Kelly Slater’s Under The Radar Waco Pool Strike!

Where the hell is Kelly Slater gonna eat in Waco, Texas?

That’s the first question that came to mind when we learned the 11x Champ had arrived at the BSR Surf Resort to sample American Wave Machines’ Perfect Swell tech. 

As far as we know, this is the first time Slater has tested any other pool since his Surf Ranch opened in Lemoore, December 2015. 

We’ve become quite familiar with Waco, thanks to our initial, unplanned venture and two subsequent Stab Highs, so we speak from experience when we say: there is not a single healthy food option in town. The only spot we found that serves an actual salad is Panera Bread, and you have to specify they not deep-fry the lettuce before they put it on your plate. 

Kelly, a 48-year-old top-10 surfer, takes better care of his body than Texans do their prized heifers. The idea of him subsisting on brisket and Whataburger is asinine. Which raises the question, where/what is Kelly eating in Waco?

Has he flown in a few day’s worth of organic, plant-based provisions? Stuck a straw in a local beehive and slurped all its delicious nectar? Or is Kelly simply fasting through the Texan experience, conserving his energy by riding the wall-side rip back to the peak? 

Our next question, naturally, was how Kelly’s taken to the pool. While we await forthcoming video evidence, we’ll let these photos hint at the answer. 

BSR Surf Ranch wrote on their Instagram:

The man, the myth, the legend himself @kellyslater at BSR!!! Our stoke level was of the charts when he arrived. Such a great guy in and out of the pool. Thanks so much for the visit Kelly!

We also spoke with Ryan Miller—World Tour photographer best known for his clever emails and full-spectrum speedo—who happened to be on the scene for Kelly’s arrival. Miller said he was in Waco doing some photo work with Josh/Sierra Kerr and Shane/Jackson Dorian, plus getting some waves for himself and his daughter #BadBitch, when Kelly decided to jump on the trip last-minute.

The Kelly Way™. 

From what we’ve gathered, Kelly shared an air session with Sierra and Jackson and sampled a few of the point break settings, too. The photos below show Kelly on what looks to be the wedge/slab thing, then going doubles with a local Texas boy. 

BSR photog Otis Stevens (@otisstevenss) wrote: 

I’ve imagined @kellyslatersurfing the waves in Waco daily. I got to see that in reality a couple days ago. People had the time of their lives surfing with him. Expressly this grom.

Here’s what we were able to drag out of the King himself, after near-endless badgering: 

The place is fun. There is no weirdness at all. Hopefully there will be many waves of all tech in the future so everyone can have fun anytime. 

For those currently in the Waco region*, we’ve got some intel that you might be interested in: Kelly is apparently booked for an ‘Intermediate’ session this evening. The session is already filled, meaning you won’t be able to join him in the water, but last we checked BSR is still BYOB, so we recommend grabbing some beers, a few a friends, and parking your ass on the wall for what will undoubtedly be a Sea-World-esque spray show. 

And if you want to get Kelly’s attention after the session, bring the man some kale chips goddamit. He’s probably famished.