"I'm hanging up my Mav's guns and never paddling out again."
Earlier today, the noted big-wave surfer from Santa Cruz, Ken Collins, also known, variously, as Skindog and Skin Dizzle, announced he’d quit Mavericks for good.
12/18/18 Monday was one of the best days I have ever been out at Mavz. Grateful. @small_wave was calling it a Collectors Edition Mavz Dayz. With all the special features n shit. And that’s how I want to remember my last day surfing Mavericks for the rest of my life. So that’s it, that’s a wrap, I’m hanging up my Mavz Gunz and never going to paddle out again. I don’t want my last day to be an injury, because I feel too old, or I am bitter at the crowds. It’s because I am 50 years old (old af) and the timing is perfect. The day was perfect, the vibe was perfect, and my time to kick out…..perfect. Don’t worry y’all will see me on a boat or ski smashing a Modelo, watching the Best Show On Earth screaming from the side lines, cheering all the players in this epic game. I have been Chasing Monsters for over 30 years and now it’s time to start chasing other dreams, like epic powder days in Tahoe with my family.
An elegant sign-off and reminiscent, I think, of Matthew 5-13.
“Ye are the salt of the earth. But if the salt hath lost its favour, wherewith shall it be salted?”
A very brief recap of Collins’ career.
In 2007, he won the Billabong XXL Ride of the Year and Monster Tube category on the same rowdy Puerto wave, netting fifty gees.
The win came two years after a wipeout at Jaws two years previous that cracked his emotional plate.
“I told myself I wasn’t going to do this anymore, but then I had a complete change of heart,” Collins told Surfer. “I went back and changed my equipment and focused on the safety angle a bit more and it all came together.”
In 2013, Collins turned on Laird Hamilton who’d said unkind things about Carlos Burle and Maya Gabeira and their pet wave Nazaré.
And, in 2016, he nearly drowned at the Titans of Mavericks contest.
“The water hit me. I was so disoriented, going in all directions. This is the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” said Collins, who was held under by three waves. “Things happened fast. So easy, so quick, when the water hit me, it felt like the whole ocean came down on me. I thought I had a concussion at first, I was so dizzy. I’ve never been hit so hard. It was coming down my throat.”
Mavericks, of course, ain’t a stranger to killing.
The Hawaiians, Mark Foo and Sion Milosky, died after hold-downs in 1994 and 2011 after chasing swells from their Pacific island homes.
“When u know u know,” Flea Virotsko wrote in response to Collins’ announcement.
In 1998 Flea almost died when he was washed into rocks on a day Collins described, then, as “tubing death wishes.”
I dunno, just fading away seems to be going ok for me, right now. Horses for courses.
Skinny is core strong. I’ve had the fun of watching him grow from the most enthusiastic grom on the planet, to the most enthusiastic man on the planet. No Fear. Smarter than. Great surfer, any size waves. Great family. Great way to move forward. Briefly shared a house with Skindog on the West Side, near Stockton Ave., with Ward Coffey. All young then. Vibe was supreme. Peace Kenny! Stay lit. Healthy lit o’course!!!!
someone remind him in 5 years of this post when his mind gets an itching to surf it but his body has grown even older.
Skin dog is classic
You gotta know when to go.
i think it should read “savor”, (meaning taste) not favour.
Good on ya Skinny. Although I kinda don’t believe it. But good on ya anyway.
A guy with skills, brain and a good heart. Have a happy goodbye to Mavs and ride all the other waves that you like!
Boys Update!
“I have been Chasing Monsters for over 30 years and now it’s time only chase them on land in society”. Fixed it for you Collins, see you at the coming Yellow Vest Revolution Party….keep the gun close!
Viva La France
“Gilet Jaune”
Listen very carefully , I shall say zis only once .
“Viva, vive, and vivat are interjections used in the Romance languages. Viva in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, Vive in French, and Vivat in Latin are subjunctive forms of the verb “to live”. Being the third-person, subjunctive present conjugation, the terms express a hope on the part of the speaker that another should live. Thus, they mean “(may) he/she/it live!” (the word “may” is implied by the subjunctive mood) and are usually translated to English as “long live”.”
Vive la République, vive la France !
Bravo! (In French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and English adopted)
Obrigado .
“Collins turned on Laird” — say no more
it’s decided, I’m not doing it also…
what a drama queen
says you! https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
If Skindogs doing it, that’s it. I also will never surf Mavs (again).
Ke11y should use this as a teaching moment
i want to up vote, but it’s on 11… that seems like enough
What are the chances he retires as Ke12y?
My honest, non snide opinion: Kelly might, just might – if his body holds up, and the big guns have a shit day, and he has an absolute blinder – make it to the finals at Pipe or Teahupoo. No chance of nr 12, though.
He still is one of the big guns himself.
He’s won Pipe,Chopes and Cloudbreak all over the age of 40.
And at least a dozen times under 40.
That other guy most say is the best in the world the last 5 years,Jo Jo Flowers or whatever his name is,still hasn’t won any of them in his prime youth.
Yep, I just don’t think he can do anymore. Juuust a hair too old (no pun intended), and with a body finally giving in.
Finals at the big lefts, possibly maybe, but no more wins, and no more titles.
But that’s just my prediction.
Yep . Even If the big 3 lefts were always big ( not this year ) and always there ( Fiji no longer ) and he took 20000 points ( winning pipe and Tahiti ) then I still can’t see him sneaking another 35000 to take the title .
JJF multiple Triple Crowns, multiple Pipeline contest wins, charges at Teahupoo, and massive Cloudbreak… You’re comment and name tripping on John is lame..
Kelly himself described Florence as the best surfer on the planet.
Kelly could win another WT. But he would have to up his air game significantly to even get in the door with JJF, Gabbs, Felipe, Italo, Julian, etc. — and with that foot injury?
20% possibility at most.
Totally agree with you about JJF.
However it doesn’t change the fact he’s still 0 x Pipe masters champ, 0 x Chopes champ and 0 x Cloudbreak champ (and will remain so if they don’t get it back on the tour).
In the same period since JJF joined tour Slater has won all of them and so has Medina apart from Pipe twice.
JJF might be the most naturally gifted at these waves (maybe all waves) but it certainly doesn’t mean he’s the best contest surfer at them.
Or he just the unluckiest best surfer in the world perhaps?
Can’t see Slater at 46 (will be 47 by next year’s events) upping his air game against those guys who are mostly over 20 years younger than him.
That’s just reality of the physics of a human body ageing.
Would be the same in any other sport that requires athletic ability.
Hey they can all have girls names.
Gabriella Madonna, Filipa Toledo, Julie Wilson, Jody Smith.
Kelly has always had one though lol.
Happy Holidaze brother…
Time will tell…
He’s just really slow at getting his tally started hopefully.
I’m sure everyone thought when he was 18 or 19 he woulda had at least half a dozen of those trophies on his mantlepiece by now.
Happy, funny, family guy who charges and rips. Remember when he faced off with the harbour police when they banned jet skis at Mavs…
He told them to their face “I’m going out there to watch over my friends and maybe save a life, I don’t care what you say or do”. Hope he keeps smiling whatever he’s doing. Legend.