Has the King lost perspective?
I read the interview TLC and didn't really think much of it at the time. And really, I still don't. I think it was just a throwaway comment to show the effort involved in preparing his other board. You might be reading too much into it.
Slater has admitted before how much he likes to perform for a crowd, but then I've also read of many instances where he has been caught surfing alone, or well away from crowds and cameras. Surfing just for his own sake. I wouldn't judge his whole act on one stray comment.
It just struck me as a strange thing to worry about after the sea sickness etc, and having waited 10 years to surf there. But I guess you need to keep the sponsors happy.
I would hope that he does manage to get away from crowds and cameramen sometimes, but it must be hard with such a high profile.
As bad as it reads to non-pros - who thinks about stickers before they go surfing? - it's really not an uncommon thought for those that are paid to surf. It is a job after all, and if they do their job well then they'll get to surf far more than us non-pros ever will.
cameras everywhere he goes, sponsors would make sure he has stickers on at all times I spose, goes with the territory for him. It would suck.
Through being a member of Tracks online forums etc, I receive a weekly online mag update called "The Rouge Bugle", maybe I am old and out of touch, but I have no idea what that name refers to.
But that's not the point I want to make. In the last edition there is a short interview with Kelly Slater on his first session at Shipsterns. In it he describes how he had to change boards for whatever reason.
He goes onto say how much hassle it was to change and "my board was under all the other boards, and it doesn’t have any fins wax or logos or anything".
I can understand you might be a bit worried about control without fins or wax, but how can anyone possibly surf without logos?
Which begs the question, if a pro surfs without being in front of a camera, did he really surf at all?