“A Moment He’ll Never Forget!”: After Sharing the Perfect Wave With Legend Kelly Slater, Surfer’s Heartfelt Reaction Strikes a Chord With Netizens

In the world of surfing, riding a perfect barrel will earn you respect from any fellow surfer. This is one of the reasons why Kelly Slater is one of the most revered surfers ever to walk the surface of this earth. Slater, no surprise there, is a master barrel rider who knows how to stay in the tube for long periods of time. His prowess in riding backside barrels is unmatched, arguably the best in the world.

Ever though what would it be like sharing the same barrel wave with someone who has as much expertise in riding it as Kelly Slater? For many of us, this is a dream that might never come true. However, for this particular man, that dream turned out to be an astonishing reality.

Riding the tube with the best tube rider, Kelly Slater

Imagine being a local surfer, just chilling in the ocean to catch some waves. Imagine getting a perfect barrel to ride, and then bam! You suddenly realize there is someone right behind you, and as you turn your head, the handsome face of Kelly Slater is looking back. Essentially, you’re now riding a wave in tandem with a surfing icon. Sounds impossible? Well, nothing is impossible in the world of surfing.

The exact same scene described above unfolded at Padang-Padang Beach in Uluwatu. A YouTube video posted by the channel Surfers of Bali shows Kelly Slater dropping in on the same wave as a rider identified as Betet Merta in the credits of the video. Both Slater and Merta were out on the waves, tackling some insane barrels. During one such attempt by Merta, Kelly Slater decided to drop in on the same wave with Merta. Oblivious to the fact, the local surfer kept riding. However, after realizing the 11-time World Champion was attempting to ride the same wave, Merta seemed to ask if it was okay for him to stay as well.

Read more: Kelly Slater Relives Fellow American Surfer’s Rare 30-Year-Old Moment Still Unmatched Today

Reaching a consonance, the two surfers then proceeded to ride the tube together, in complete synchronization with one another. At one point, both the surfers were double-barrelling the wave. Sharing the picture of the special time on his Instagram account, Beret Merta wrote in the caption, “Good times with goat at Padang, can’t wait to do it again, miss you long time brother @kellyslater”. The reaction of the local surfer after executing something so difficult with the G.O.A.T. of surfing was something that mirrored disbelief, and that’s exactly what anyone who watched the video felt.

Internet goes gaga at the double-barrel

Upon watching the local surfer perform an unusual trick with the legend, someone from the viewers commented, “A moment he’ll never forget! That was sick!” Another commentator perfectly recapitulated the entire situation perfectly, saying, “Sharing a barrel with the GOAT, does not get any better than that.” A fan aptly described the local surfer’s reaction at the end of the video, saying, “You gotta love that guy’s reaction in the end.”

A comment also summarized the flawless communication between the surfers, and said, “The guy was ready to jump off his board out of pure respect ! He basically asked for his permission to stay on the wave, and Kelly said “sure brother, let’s share that wave.”” A fan talked about the surreal moment, and wrote, “The emotional roller coaster of realizing you just dropped in on Slater, to then realizing you’re sharing a barrel with him…” This footage is truly a gem that shows not only the capability of Kelly Slater but also his ability to connect with people.

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