Stab Magazine | Kelly Slater, twilight swerve at D-bah, Gold Coast
235 Views

Kelly Slater, twilight swerve at D-bah, Gold Coast

The surfing world knows much about Kelly Slater. A man of such influence seldom lives in the spotlight without most facets of his life trickling out to the public at some point. But one thing y’might, perhaps, just maybe not know, is that when on the Gold Coast for the Quiksilver Pro, Snapper Rocks, Kelly likes to surf just as the sun sets. “I was shooting down at D’bah this afternoon with Jordy (Smith),” says photog Ryan Miller. “And right on dark, Kelly comes running down the beach with this tiny little four-fin. I’m baffled why this guy surfs right on dark so often.” In a post-heat interview at Snapper, during an earlier round, Kelly was asked about the sunset sessions. The answer’s easy: Crowds. Or, lack thereof. But for all the prying and documentation, there’s still one thing that Kelly has managed to keep all to himself – his WT expiry date: “Everyone always makes a big deal about whether I’m going to keep going on,” he said. “When I’m going to quit, I’ll tell everybody – how about that?” Stab likes it that way. Just as we love the swagger of this speed-blurred sunset swerve.

full frame // Mar 8, 2016
Words by Ryan Miller/
Reading Time: < 1 minute

The surfing world knows much about Kelly Slater. A man of such influence seldom lives in the spotlight without most facets of his life trickling out to the public at some point. But one thing y’might, perhaps, just maybe not know, is that when on the Gold Coast for the Quiksilver Pro, Snapper Rocks, Kelly likes to surf just as the sun sets. “I was shooting down at D’bah this afternoon with Jordy (Smith),” says photog Ryan Miller. “And right on dark, Kelly comes running down the beach with this tiny little four-fin. I’m baffled why this guy surfs right on dark so often.”

In a post-heat interview at Snapper, during an earlier round, Kelly was asked about the sunset sessions. The answer’s easy: Crowds. Or, lack thereof. But for all the prying and documentation, there’s still one thing that Kelly has managed to keep all to himself – his WT expiry date: “Everyone always makes a big deal about whether I’m going to keep going on,” he said. “When I’m going to quit, I’ll tell everybody – how about that?” Stab likes it that way. Just as we love the swagger of this speed-blurred sunset swerve.

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

SEOTY: Brody Mulik Stars In ‘fourteen.’

Homeschooled at The Box and Tombies, the fifteen-year-old might be Western Australia's best student.

Jan 19, 2026

Watch: Episode 01 of Stab In The Dark X Starring Kelly Slater

Who will the greatest surfer of all time crown the shaper of the decade?

Jan 17, 2026

What Was It Really Like To Hang With Andy And Bruce In The 90s?

The Stab Interview with Lost Generation filmer and poke sauce peddler, Patrick “Tupat” Eichsteadt.

Jan 16, 2026

Golfers v Surfers: Newport’s Wavepool Battle Rages On

The worlds biggest Wavegarden will cost you 3 holes, a driving range, and $250,000 per…

Jan 15, 2026

2025 Was The Year Of The Rat

Comment of the Year 2025 goes to...

Jan 13, 2026

We Had Eight World Class Surfers Blind Test 117 Surfboards From 37 Shapers

This is the story of Stab In The Dark, so far.

Jan 12, 2026

Do We Appreciate Creed McTaggart Enough?

GERAMANIA — ASIA DOWN THE LINE

Jan 12, 2026

The Year Of Magic Boards, Bare Thighs, Strong Chins & Euro Dominance Is Upon Us

Read Stab's 2026 predictions, and take our future-telling quiz

Jan 11, 2026

“One Of Those Forecasts That’s So Scary You’re Kinda Hoping It Goes Onshore”

The Gaelic swell that put three of the world's best big wave surfers on the…

Jan 9, 2026

SEOTY: Eithan Osborne Stars In ‘Lost Pinterest’

Two bionic shoulders, an extra $100,000 in the bank, and a lot of sand-bottom Mexican…

Jan 8, 2026

Revealed: The 5 SITD-Winning Shapers Listed In The Kelly Files

The nerve to throw in a swallow-tail...

Jan 8, 2026

Had A Beer With A Stranger, Ended Up In A War

How a pleasure-seeking Indo trip became a tour of duty in Ukraine's frontline.

Jan 7, 2026

The Most Spectacular Waves Of 2025

Saltwater // chlorine.

Jan 6, 2026

49 Surfers Dead: A Dark History Of Brazil’s Southern Coast

The most lethal surf coast you've never heard of.

Jan 4, 2026

We Tracked The Board-Buying Habits Of 7,500 Surfers 

What, why, and how much are we buying? 

Jan 2, 2026

Surfing’s 2025 Q4 Report

Detecting surfing’s dark matters.

Jan 1, 2026

Noa Deane Wins Stab Surfer Of The Year 2025, Best Male

Two films, one edit, and three film sections later, Noa's incomparable work ethic pays off.

Dec 31, 2025

Breaking: Medina Splits With Rip Curl, Noa Deane Signs On The Jagged Line, Yago Dora’s New Brand Revealed

2025's grand industry finale.

Dec 30, 2025
Advertisement