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

51-year-old Kelly Slater became the greatest surfer of all time with his impeccable and precise surfing talent. The 11-time World Surf League champion is highly recognized for his adaptability with the unpredictable waves. Slater’s amazing surfing prowess comes from legendary surfers who have inspired him ever since he entered the sport. One such top-notch surfer was Tom Curren, a three-time world champion. Recently, he shared the legend’s iconic surfing video from 30 years back that blows his mind even today!

On April 30, Slater shared a video of Tom Curren surfing the notorious waves at JBay on his Instagram story. He also added a heartfelt note for the 58-year-old surfer paying his tribute for inspiring him to the core.

Kelly Slater shares the best ride he has ever seen

The video shared by Kelly Slater is an exceptional view of surfer Tom Curren taking on the gigantic waves. The 58-year-old was seen effortlessly surfing as quickly as a flash. Expressing his admiration for the legend, Slater added a loving note for him through his Instagram. He penned in his story, “The ride by which all others at J-Bay should be judged/scored. Still a perfectly executed ride today, nearly 30 years later, and I would argue better than any ride I’ve ever witnessed during any event there.”

Moreover, the video, initially posted by Nalu TV, was from a day when Curren arrived in South Africa with his fellow surfers Derek Hynd, Frankie Oberholzer, Gordon T., Sonny Miller, and Thomas DeSoto. The legendary surfer paddled into the sea with a surfboard he had never ridden on. It was a Mark Rabbidge 6’6”x18 1/4” x 2 5/6” round tail board, angled concave between its three fins. The first wave caught by Curren was a quick one. He had mastered handling the unsteady waves. So, he stood on them and then came out so that other surfers could take it. Curren was too fast at this iconic moment. Luckily, his fellow surfers Sonny Miller and Thomas DeSoto had a 16mm film camera set, which they immediately used to film the legendary surfer.

Read More: “Felt Like I’ll Never Come Up”- US Legend Kelly Slater Reveals His Most Horrifying Experience While Surfing

The clip is now preserved by Nalu Tv, a platform that streams remastered, as well as iconic surfing films. Some of the surfing films featured are, The Search, Searching for Tom Curren, and Momentum Generation.

Tom Curren and his surfing prowess

Three-time world champion Tom Curren has also won about 33 surfing championships in his professional career. Growing up in Santa Barbara, Curren developed a skill for sweeping style surfing. Famous as one of the pioneers of progressive competitive surfing, Curren has a knack for discovering un-surfed waves across the world.

Moreover, in the 1990s, when he participated in the Margaret Pro River championship, he shocked everyone with his 12-foot ride. From the surf zone, he went to the Rivermouth. In his career, Curren has also promoted pro surfboard models such as Black Beauty and Red Beauty. Undoubtedly, Tom Curren’s unmatched surfing prowess is the source from where Slater drives his inspiration from.

Watch This Story:  Kelly Slater’s ‘Little Buddy’ Gets Special Praise From Surfing Legend Following His Sensational Win