Stab Magazine | Kelly Slater, mock serious claim, Micronesia

Live Now — Episode 3 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

213 Views

Kelly Slater, mock serious claim, Micronesia

So here we see Slater claiming a six-foot barrel to his pals Ross Williams and bodysurfer Mark Cunningham. But, he ain’t serious! But he is! “Kelly got one of the best barrels of his life, and it was the best barrel I’ve ever seen, and he’d just kicked out,” says Morgan Maassen. “He doesn’t claim waves but at the same time he was so pumped and he knew we were right there so he humorously claimed it.” The back story to this trip is, two days before, Maassen had just arrived from Hawaii to his home in Santa Babs California when Kelly called. Told him a particularly fine righthander in Micronesia was probably going to be on. This was eight pm. I’ll call you back at midnight to let you know if it’s on, he says. At midnight the button was pushed and Morgan dropped five-grand (“the most I’ve ever spent on airfares”) for the three flights to Micronesia, a 35-hour journey. And we ain’t done yet. Kelly chartered a private plane for the final leg and they arrived on the island’s coral airstrip to be greeted by the famous boat skipper Martin Daly and his just-as-famous boat The Indies Trader. The wave? A spinning righthander in the clearest water in the world. Six to eight feet. Kelly. Ross. Mark riding with fins. For Kelly it was kinda emotional to be back with his ol pal Martin and his regular buddies Mark and Ross. Pals and an absence of internet or telephone reception and you have the recipe for a very certain type of bliss. “Kelly was about as happy as he could be, happy as I’ve ever seen him,” says Morgan. “At first he was a bit freaked out about not having cell service, not talking to his girlfriend, but overall it was like a spiritual experience not having to deal with phone calls or texting or emails.”

full frame // Mar 8, 2016
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

So here we see Slater claiming a six-foot barrel to his pals Ross Williams and bodysurfer Mark Cunningham. But, he ain’t serious! But he is! “Kelly got one of the best barrels of his life, and it was the best barrel I’ve ever seen, and he’d just kicked out,” says Morgan Maassen. “He doesn’t claim waves but at the same time he was so pumped and he knew we were right there so he humorously claimed it.”

The back story to this trip is, two days before, Maassen had just arrived from Hawaii to his home in Santa Babs California when Kelly called. Told him a particularly fine righthander in Micronesia was probably going to be on. This was eight pm. I’ll call you back at midnight to let you know if it’s on, he says. At midnight the button was pushed and Morgan dropped five-grand (“the most I’ve ever spent on airfares”) for the three flights to Micronesia, a 35-hour journey. And we ain’t done yet. Kelly chartered a private plane for the final leg and they arrived on the island’s coral airstrip to be greeted by the famous boat skipper Martin Daly and his just-as-famous boat The Indies Trader. The wave? A spinning righthander in the clearest water in the world. Six to eight feet. Kelly. Ross. Mark riding with fins. For Kelly it was kinda emotional to be back with his ol pal Martin and his regular buddies Mark and Ross. Pals and an absence of internet or telephone reception and you have the recipe for a very certain type of bliss. “Kelly was about as happy as he could be, happy as I’ve ever seen him,” says Morgan. “At first he was a bit freaked out about not having cell service, not talking to his girlfriend, but overall it was like a spiritual experience not having to deal with phone calls or texting or emails.”

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Matty McG Skydives Into CT Heat, But Jordy’s Still The Main Event

A full day of heats at J-Bay, and only one shark warning.

Jul 12, 2025

Controversial Opinion: No One Needs To Yoga In Boardshorts

12 Trunks for the traditionalist.

Jul 12, 2025

Correction: J-Bay All Foreplay, No Climax

Slim pickings on Day 1 of the Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025.

Jul 11, 2025

What Do Hollywood, Surf Lessons, Michael Jackson And Traction Pads Have In Common?

A Stab Interview with Teva Dexter, the man behind surfing's hardest new hardware brand —…

Jul 10, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

"The tribe has spoken," Dane Reynolds pronounced, and a surfer's torch was snuffed.

Jul 10, 2025

How Josh Ku Nearly Died Trying To Cross From Ulus to G Land by Hydrofoil

“If someone finds me dead at least they can find my phone and know what…

Jul 10, 2025

Expect No Kiss, All Climax At The “World’s Most Perfect Pointbreak”

A Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025 preview.

Jul 9, 2025

SEOTY: Liam O’Brien stars in ‘Friction of Perception’

"Hopefully I don’t come across like too much of a peanut."

Jul 8, 2025

10 Shapers To Watch In The Next 10 Years — Part One

“It’s like a drug empire, man. Cut the head off the snakes, and more will…

Jul 7, 2025

Mason Ho Joins Ritual Vision, Releases Remix Of Greatest Hits

Dion Agius riffs on the eyewear brand’s U.S. expansion, Ritualistic Tendencies, and the new stars…

Jul 7, 2025

Is It Time For A New Judging Format?

We have a modest proposal — a WSL head judge disagrees.

Jul 7, 2025

Luke Thompson Turns Last Year’s Priority Disaster Into Ballito Gold

+ earns himself a wildcard into Jbay.

Jul 7, 2025

Fiji Has Its First Professional Surfer, And He’s Unbelievable

16-year-old James Kusitino’s incomprehensible tube lounging leads to a deal with Former.

Jul 6, 2025

Laird Hamilton on The Limitations of Being a Purist, Invention vs. Ownership + Why He Never Had a Sticker Deal 

Untold stories from his How Surfers Get Paid interview.

Jul 4, 2025

When Surfer’s Eye Is Actually Cancer

Erin Campbell's brutal journey from surf camp dreams to chemo drops, cryotherapy, and surgical horror.

Jul 3, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q2 Report

An assessment of surfing's vital signs throughout the second quarter of 2025.

Jul 2, 2025

What Actually Happened to Occy’s Mad Max Plunger Pool In Yeppoon?

Surf Lakes’ brass talks: internet hecklers, the unplugging of the plunger, and the Tom Curren…

Jul 2, 2025

Poor Goofy Foots 

Data shows that the world is stacked against goofs — they even make 15% less money than…

Jul 1, 2025
Advertisement