Kelly Slater and Shane Dorian were 12 years old the first time they surfed against each other in a heat — 38 years ago. It’s pretty great that they’re still finding ways to go at it almost four decades later. Less than a week after a 50-year-old Slater surfed his way to a semifinal result in the Championship Tour’s Outerknown Tahiti Pro at Teahupo’o, Kelly jammed over to the Maldives to compete against old friends in the 2022 Four Seasons Surfing Championship Trophy.
Dubbed the world’s most luxurious surfing event, the contest is also one of the sport’s most unique. It brings together some fan favorites and pits them against one another in separate single fin, twin fin, and thruster events, with this year’s contest lineup turning into a Momentum Generation all-star team: Slater, Dorian, Rob Machado, Ross Williams, and Taylor Knox. Hussain “Iboo” Areef also competed as a local Maldives wildcard.
Slater took the win in the single fin event and even used the experience to point out learning a new thing or two about his own wave riding progression.
“I feel like I learned a lot about how to place my turns better and more subtly, and not try to force things,” he says. “Whereas on a high-performance board you’re always trying to force the most radical change of direction you can. I think a single fin is great for your style and flow.”
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The competitive aspect wasn’t lost on the competitors and old friends either. Or at least how much competitive fire Kelly continues to bring anytime he puts a jersey on.
“I think Kelly underestimates his — or downplays his resting competitive level,” Dorian points out. “He’s still on the World Tour, like right this second. (He was) literally in Tahiti last week surfing against 25-year-olds.”
“Dude, I haven’t surfed a heat in like four days,” Slater says.
Touché.
