EXCLUSIVE KELLY SLATER INTERVIEW
by Brendon Bosworth
SurferMag.com Correspondent

Kelly, many of our readers are interested in the boards you've been riding this year.   We've seen you riding some smaller, interesting sticks?

I've been riding a lot of swallow tails, but I ride a round tail out here at J-Bay. 5'10 swallow tails. I've been trying to shorten my boards. I think everyone's riding boards that are too long for the pocket of the wave, especially in smaller waves. The rocker won't fit once you get over a certain size. Six foot and bigger is probably too long for spots like the Gold Coast. Bells is ok because it's a longer, more facey wave. When you have a really bowley wave you want a smaller board. My idea is to try and fit the curves into the pocket of the wave as tight as possible.

I was chatting with Shaun Thomson the other day; we were discussing icons of the surfing fraternity. He says you are one of the greatest thinkers of the sport. I think you come across in the press as very intelligent, quite analytical at times, really in tune with what you're doing. How would you respond to that?

Well, I think just the idea of being an intelligent person is a good goal. Forget surfing; surfing just reveals your choices, you know. Everyone has an opportunity to get educated and be wise in life. I was actually watching a show last night; they were saying you can teach a kid all they need to know to be a genius by age six. It was really interesting. I believe that intelligence, well the health of a person, their brain and everything, starts as soon as the egg is fertilized. Yeah, it's nice to think that you're thought of in an intelligent manner, you know.

I suppose surfers have been renowned for not being the smartest of humans. Smoking too much weed, drinking too much beer, doing too many drugs. The choices of the past probably haven't been the best, but I think we're smartening up quite a bit. It's much easier to be a good surfer if you use your intelligence wisely.   

I've heard that you don't free surf that much anymore. Some people have been telling me you don't even surf between contests. How much truth is there in this?

I go through stages. I'll take four or five, maybe six, weeks off, where I literally won't surf once.  Then I'll surf everyday for a few weeks. I don't know, sometimes I'll show up at a contest and I haven't set foot on a board in three weeks. I've been surfing long enough that by the time I do my first bottom turn I should know where to put my weight.