A la Tom Curren. Seems to be what surfing savants do. Kelly just has the talent in both ability and competitive game to experiment while staying in the top 10.
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Greg Webber - Electra (Kelly on the round pin and Robbo on the swallow)
- Thread starter ANIMA
- Start date
This concept of "resistance" being mentioned in this thread merits some discussion. Could KS be doing a favour for the average flapper by showcasing boards like the Webber and it's flex fins that may help popularise boards with less "resistance"?
I think I am one of very few who thought Kelly's surfing a few years ago at the snapper contest on the Webber banana was good to watch. Different lines, none of that cocoa beach statue style forced 'pushing'. Incidentally, kennedy's surfing on the sci fi shape was pleasing to the eye at the same contest. Everyone else, looking very similar and predictable. Two very different boards sitting just outside the traditional shapes.
Id like to see more variation in the pro ranks, you have a lot of heats when you add the women where everyone does the overcooked turn, lose speed then double pump and try to regain speed. I think with immaculate timing those bananas arent cavitating and doing that no power slide at the top and bottom of the wave. the trad shapes have more in the flat, but not that speed held by the sci fi. There was more happening with those boards in areas trad comp boards cant generate.
Id like to see more variation in the pro ranks, you have a lot of heats when you add the women where everyone does the overcooked turn, lose speed then double pump and try to regain speed. I think with immaculate timing those bananas arent cavitating and doing that no power slide at the top and bottom of the wave. the trad shapes have more in the flat, but not that speed held by the sci fi. There was more happening with those boards in areas trad comp boards cant generate.
Wasn't the Banana meant to be like the rockered-out potato chips that KS was riding in the 90's?
I was close. Looks like "inspired" by the Herring rockered-out potato chips. He surfed so well on those, but don't think many others could...
[from https://www.realwatersports.com/collections/slater-designs-banana]
Slater Designs Banana
Inspired by the extreme rocker boards that Greg Webber and Shane Herring developed in the early 90’s, the BANANA is a far more user-friendly version that Kelly and Greg developed for intermediate to advanced surfers.
DIMENSIONS
5'4" x 17.625" x 2.00" | 19.90
5'6" x 18.125" x 2.125" | 22.40
5'8" x 18.25" x 2.25" | 24.50
5'10" x 18.437" x 2.25" | 25.60
5'11" x 18.75" x 2.312" | 27.30
6'0" x 19.00" x 2.375" | 28.50
6'1" x 19.25" x 2.50" | 30.90
6'2" x 19.50" x 2.50" | 32.20
6'4" x 19.812" x 2.625" | 35.00
6'6" x 20.25" x 2.75" | 38.40
6'8" x 21.00" x 2.875" | 42.60
FROM THE SHAPER
EDIT: went down a google rabbit hole on the Banana. This was an interesting review:
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Same comp?
Sure about that?
Stu beat Kelly in Rd2 nd Kelly's board looked slow and boggy.
The 6’0 is 19 wide.I was close. Looks like "inspired" by the Herring rockered-out potato chips. He surfed so well on those, but don't think many others could...
[from https://www.realwatersports.com/collections/slater-designs-banana]
Slater Designs Banana
Inspired by the extreme rocker boards that Greg Webber and Shane Herring developed in the early 90’s, the BANANA is a far more user-friendly version that Kelly and Greg developed for intermediate to advanced surfers.
DIMENSIONS
5'4" x 17.625" x 2.00" | 19.90
5'6" x 18.125" x 2.125" | 22.40
5'8" x 18.25" x 2.25" | 24.50
5'10" x 18.437" x 2.25" | 25.60
5'11" x 18.75" x 2.312" | 27.30
6'0" x 19.00" x 2.375" | 28.50
6'1" x 19.25" x 2.50" | 30.90
6'2" x 19.50" x 2.50" | 32.20
6'4" x 19.812" x 2.625" | 35.00
6'6" x 20.25" x 2.75" | 38.40
6'8" x 21.00" x 2.875" | 42.60
FROM THE SHAPER
EDIT: went down a google rabbit hole on the Banana. This was an interesting review:
Kelly was riding 6’0-6’2 at 17 +
In the heat with Stuey, Slater looked slow off the bottom for sure. Didnt help that Stu had the fastest looking board of the comp. Must have been round 1, it was like a combo for Kelly that stood out for me. Wrong board for that day, the ability to hold rail through the turns, no pushing or sliding that was the point of difference. Im not saying 'better'...just different. In hindsight slater would have been better off on something like that Aipa he surfed in Bali later on. Same reason I liked watching Stu that day, their boards were providing the opportunity for a variance.
Same reason I would like to see someone getting a reverse vee or something soon out there on tour. Thered be 100 guys/women out at snapper that could replicate the surfing of the rest of the field that day.
No one could afford to experiment like Slater can at present I suppose, I enjoy seeing different approaches a la Horan on the single at bells eons ago.
Kelly is Kelly and is going to rip on anything he paddles out on. But for contest surfing the only opinions that matter are the head judge and the five other judges scoring his heats.
It seems like he has too many balls to juggle. All his businesses, training, r&d’ing models for SD releases. His contest surfing has suffered. If he wants to ride alternate boards he should surf the air show and expression sessions with those. I know he wants to win he’s on PU/PE Tokoro’s at Pipe and he’s looked good.
It seems like he has too many balls to juggle. All his businesses, training, r&d’ing models for SD releases. His contest surfing has suffered. If he wants to ride alternate boards he should surf the air show and expression sessions with those. I know he wants to win he’s on PU/PE Tokoro’s at Pipe and he’s looked good.