Slater in the moment

So the Prince of Poontang is a huge Southern Rock fan. Being born in the south gives him that right. Kelly will proudly tell you that he has seen every major Southern Rock band perform at least once. Kelly literally grew up around this music. His father was a roadie with the band Blackfoot who had the hit song ‘Train Train’. Hell, Slater even saw the original Lynyrd Skynyrd band perform at age 3 ½, one year before Skynyrd’s tragic plane crash.

With all of the lay days over the last couple of events, Kelly hasn’t let the time go by just sitting around drinking it up with Mick, err I mean Eugene. He is planning and plotting the next moves of the Rebel Tour.

Does Slater even care about the ASP anymore? He is being fairly quiet at the moment. Yes, he did surf the Billabong Pro in Mundaka. Even with a banged up knee, he still pulls a 3rd. Kelly is 37 years old and can still hang with the elder groms. When I was 37, I was… Shit, I can’t remember last week let alone when I was 37…

Is Slater just going through the motions to finish this season? Where is his focus right now? Rebel Tour? Does his sit in his room late at night studying Nielsen ratings trying to figure out the best timeslots for ESPN broadcasts? Is he reading Advertising Age to develop a better understanding of commercials and their financial power? Is he sketching out the new Rebel Tour logo? Maybe he will come up with a logo that actually has a little life to it.

Kelly working on Rebel Tour Theme Song with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder

Maybe Kelly is strumming away on the guitar working on songs. With a lack of song writing talents, he decides to re-word current songs. Eddie Vedder can help him with the Rebel Tour theme song. Kelly’s favorite band is Molly Hatchet. His favorite Hatchet song is their smash hit, ‘Flirtin’ with Disaster’. So they dream up this ditty in tune of G Major…

I’m paddlin’ down for the wave,
I’m rippin’ with disaster.
I’ve got the wax on the board,
And the sets are running faster.
I’ve got lots of sponsors, I’ve gots lots of money,
It looks like self preservation.
Well how much money can I make,
With all of this advertising…

Maybe it’s a farewell song that they are working on? Could it go something like this? Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Freebird tune in the key of A Minor…

If I leave the ASP tomorrow
Would you still surf with me?
For I must be paddling on now,
‘Cause the ASP has gotten to small for me.
But, if I stayed here with you, Mick,
Things just couldn’t be the same.
‘Cause I’m as free as Machado now,
And this bird you can not change.
Bruce Irons knows, I can’t change…

Well with that, maybe Kelly should just stick with surfing…

Kelly Slater

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