Kelly Slater On Being a Role Model, Morality, Drugs and Surfing Stereotypes and More - The Inertia

Kelly Slater discusses morality, politics, drugs in surf culture, and his approach to the responsibility of representing surfers to the world at large. We can't thank him enough for his candor.
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[@superfunnyjoke3922]

I’m actually amazed at how balanced and well spoken Kelly is. He really is just an awesome guy

[@wishicouldshowmyname5815]

He makes perfect sense about politics. We are all too complex to be put in a box. Too many like to divide us into one group or another. Please understand that it is only a way to let the politicians win. We can have opinions about things in one way for a certain aspect and another in another situation. That is normal and correct. Life is too complicated and we need to break things down to each element. Good for Slater to show that this is the correct thing to do. Many feel this way, don't be afraid to feel this way. It depends on the specific thing you are discussing. Don't give in to the all or nothing mentality.

[@Holmseee1]

He is such a legend. tell it like you see it kel. All these people that "think" he should do or say this. He stays out of trouble and sets a fine example of how to be a decent human being; whilst just happening to be arguably "the greatest athlete of all time" (quote from Mark Richards, surfing legend.)

[@howdymegan]

Nice job. Like your format with the issues text as the sequeway for your edits. And yup. Surfing is lucky to have Kelly Slater. He is candid. Smart. Principled. And as the big sis of two surfers from Florida I'm proud he is one of ours.

[@amymau5927]

He is very open minded.. very intelligent and talented at the same time. Amazing.

[@bradford_shaun_murray]

3:05 how he just dismisses surfing as not that interesting to talk about was interesting - especially from someone so good at it. Says something about "getting away" mentally from surfing to be good at surfing for this guy.

[@simonedevlin7710]

Humility, intuition, visionary with respect and gratitude. Kelly Slater is a Renaissance man.

[@Queensizemusic]

That informs his surfing. I’ve always seen this in him.

[@dornelli1]

He got to that level by his thoughts..a great human with endurance. Slater is a hero!!

[@SuperHamlet666]

Woa this is lowkey one of the best interviews going around

[@oracleowen]

Heath Professionals are Professionally Healthy People, Kelly Slater is one of them STILL WINNING at 50!

[@Queensizemusic]

I love this. I e been interviewing people for nearly 30 years - everyone from Sonny Rollins to Henry Rollins and everyone in between. I try to branch off into every interview to get a glimpse, as this piece does, into the human being. Bravo. Good job. I mean, with Henry, we spoke about the Rollins band, then Black Flag, but talked about travel stories for an hour-and-a-half. That ended up being far more interesting than if we’d spent the time talking music. Same with Willie Nelson. Same with Loretta Lynn. Same with Gene Simmons, John Prine, Glen Campbell, The Strokes, Fountains of Wayne, etc. the humanity is always more interesting than talking about waves and boards after a point. Good job.

[@shawnchun1719]

Righteous dude! Still Watching this in 2017 and dig it.

[@panospapadeas8461]

still watching in 2018

[@brianfastabend7360]

I'm a huge fan of Kelly and Tom Curren. I'm sure that no small part of their success is due to their ability to not sound like a "surfer" when they get out of the water. Without humility, politeness, and respect for others they never would have achieved so much. I was a young surfer and people were consistently surprised that I was smart and a hard worker. They (non-surfers) always assumed I'd be a cocky burnout. Not a coincidence.

[@bullsnutsoz]

Brian Fastabend This bloke is a quisling; powered by satan, and my opinion a conspirator in andy Irons murder.Get over it you weeds; you have been deceived by satan just as everyone else. Being arrogant is not a defence.

[@donnievick3076]

bullsnutsoz Seems the drugs got the better of you.

[@alextannersaak3682]

Love this man.

[@nonnyross69]

You can always rely on UTB trolls to bring their blinkered non secular. political and religious ideological comments to anyone they deem undeserved of having any opinion. The dude is not only a legendary sportsman but has traveled further and experienced more cultures than i'm sure all those commenting derogatory on his education. U can have your political science degree, I'll take Slat's credentials from the university of LIFE.

[@tommoore1409]

Leon Ross Amen to that

[@bipolatelly9806]

Leon Ross "UBT" ?

[@scottawful2094]

Leon Ross yep

[@dontletherspeak7575]

Secularism brought down almost all great empires. religion, faith is what builds great empires cretin.

[@seanmcgaff]

very insightful. right on kelly

[@ZipSnipe]

What a great guy, great views !!!

[@kevinmikaere48]

Surfing can change your life .good understanding about lots of issues in our lifes learning about the ocean teach s you alot about life how we cam live treat each other. Where all have the knowledge of whats right and wrong .Kelly got a good heart people listen when kelly speaks he makes me think we can all do better everything has to make sense iwe want a better world good for you inspired hard thanks man

[@christianlatouf]

I love surfing (& snowboarding) but I live in Texas where we have none of those things. If you have the ability to wake up and go surf consider yourself lucky because there are people like myself who are so broke that they haven’t been able to travel to go surf for 5+ years … all I do on KZbin is I watch surfing videos & listening to podcasts about surfing all day I’m obsessed with it but can’t do it. It sucks. Consider yourself very lucky if you have the option to just “go surf” the only thing I can do is “go skate” but it’s 100°f where I live so it just sucks man. I’m jealous.

[@kevinmikaere48]

@@christianlatouf yip hard man hope you can get the chance one day as you know can change your life as the saying goes only a surfer knows the feeling hope you get the chance am lucky being from new Zealand where surrounded by waves am not rich as well so k know what is like do hope you can get the chance one day you'll never look back is another surf saying. As when you ride a wave never look back etc .and just want to say to all fu is in learning to surf would you believe it ive surf most of my life and always remember the learning days so much fun. Hope you get the chance you deserve too.

[@T13Tv]

Sciatic Nerve Pain is what I suffer at the moment, it came about so suddenly and painful. I am a surfer and the thought of this type of pain in the water is horrifying. As Kelly said just stretch, hard to take on board when I can't put two feet on the floor, however what he is saying is really a situation analysis. Yeah I am sore but there is always an option to improve, no matter what situation you are in. I just did 20min stretching after two days of being in paid. Still bloody sore but knowing at least I am able to try.

[@mayandsons]

Thank you so much to share an reflextion to make A BETTER WORLD

[@kevfish100]

deep stuff Mr Slater..

[@keithsk8s]

To sum this up, all humans are imperfect.

[@ansel703]

Epic human being. You can tell he's really intelligent and insightful... but not necessarily the most articulate. Fair enough these questions were probably just thrown at him. but seriously. what a legend.

[@duanmcinnes]

You can always rely on Kelly do talk with intelligence and clarity

[@iusre]

hence why he is one of humans greatest athletes

[@WayneLynch69]

Sean O'Hare gave a very descriptive depiction of Kelly's gift. He said that when they were quite young the locals traded back and forth the best performances in the local contests. Later Kelly began to win more than the others, Ultimately only Kelly won.

[@eduardoroman3832]

Costa Rica wuuu Yeah!! 😎🏄‍♂️🤙 Gretings kelly FROM San José Costa Rica.

[@pjg8831]

Well said flaws are part of someones image anyway !

[@dalienrivera6093]

best teacher man

[@bipolatelly9806]

smart guy... good interview.

[@jeffhagel3970]

Brilliant Man.

[@SuperAmin1950]

What is this 'Inertia' thing; I need more info'? I like this piece.

[@michaelmetzler3372]

The King has spoken

[@DigitaIgenocide]

I talked to a Police officer down in Florida that used to patrol the area Kelly Slater lived in and she said she often caught Kelly and his friends smoking weed. I'm a pothead myself and to see that Kelly used to smoke and is now one of the top athletes in the world. I'm not sure how much truth is to the story but it inspired me to quit smoking and get myself into shape to be able to surf better. Kelly really is a huge inspiration to me; he is such a strong(mentally) person.

[@skooli2]

It's completely false. Maybe his older brother, but not Kelly. He's been an advocate of clean living all his life. Ask anyone my age from the central Florida area and they'll tell you the same.

[@sweethair2310]

skooli2 wake up and smell the pavement -its surfing skooli2 Kelly could never publically advocate drug use and do what he has done but its just weed and its iresistable to many prolly kelly too good for him,

[@skooli2]

Keep telling yourself that. If you were around the pro surfing scene in the 90's you would know that Kelly and his crew did not party. Hell, they barely even drank. A handful of those guys started smoking later in life, but Kelly is a staunch supporter of clean living. He would never put smoke in his lungs.

[@sweethair2310]

"around the pro surfing scene in the 90s" -fuck off rite there, rite off the bat.. "stauch supporter clean living" -Ok thats it!! ur a d bag sorry (like fucking k slater didnt smoke a little fucking weed. in his time c'mon)

[@skooli2]

sweet hair Yeah. I'm a d bag. I'm the one who's angry because I think everyone is a pot head. So much so, that I'm gonna start running my mouth (keyboard) to total strangers. Oh wait, that's you. Get a life. Put the bong down and get off your couch.

[@jclm4188]

how do i get an invite to the man made wave pool mr. slater???does it also have man made seaweed too?

[@wavemoore1]

KELLY SLATER FOR PRESIDENT!

[@noninoni454]

Kelly, you are very intelligent , handsome and gifted! So well spoken, I am impressed and in awww....

[@oracleowen]

Kelly Slater is a fanrastic role model, he reminds me of Zen Master Sensei Suzuki

[@dennismull147]

I work in a bakery.I'm a roll model!

[@ardeq]

Kelly is my second fav athlete, right after Valentino Rossi!

[@user-nm3eg3il6u]

❤

[@kimogeske4816]

We don’t wanna fight we just wanna surf

[@LowcountryTV]

Kelly is making allot of sense

[@thedereklee9]

this is legit. i personally do not give two shits what any surfer has to say about surfing, but the questions on politics, culture, life etc are very intriguing. good stuff!

[@pammiller244]

But he doesn't know what he's talking about

[@donnievick3076]

How so, Pam?

[@cheothegeo2742]

I'm surprised that it's not a war in the comments. I was like, "oh shit. a famous person is talking politics. It's gonna get ugly up in this bitch"

[@pammiller244]

does he have ADD? (I lost count of how many times he used the word, "culture."

[@1enzeder]

what do you have? what neurosis do you suffer from that forces you to keep count of the words people use and pay no attention to the content of what they're saying?

[@kevincollins7320]

Be open mind

[@goddamaddog]

ke11y

[@howdymegan]

Nice job filmmakers.

[@17th_Street_Preacher]

911 building 7 yewww!

[@jasonwoodbury3717]

Adam Parkinson ,p

[@tonyruaporo5535]

The unemployment rate in a America is 50% out of 326, million Americans and still counting

[@swingeasy987]

Why do we feel the need to infuse politics into everything? My grandfather (born 1920, deceased 2009) used to give me the advice that politics was one of a few things you should never discuss in public. Some folks found this rule of thumb uptight or showing a lack of steadfastness in one's views. But as I've aged, I've seen the wisdom in this as we now have this habit of bringing politics into every damn social institution that we Americans love. This starts to poison that thing and make it so we can no longer share these things with each other, bound by enjoyment and love for that thing and not fractured in half by adding a political slant to it. Movies, television, music, sports, and on and on - are no longer safe from it. I'm not sure why I should care about Slater's political views, as open minded of a fellow as he seems. They have no effect on my life whatsoever, and while he may be the GOAT of professional surfing, I'm not sure that that translates into some insight that would make his political views particularly shrewd.

[@countryroadstakemehome]

Still commenting?

[@tucko11]

Is that Kelly?,or a messed up double? Lol

[@vrd5911]

Respect Kelly... Andy was the myth though for me...

[@sweethair2310]

slater gives "interview" -no hes just getting inside of his competitors minds thats all he does so funny that he WILL get another title fools KNOW their gonna lose slater when they paddle out lol

[@rotsen995]

weed now is not some crazy stigma shit . I mean come on grand mother smoke medical weed. now cocaine meth heroin and crack that's drugs.

[@rpinpr61]

It took KS approx. 7:49 to stay PC and say nothing.

[@kt-tu6jl]

He’s a great surfer but he could give a shit bout anyone but himself

[@erickane7093]

Gun control, proper training, proper background checks, (conceal and carry adds to respect and curtesy, cause we can shoot back) Not any kind buy and own. Just we need a drivers license.

[@tonysmario817]

wow, you gave 10 whole seconds to the question of MORALITY...right after kelly explained that 'culture' is to blame for the extreme nature it exhibits. i guess you didn't see the connection...or maybe you did, and the answer made you blush. either way, pretty lame to ask the MOST IMPORTANT question and then cut off the answer. thumbs down on the editing.

[@TheKaffeeKlatsch]

Progressivism is immoral. Any philosophy that condones using force against other human beings is immoral.... enjoyed hearing Mr. Slater talk about topics other than surfing, but he might want to dig a little deeper on subject matter.

[@TheKaffeeKlatsch]

Chris Nelvin You should refrain from guessing.... you're not very good at it.

[@TheKaffeeKlatsch]

Chris Nelvin By recognizing the tenets of Progressivism and other collectivism type political philosophies.

[@Beachnative42]

This comment is the most ridiculous comment ever "Any philosophy that condones using force against other human beings is immoral" is. Simply put, it could be used for any opposition to ANY party.

[@TheKaffeeKlatsch]

Beachnative42 Not to my philosophy..... Voluntarism.... My rights end at the tip of your nose, and your rights en at the tip of mine. Nobody has a right to the livelihood of another human being, only a right to make their own way without violating the rights of others. Progressivism using state sponsored force to take from one group and give to another..... Theft, simply put.

[@Beachnative42]

Oh so you're from the school of removing the middle class, got it. That philosophy wants the US to become a third world country and everyone paying their fair share is an outrageous concept. You make more, you pay more, that's life. Don't like it? Then test yourself by moving to a country that allows that type of assbaggery. You'll leave skid marks coming back to the US or what ever country you are in. This new so called new idea of trickle down economics has failed for over 30 years because it has another name and the bible talked about it, GREED. The flip side of this is people living off of the gov't. Aid is not a life style it should be for those in need and I get it. But look at corporate America today, look at any retail fortune 500 company, know what their MO is? Get the gov't to pay as mush as they can for benefits that we should be offering and bitch about corporate taxes too. Look at the practices of Wal Mart, Lowes and Home Depot for instance. They no longer hire full time employees to get away from offering benefits. Heck Wal Mart even taught their employees how to get federal assistance, that my friend is corporate welfare. Is that OK with you? While Kelly is a surfing phenomenon, ambassador to the sport and an incredibly nice guy, his view of politics to you is not polished. Well guess what? He is not a politician, he is entitled to his opinion and his delivery. Personally I'm glad he didn't have a "know it all" opinion but a "hey this is what I think" attitude, maybe that is why he is love by millions of fans...oh yeah or is it he surfs pretty good too ; )

[@kitbrogan]

Err... Is it just me or was that one of the most incoherent and contradictory monologues online? I love this guy's surfing, he is a real hero of mine but he really needs to stick to what he does best. Re Guns "I'm against owning guns, but I mean I'm not necessarily against people owning guns." Pure comedy drivel. Now off to watch some Kelly surfing - heaps better.

[@jasason10]

Kelly stick to surfing.

[@countryroadstakemehome]

Jason stick to umm.. being a kook.

[@ryanjcure]

Kelly is really smart

[@bert_gimspon]

Kelly Slater is over rated. All he has to do is have common sense and everyone will want to give him a trophy for it.

[@davestuddaman8127]

You grew up with guns. Every rifle is semi- automatic, Kelly. The guy walked into a dark movie theatre with a rifle, period.

[@edwinatollstoy4837]

I think Kelly has gained wisdom as he’s aged, probably always intelligent, don’t think you can be an elite athelete without intelligence, but wisdom requires more than mind, it requires knowledge, heart and experience (wisdom being to some degree the ability to put the knowledge you gained from your experiences to good use).