2005

With Daniel in the loft, 2005. Formative Hydrodynamica quiver. I went to Australia in March of this year. Mark Thomson picked me up at the airport. I had a cold and was super jet-lagged and spaced out. We drove through Kirra and Mark stopped at that little health food/ smoothie place. He bumps into Slater and the three of us sit down together to eat. I didn't say a word the whole time, but sat there and listened to this crazy dialogue going on for an hour between Mark Thomson and Kelly Slater, just jet lagged out of my mind, thinking, really? Lunch with Kelly and Mark? I wish I had a recording of the conversation. At one point Mark grilled Kelly about what he was riding, if he was trying anything new. Kelly kind of meekly said "well, I'm trying some diamond tails..." Mark just smirked and was like "mate, time to get on something new...I've got the shit..." Wasn't long after that that Kelly started messing around with different stuff. Don't know whether or not that lunch with Mark had anything to do with it...but I'll never forget it.
Photo by Greg Betz, R.I.P.