Surfing’s Ultimate Champ Calls Pervasive Habit a Sheer “Addiction”

Ever wondered why surfers have so many surfboards? Ever wondered how they’re able to stay upright on their surfboards even while riding the most precarious of waves? Well, you’ve come to the right place to get the answers to these questions, and quench your curiosity. The answer is going to come from none other than surfing superstar, Kelly Slater.

If there was ever a question about surfing. Slater would be the man to answer it. During an interview with WIRED, Slater answered many questions that he received from the public at large. And people had many. The surfing icon, gave some amazing insights into the behind-the-scenes that take place while surfing.

Kelly Slater reveals the reason behind owning multiple surfboards

The questions pertained to some surfing basics. One Twitter user wanted to know why her stepfather kept an array of surfboards when he was the only one in the family who surfed. Slater had a simple answer, “It’s an addiction. That’s the answer.”

But there is a need for various kinds of surfboards, especially if one is a wave aficionado. Slater said, “Different boards for different waves. It’s really like horses for courses.” He then explained the different kinds of surfboards needed to ride the different kinds of waves. Slater added, “For a tiny wave, you kind of need a board that has more floatation and surface area for planting out. The bigger the wave, you actually need a less surface area but you need a bigger board that paddles faster to catch it depending on how big it gets.”

Seems like choosing a surfboard is not as straightforward as one might think. There are many considerations to be kept in mind. According to Slater, “There’s a lot of intricate things about surfboards, different numbers of fins, size of fins, the whips, the curve.” While we got the answer to this question, fans had another interesting question to ask.

Read more: “It Could End Today”: On His 51st Birthday Kelly Slater Reminisces About Life, Death, and the Friends He Lost Along the Way

The sorcery behind staying upright on the surfboard

The sea can be punishing at times. And the peril of falling off the surfboard is real, especially if it’s a high wave. An unrestrained wave might prove to be too difficult to handle and might result in a wipeout. In situations like these, it is only natural to wonder how surfers manage to stay upright on the board. Slater revealed, “We have wax. We have a sticky wax that we put on our boards.” This magic glue is what sticks the surfers to their boards.

Slater also traced the developments in the sticky-wax arena. He explained, “In fact, the waxes now have gotten so sticky that some people when they use them for the first time say that it’s too sticky because their feet don’t move.”. However, for pros like him, the rules are a little different. He adds, “But that’s what we like. Especially when we’re doing big maneuvers or airs or pushing really hard in carves. We’re using all our power and weight.” Seems like a good solution to a difficult problem.

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How long do you think you can stay upright on a surfboard?