Kelly Slater's Portuguese 720 (or maybe 540?) - video

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Swellnet Dispatch

Yesterday, during a layday freesurf at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal Kelly Slater landed a 720. There may be arguments over how many degrees were rotated in the air, but very few people have landed them and none have been 42 years of age.

And another angle:

Comments

rat-race's picture
rat-race's picture
rat-race Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 8:03am

pft...
Do em in me sleep.

(now to transfer that to when I'm not sleeping...)

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 8:14am

Do other guys pull these?

Dudes super human he is 42 for gods sake, its a lay day, just look after yourself Kelly.

I wonder how much of his ability to keep doing this stuff is how he has looked after his body and mind, i remember back in the 90,s in the Sarge scrap book era, when it seemed all the pros partied as hard as they surfed, while Kelly seemed so far ahead with a more professional approach and use to get dissed for not partying and drinking.

blasphemy-rottmouth's picture
blasphemy-rottmouth's picture
blasphemy-rottmouth Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 1:56pm

I am no expert, but according to Todd Richards and several Santa Cruz locals I know, guys were landing the 540 fifteen years ago. But nothing this clean. Calling it a 720 is a bit of a stretch if you watch in slow-mo with the spinning like Doc 360 in the white wash.

Nonetheless, as someone said earlier, it was amazing. And like almost everything amazing in surfing, it happened on a lay day. The King still has it.

Like watching Lance Armstrong pushing the bar year after amazing year in the Pyranees.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 3:13pm

540, 630, 720, i guess its all how you look at it.

I liked Kellys response when asked what he calls it, "an Ariel" he is smart, he knew what people would say. BTW. how stoked was he, he was frothing like a grommet.

silicun's picture
silicun's picture
silicun Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 8:50pm

Comparing Slats to Lance Armstrong....blasphemy!! If by 'the bar' you mean drugs then yes, Lance was pushing 'the bar' year after year.

Bob's 2 Bob's's picture
Bob's 2 Bob's's picture
Bob's 2 Bob's Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 3:34pm

we're lucky to have bunny boy who has the local connections from SC. he's so connected!

inzider's picture
inzider's picture
inzider Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 6:39pm

Technically speaking for a 720 the rotation needs to happen before landing, if that was a skateboard it would have been called a frontside 540 revert, As surfers have a proud history of re naming moves done decades ago by skaters it would probably be called a slaterair reverse or something equally as lame.
How ever , pretty fuckn radical to be stomping that shit on a large hunk of foam. Respect.

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 6:55pm

Is kelly using a five finner ?

Dmon's picture
Dmon's picture
Dmon Sunday, 19 Oct 2014 at 12:49pm
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Monday, 20 Oct 2014 at 4:48pm

I saw a pic that showed he had a little red nubster there that was suppose to be from the same day, but in the surfermag article its not in there

ACB__'s picture
ACB__'s picture
ACB__ Monday, 20 Oct 2014 at 9:46am

I can't believe there is no tail pad!?

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 7:01pm

Do you like that move Madina..........and no claim !

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 7:19pm

Looks like a five finner Caml.

uplift's picture
uplift's picture
uplift Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 7:35pm

'and no claim !'

Almost, but the nose wipe is classic no claim claim.

Bob's 2 Bob's's picture
Bob's 2 Bob's's picture
Bob's 2 Bob's Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 7:54pm

i wonder if bunnyboy is also a LOCAL - or is he just connected to the local brigade?

mothart's picture
mothart's picture
mothart Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 9:50pm

I'm with EnZeder, 540 revert...
Super dopper sick, not many have been pulled.

(how many 180 reverts have been called 360 airs over the years?)

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 9:52pm

Wheres jjf , did kelly just call him out ? Wasnt he surfing windy 15ft peaks

mothart's picture
mothart's picture
mothart Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 9:55pm

Come to think of it, have any 540s been documented reverse..?
think I've seen an ally 540, but can't keep up with that when the most progressive move I can do is a rebound on a cutback.

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 10:03pm

Albee layer does em a bit diffrent

poo-man's picture
poo-man's picture
poo-man Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 10:10pm

Wow that was awesome! I just love the way he was messing with JJ but he's also subtlety messing with Medina. If that is the new benchmark in a comp then he's just downgraded Medinas airs to 6s or 7s. What a way to spice up the title race! KS may well lose the race this year but I'm thinking he's lost a bunch of heats along the way that were pretty marginal and at 42 is there anyone better than him allround?

mothart's picture
mothart's picture
mothart Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 10:19pm

Reckon you're right poo man, calling jjf out as a mate, and putting the wind up gabby... He wasn't asking 'where's gabby?
Jedi mind tricks at their best.

inzider's picture
inzider's picture
inzider Saturday, 18 Oct 2014 at 10:41pm

JJF has the best air game hands down in my opinion, technically superior and in a league of his own really. For KS to keep his own progression going like this at his age is epic though. Inspirational.

grog-an's picture
grog-an's picture
grog-an Sunday, 19 Oct 2014 at 1:58pm

Yeah but imagine how much better he would be if he was 120kg!!

inzider's picture
inzider's picture
inzider Sunday, 19 Oct 2014 at 3:21pm

Dont wake the beast grogan

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Monday, 20 Oct 2014 at 3:11pm

Thanks for link about what kelly rode . 4 fins no knub apparently . Rather large rear quads too and most interesting of all no grip pad . Remember curren in the early 90s didnt have pad so i havent used em either since then . But kelly , he owns grip pad company right ? & wax too probly

kerry1's picture
kerry1's picture
kerry1 Wednesday, 22 Oct 2014 at 10:13pm

I have never seen any other surfer do this and complete the aerial. It's a first and who done it none other than the man himself KELLY SLATER at 42. Look at it and weep grommet aerial addicts.