30 Years After Achieving Stardom, Matthew McConaughey Kicks Back Retirement With Kelly Slater in an Epic Surfing Adventure

Since its inception, Surf Ranch, which is the brainchild of Kelly Slater, has become a household name in surfing. The Surf Ranch even has a partnership with the World Surf League and provides some of the best longest and open barrel human-made waves to global surf enthusiasts. Its iconic surf programs and training events coupled with its glassy waters make it one of the best surfing destinations, and Surf Ranch also holds a WSL Certified designation which has allowed it to host several WSL competitions in the past.

Over the years, a number of pro surfers and surfing enthusiasts have graced the waves of Surf Ranch. Recently, WSL commentator Strider Wasilewski narrated the perfect commentary in a social media post which suggests that Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey and 2x WSL World Champion John John Florence have become the latest surf enthusiasts to share a wave together at Kelly Slater’s artificial wave machine.

Cinema and surf world come together at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch

In the last few years, Matthew McConaughey has taken some time off from acting to enjoy a bunch of other stuff. He claims that he has also become more organized now which will help him in the upcoming roles. The Oscar winner is also widely known for his surfing passion. Earlier this year in Hawaii, the Dallas Buyers Club star was seen hying up Griffin Colapinto before one of his heats. While only a few weeks ago, the Academy Award winner also narrated a powerful and inspirational video of support for Colapinto before the WSL finals.

As for John John Florence, the surfing world regards the 2x WSL champion as one of the most dominant pipe surfers of his time. Both individuals recently surfed at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch and even featured in an Instagram post by WSL commentator Strider Wasilewski, who wasted no time in highlighting his commentary skills. Wasilewski further captioned his post as, “Bingo Bango Surf Ranch Tango…. Let the good times roll!” 

The video showcased McConaughey in a goofy stance as he was skipped by the wave, but shortly after Florence appeared on the scene, and rode the waves perfectly before executing a few cutbacks on the waves. Florence then also went into a barrel wave before finally emerging and finishing off the waves in style. Although the Surf Ranch invites the best surfers from around the world, its founder, Kelly Slater, would surely be disappointed by the WSL’s 2024 championship tour schedule.

WSL scraps off Surf Ranch Pro from the 2024 tour schedule

The 2023 WSL season had it all. Death threats, multiple judging controversies, and even the mysterious sacking of WSL CEO Erik Logan. But as the 2023 season ended and the 2024 tour stops schedule was announced, Kelly Slater learned that his Surf Pro Ranch had been scrapped off this year’s WSL tour schedule.

In the 2023 season, the Surf Ranch Pro was marred in controversy with 3x World Champion Gabriel Medina calling out judges at the competition. This prompted his fellow countrymen, Italo Ferreira and Filipe Toledo, to also speak out against the judge’s decisions at Surf Pro Ranch. In fact, Ethan Ewing, who defeated Medina in the quarterfinals, even received death threats on social media.

Read more: US Legend Kelly Slater Owns World’s Most Powerful Man-Made Wave Park Worth an Insane Value

All these reasons may have prompted the WSL to scrap Kelly Slater’s brainchild from the upcoming season’s tour stops. While the Surf Ranch may not feature in the 2024 WSL tour, it still continues to be a surf paradise for pro and amateur surfers from around the world and occasionally one can also run into celebrities like McConaughey at Kelly Slater’s artificial wave machine.

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