Kelly Slater has accomplished a lot in his 48 years on this earth. Acting, modeling, activism, and of course those 11 world titles, to name a few. He does it all with a sort of singular determination to be the best at what he does, and for the most part, it works. His mind is clear and his body is unencumbered. Last year, he explained why that is with Natural High, a drug prevention nonprofit foundation.
Natural High has made quite a few of these campaigns. They’re pointed at the youth, mainly, and they employ people like Slater, Tony Hawk, and Bethany Hamilton to espouse the benefits of living a life free from drugs and alcohol. They engage influencers, educators, and peer groups “to help young people discover those core activities in their lives that uplift, inspire, and motivate them — to find their ‘Natural High’ rather than use alcohol or drugs.”
Slater’s mother told him when he was very young that drinking to excess is not the path to success. “She was like, ‘Look around you,” Slater remembered. “She said ‘I’ll be surprised if you ever see anyone who’s successful who’s an alcoholic or does drugs. It just doesn’t lead anywhere good. Put your energy into what you love.'” That stuck in Slater’s head and he’s lived his life sober.
“The equation is easy,” he says. “If you think drugs and alcohol are going to help you get better at what you do, good luck… but it’s not going to happen.”
