Trip:
WHAT WAS YOUR WORST SURF TRIP?
Slater: Once in France, when I was 17, everything went wrong. No
waves, the guys with me pissed me off and everything I planned went wrong.
But I learned something from that trip: since I had paid for a major share
of the costs, I wanted everything to be my way - it doesn't work that
way.
Slater: You know when something happens once, then again, and you think it's all coincidence? As soon as I joined the team, Carroll would drop on top of me every time we surfed together. This happened several times, until I realized it was no coincidence. I think Carroll felt threatened, as I was the young buck challenging his supremacy. This was just a phase that later passed. I think it was food for him.
Trip: AT THE TIME YOU WERE THE YOUNG TALENT THAT AROSE TO BRING
DOWN OLDER SURFERS. NOW THERE ARE NEW GUYS, NEW TALENTS... HOW DO YOU
DEAL WITH THIS?
Slater: I don't worry about it much. I have confidence in my surfing;
I overcome them.
Trip:
MANY PEOPLE SAID, AT THE TIME WHEN YOU WERE WINNING ALL COMPETITIONS,
THAT YOU EVEN FELT LONELY AND BORED FOR LACK OF CHALLENGERS, FOR ALWAYS
BEING THE BEST. IS THIS TRUE?
Slater: Yes, it is. One year I won seven legs out of thirteen.
I
was mad!
I was mad! To tell you the truth, I always wanted someone to show up who
could compete at a level with me, someone to fight with for every leg,
every wave.
Slater: You might say that .
Trip:
WHAT IS YOUR IMPRESSION ON THE CURRENT FORMAT OF THE PSA (PROFESSIONAL
SURFERS' ASSOCIATION) TOURNAMENT?
Slater: I see several fundamental errors. One of them is the fact
that the Association doesn't own the events, they depend on sponsors and
their logos. Another mistake is the short period surfers spend in the
water, there are many batteries but not everyone surfs against everyone
else.
Trip: HAVE YOU CONSIDERED AN ALTERNATIVE FORMAT?
Slater: Yes. I even outlined a new format in which everyone surfs
against everyone else and the time is the same for all batteries. I submitted
it to the PSA and they never got back to me.
Trip:
WHERE DO YOU THINK THE EVOLUTION OF SURFING IS HEADED TO?
Slater: Surfing and surfing equipment have to be studied. As in
any other area, we need surf experts.
Trip: DO YOU THINK IT IS POSSIBLE TO TEACH SURFING LIKE ANY
CONVENTIONAL SPORT?
Slater: Sure. Surfing is a rebellious, lonely sport, but it can
be taught. I don't think surf is well understood by people.
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Trip: WHAT ARE YOUR ASSETS?
Slater: I drive a Mercedes, which I love, and own a home in Florida and another in Australia. But I've found that the more things I have, the more messed up my life becomes.
Trip:
AND THIS NEVER HAPPENED?
Slater: Unfortunately, not. When I started out in the Circuit there
were Occy and Curren... Now there's Rob Machado, but that's about it.