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The Indies Trader is a
sight in itself. Just the paint job is enough
to attract more stares than a hot dog on
wheels. |
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When the greatest surfer the world
has ever seen steps onboard, people start
clambering for a peek like the rednecks at a
bikini contest. People mysteriously appear
from the bushes, gawking as if he were an
alien. Still, Kelly Slater finds peace of
mind on the Crossing. The water barrier
serves as a moat between him and whatever
pressure might be weighing on his square
shoulders. It takes him back, even to before
he was The Champ, when he was nothing more
than a sunburned grommie on Cocoa Beach with
a love for the sea, surfing, fishing, diving,
and being. That passion is what makes Kelly
tick its what makes the Crossing tick. It's
what makes us all tick.
...Jason Borte.
How many
nights do you think you've spent
on the Indies Trader since the
Crossing began?
Maybe 50. My
brother Stephen's been on there a
bunch, probably more than me. And
Jimmy Rotherham from El Salvador,
too.
What's your
favorite spot on the boat just for
hanging out?
Probably on the
very top deck above the captain's
room. It's great to just kick back
up there, have a drink and check
out the view.
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Champ
on board.
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Jimmy
helping out in the galley.
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How many times
have you leaned over the bow and
yelled, "I'm the king of the
world?"
Never, but I saw Peter Mel do it
once. I took a picture of it and
it was in Surfing Mag. He got
worked.
Do you consider yourself a
good shipmate?
Ummm, I guess so. I enjoy fishing
and diving and surfing. I pretty
much keep to myself a lot. I guess
I could help out more. I think
about that. Deckhands do so much
work, stuff we don't even realize.
I learned a lot from Jimmy (Rotherham).
He was always helping out.
Did his work
ethic inspire you to do your
dishes?
Yes, he did. It's enough when
you see how much work the
deckhands are doing. It makes
things a little easier for them to
clean up after yourself.
Why don't they allow your video
game on board?
They wont? I don't think they have
a PlayStation on there. I think
they don't want people sitting
inside playing video games all
day. It would defeat the purpose
of the boat. I try to go on board
with as little as I can.
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What are some
essentials?
I always take my computer, for music and
stuff. Video camera. It's always good to
take some extra snacks. When it's flat
for a few days, you can get really
bored. Mixed nuts don't cut it. You
gotta have a little backup, but don't
let anybody know unless you bring enough
for everyone.
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Do things get
competitive onboard when there's no
surf?
A couple years ago we did a thing to see
who could carry a boulder the farthest
underwater. It was me. Jack Johnson,
Chris Malloy, Hans Hagen and Luke Munro.
Mostly, everyone's just trying to get in
the water one way or another, trying to
free-dive, and a lot of fishing.
Do you still hold a
record fish?
I have the biggest big-eye tuna, 39
pounds. Shane Dorian and I had a double
hookup. His was 36, and mine was 39.
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Kelly
at the board of records
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When you're just strumming on the boat,
have you ever sung Christopher Cross'
"Sailing?"
You know, "Sail-ing, takes me to
where I've always heard if could be,
just a dream and the wind to carry me,
and soon I will be free."
(sarcastically) Oh yes, of course.
Do you take a guitar
with you?
I usually just take my ukulele.
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Kelly
jammin with Tom Curren.
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Did you at any time become mesmerize
with a sunset and vow to quit surfing
and buy a shrimp boat?
(laughs) No, I never wanted to buy a
shrimp boat, but I have wanted to go
home and buy a boat just for fishing. I
don't get enough time to go home and
clean my house though, much less
anything like that.
What is it about
being on a boat and having realizations?
I can get on a boat and have a bunch of
stuff in my head. Pretty soon things
just start falling away. I just find
myself thinking more clearly and you
just tend to have clear thoughts. You
realize that you could just lose
everything else in your life and be on
that boat you'd be fine. Things we find
difficult in everyday life tend to be
forgotten after a few days. You get in a
routine, visit the islands, meet some
people, do some fishing, dive at a reef.
When that's all your worried about,
everything gets much clearer.
What does the
Crossing do best?
Maybe connecting surfers into more
of a global knowledge. I was talking
with the captain about how it's becoming
easier to look at a map and judge
whether there are good waves in a
certain place. The captain was telling
me how he's starting to correlate reef
depths and swell and wind directions and
judging potential for surf in different
areas. It's given me more of an
understanding for surf discovery. A lot
of places only happen a few days a year,
and you really have to be at the right
place at the right time.
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Kelly
enjoying his birthday!
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If the Crossing
were to end today, what would be your
fondest memory of it?
Probably my birthday this year. We had
great surf. It was a day that was a good
example of what the Crossing was all
about - good surfing, diving, fishing.
Really? I heard
you slept most of the day and everyone
was afraid to wake you up.
I woke up around ten. I missed the
morning session, but as soon as everyone
came in, I got two hours to myself out
there. We took turns all day. They'd
surf for a couple of hours. Then I
would. I'm pretty sure I got the best
tides.
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Will the
Crossing fit in surf history?
It will for sure. Bruce Raymond
was talking about putting the boat
in a Marine museum in Australia.
It's already happening. It's
opening up a lot of accessibility
to surf. It was the first boat to
open the Mentawais. Some will view
it as a bad thing. Others see it
as a great thing. But all the
spots they find, they try to keep
them a mystery. They try to keep
quiet.
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