am PST

Yep, Kelly Slater does what Kelly Slater wants.