Kelly Slater destroys three boards in one surf at remote West African wave dubbed the “Namibian Rickshaw” as the race begins to make it to Tahiti in time for his last-ever event

Derek Rielly

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"We found the nose of one of Slater's boards two-and-a half-kilometres down the beach!”

The eleven-time champ Kelly Slater is in a race against time as he hustles to make it to Tahiti for what may be his last ever contest at Teahupoo, the waiting period beginning in only two days. 

Slater, who is fifty-one, joined the conga line of tube-wranglers, which included popular surf vloggers Nathan Florence and Jamie O’Brien, to the Skeleton Coast wave called Donkey Bay or, more colourfully, “The Namibian Rickshaw.”

The popular WSL commentator Strider Wasilewski, who also made the sixty-hour journey from Los Angeles, described it as “the craziest longest most barreling wave ever and a very satisfied, adrenaline filled soul! The freedom of the desert and the beat down of my body, the greatest equalizer ever, thank you surfing. BTW, this wave is really hard to ride and very heavy, I don’t recomend going unless you are in amazing surf shape and an excellent surfer.”

Slater said he destroyed three boards in one session at the joint and when he asked if he enjoyed Donkey Bay said “it donked me yesterday.” 

 

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Of course, even in his sixth decade Slater remains one of the sport’s best tuberiders, and his form, unsurprisingly, was demonstrably sharp.

 

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Slater’s record at Teahupoo, meanwhile, is otherworldly, eighteen events for seven finals and five wins with an average…average… heat total of 16.29.

 

Horror spreads across Maui as out-of-control wildfire devastates historic Lahaina town forcing residents to hurl themselves into ocean

Chas Smith

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Apocalypse.

Any surfer with a heart has eyes glued on Maui and the unthinkable devastation happening there now. The Valley Isle, typically a vacation paradise for upper-middle class mainlanders, big wave aficionados and fans of Mtv’s hit 2007 show Maui Fever, has been ravaged by out-of-control wild fires.

Dry winds, spinning off a passing hurricane, quickly whipped flames through western parts of the county including historic Lahaina town which has been burned to the ground along with its port and many neighborhoods.

“It’s a real loss. Hawaii and Maui have tried really hard to preserve and protect those places for many, many years … not for the sake of tourism but because it’s part of our cultural heritage,” Senator Gilbert Keith-Agaran declared.

Lahaina was once the Kingdom of Hawaii’s capital.

The fires, catching officials completely by surprise, moved so fast that residents in certain parts of the island became completely cut off and had to hurl themselves into the Pacific in order to survive. Hospitals are currently overwhelmed with burn and smoke inhalation patients with major airlines canceling flights so as not to add to the problem.

“We are already in communication with other hospital systems about relieving the burden – the reality is that we need to fly people out of Maui to give them burn support because Maui hospital cannot do extensive burn treatment,” acting Gov. Sylvia Luke said. “In addition to dealing with disaster, we’re dealing with major transportation issues as well.”

Thus far, six deaths have been reported with the number certain to climb.

Officials are asking residents to conserve water so that firefighters can better battle the blazes and also to stay off the roads to reduce congestion.

“911 is down. Cell service is down. Phone service is down. And that’s been part of the problem,” acting Gov. Luke added.

Those witnessing the carnage are calling it “an apocalypse.”

Truly calamitous.

The American Red Cross is on the ground providing both logistics and shelter. Donate here.

Surf enforcer Kala Alexander vows to mete out North Shore justice on internet scammers!

Chas Smith

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"If you give me $500 I will give you 5000 slaps."

Not long ago, our surf world was a different place and especially on Oahu’s fabled North Shore. Bad behavior in the water was not met with police calling or social media shaming but with points to the beach and fisticuffs. Interlopers dared not even peek at iconic breaks such as Pipeline, where paks of wolves terrorized, much less dream of paddling out.

Kooks, in general, minded their Ps and Qs.

Those who thought they might be welcomed to paradise were quickly ushered to hell and few were more feared than Kala Alexander.

The specter, hailing from Kauai, very much looked the part. Fearsome eyes, knuckle tattoos, Brazilian jiujitsu training, a rap sheet. His name was whispered in hushed tones, no one wanting to draw unnecessary attention.

Times changed, as you know, a softness settling over western civilization as it identitys itself into extinction but, hours ago, Alexander reminded all that North Shore justice still exists and may simply be hibernating.

The subject of his ire?

Internet scammers.

As anyone with a phone or computer knows, messages promising money for little, or nothing, are ubiquitous. While most consider it background noise, victims are sometimes snared and Alexander has a message for those responsible.

Taking to Instagram, a forum favorited by sneaks, Da Captain declared:

So sad how much people are falling for the “give me $100 or $500 and I will give you $5000 or $8000 or whatever.” Listen people even if someone offers you 10$ if you give them $1 ITS A SCAM !!!!! Don’t do it people. Listen if anybody hits you up with the scam just send them to me I am offering this once in a lifetime deal for scam artists. All they have to do is give me $500 and I will give them 10,000 slaps. Do not shoot a video for them and do not give them any money please people don’t do it. Just send them to me.

But what do you think true market value for one slap is? $500 for 10,000 slaps seems a pretty good deal, to be honest.

In any case, have you ever fallen for a scam? Did it make you feel small and lonely?

I’m sorry.

It ain't a tuberiding party if Kelly Slater ain't there!

Kelly Slater filmed in remote west Africa chasing mythical endless tube dubbed the “Namibian Rickshaw” only days before his last-ever contest in Tahiti!

Derek Rielly

By

Kelly Slater joins conga line of legendary tuberiders at a wave brokered to the world by a computer nerd in 2008!

One of the most beautiful things about Kelly Slater is, even at fifty-one and with twenty mill or so in his purse, his pursuit of barrels is as relentless as it was thirty years previous.

And yesterday, continuing into today and with a spike in the swell expected tomorrow, Slater’s vast suntanned presence has overshadowed a stacked crew of the world’s most accomplished tuberiders including vlogger Nathan Florence, little bro Ivan, Jamie O’Brien, Craig Anderson, Harry Bryant, Balaram Stack, Brett Barley, Benji Brand and WSL commentator Strider Wasilewski at Donkey Bay in Namibia.

 

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The story of Donkey Bay aka The Namibian Rickshaw is pretty wild:

The joint was fiercely protected by a cadre of locals and South African surfers until it was  brokered to the world by a magazine and a computer nerd in 2008.

The Google Earth challenge was a Surfing magazine initiative to shoot a little out of the box, readers using the then new Google Earth tech to discover secret waves.

Deal was, you tell the mag, they let you join a photo shoot to the joint.

Brian Gable, an IT specialist, was a runner-up to the contest in 2007 (a wave in Western Sahara was chosen though no trip was made).

His loss drove him nuts.

As he wrote in Surfer,

“From that moment, I committed to nothing else. Logging some serious late-night hours online, I focused on studying the country, the terrain and bathymetry, the people, the marine life, weather-patterns, the cost, travel, logistics, etc. I corresponded with locals halfway around the world. Obsessed and possessed, I selfishly put personal and professional duties aside and spent my days formulating the ultimate package for the ultimate magazine surf trip. To me, it wasn’t just a free adventure for myself. It was a chance to prove that the gem I found not only stood up to every other world-class setup, but was on the very short list at the top. Then, on Wednesday, Sep 19, 2007 at 10:03 AM, I got the call. First prize, the Indians take the pennant, the whole freakin’ enchilada!”

Skeleton Bay, of course, is now a photo studio, many pro’s and so on.

Better than snorting crystal blow, as old-timers used to say.

Watch how it was discovered here!

 

Ethan Ewing, always in fine form at the dangerous Tahitian reef.

Updated: World #2 surfer Ethan Ewing breaks back while practising for Tahiti Pro at site of 2024 Paris Olympic Games

Derek Rielly

By

Australia's Ethan Ewing has been scratched from Tahiti Pro after a spine-shattering wipeout.

The Australian world number two Ethan Ewing has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming Tahiti Pro after breaking the L3 and L4 vertebrae in his back while practising for the event.

At around nine-thirty in waves described as “six foot, sold, west and proper” Ewing wiped out and was shuttled to shore on a jetski.

As per WSL form little mention has been made of the injury save for “Ethan Ewing has withdrawn following an injury sustained while practising at Teahupo’o.”

 

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The twenty four year old from North Stradbroke Island famously won the Bells Beach event this year 40 years after his late mama had won the women’s there and was considered a considerable chance to wrest the world title from Filipe Toledo.

With Finals Day less than one month away, that appears less likely.

More as it comes.

Photo: Steve Sherman/@tsherms
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