DROPPING OUT?
Since last fall, when KELLY SLATER lost his bid for a third-straight world surfing title, retirement rumors have been rampant. Here, the eight-time champ talks to Jimmie Briggs about life after competition, the perils of speaking his mind, and what happens when you try to get wave-riding Israelis, Palestinians, and one world-famous icon into the same break.
OUTSIDE: You've said you're not planning to retire but will "scale back" next season. Did losing the title influence that decision?
SLATER: No. I tend to do things pretty full-on and then get bored. The competition side of things is really starting to bore me. The new challenges come when some new guy comes along. But that happens every single year I've been on tour. It's just not as exciting.
Do you think you can win next year?
I do...if I apply myself. It's a mental thing to stay focused. I've learned that stressing about a situation or result should only last a couple of minutes, especially in the water. Otherwise you fight from the back foot and never get to feel the whole situation.
What kind of legacy do you think you're leaving behind?
I was thinking the other day about what surfing has meant to me. I've been married to the sport for 15 years. It's offered me a lot, but I've given up a bit too, in order to experience everything I can within it through travel, meeting people. My contributions will have to be judged by other people.
So if you scale back, what are you planning to do with all your free time?
This next year will be a transitional time for me. I don't know that I have dreams of grandeur. I have to find what makes sense for me. I really admire people who help others, on a personal level.
Is that what drew you to Surfing for Peace?
These are people who've been at war for a long time, but they have that common thing, surfing. Guys are surfing the same waves in Gaza as in Israel. The idea is that here's this one thing that we both love, and potentially we're surfing the exact same wave at the same time. There's something spiritual in that. Bigger than the other problems that seem so huge all the time.
How was that experience?
The whole time over there, I was freaked out. One day on the beach there were over 1,000 people. I had no idea that many people knew who I was. Everyone was stoked and excited. At the same time, the idea of Surfing for Peace is about trying to work together, and we just weren't working together at all.
As you got involved, did you feel pulled by the various sides in Israel?
I probably sympathize with the plight of the Palestinians in a lot of ways. Israel does have tremendous American backing, financially, militarily. It's almost like a basic race war between people. Both Israelis and Palestinians are living in fear and don't trust each other. I don't think either side is right or wrong. I see a lot of wrong, but I don't think either side is right.
Do people give you a hard time for speaking out on a subject like peace?
A few letters to surf Web sites and magazines. "We don't want to hear some surfer talking about politics." Why? I'm just like any other person. I probably have a more worldly view than most people because I get to see a lot of different cultures. People can easily point the finger at me and say, "Well, he's successful, has all this money and things, so it's easy for him to talk." They're right, but also by sticking my neck out there it shows I'm willing to learn something.
