I'm guessing it has more to do with the bathtub forecast for HB rather than him actually being hurt. http://www.aspworldtour.com/posts/58112/kelly-slater-withdraws-us-open
if he sees a **** forecast; well, who can blame him? i mean, he should bottom-wiggle so that ANOTHER career is advanced? small surf demeans.
Haha. Look at the comments on the article. Funny. "Slater is injecting roids into his shoulder as we speak"... I dunno, I think with the dismal forecast and such, he is just taking an honest break. Who wants to blow their shoulder out in chest high slop? But the forecast is going to be the same every day up there, as usual this time of year. 2-3ft, ground swell. It will look the same as it did yesterday and today for the rest of the week, with a few pulses with the tide pushes. This is why HB is in my "top 2" worst breaks on tour. Especially this time of year. Why on earth would you run it in July? Ohh well. Every now and again, you will get some great southern Hemi juice, but the timing of this event is bunk. Always is. But, with that rationale, I supposed I should remind everyone that the West Coast is on their 8th named Hurricane as of today, while we are hopeful for our second. As usual, California may run out of letters and start naming them in Japanese or something by October.
True that. But kelly used to live out there for many years. He knows the deal. He can also shred waist to chest high crap better than anyone on tour. His Florida training has him all over that. This forecast is no surprise, they have known for 10 days out that it will be chest high every day, as usual.
it's one thing seeing the forecast, it's another thing to walk up to the hellhole that is HB during the US Open and say "nahhhhhhh i'm good on this, chopes next? yea see ya"
Yeah I'd be taking it easy too if I we're him and the waves were dismal. I'd be booking an early flight to Tahiti for the next WCT event and getting dialed in for that rather surf HB
Something else that I just thought of, is the fact that he is splitting with Quiksilver. He is doing his own thing and starting his own company, so maybe he isn't really getting the media preasure to show up, pose for pictures and kiss babies. HB is the sh**iest contest of the year, but it's attendance is astronomical. Right in the hotbed for the entire surf industry. So, in years past, it has been paramount to have the "King of Surfing" there and surfing. Now, I almost sense that passing of the torch coming. And if Quiksilver isn't saying, Hey Kelly, we will throw in another 50K if you stick around for a few days and help us sell tee shirts, I would probably be outta there too.
sure he can schralp the knee-high slop. but then he and cloud break got married. their baby is his ultra-talent. which WILL NOT get showcased at huntington...
