Best Sections of All-Time: Kelly Slater in Black & White

We’ve been hearing a lot about the new faces on the 2024 WSL Championship Tour. The wonder boy from Maui, Eli Hanneman, The San Clemente 2%ers and WA’s Jacob Wilcox. And all that fresh blood on tour also got us thinking about the rookie days of the oldest competitor on tour.

In 1990/91 Richard Woolcott traveled the world with Kelly documenting the story of the kid who would become the greatest surfer of all-time and in the process Wooly made probably the most prescient surf film ever: Kelly Slater in Black and White. One of the greatest surf docs or films ever made.

Today, over 30 years since his first Pipeline Masters Title, Kelly enters his 31st year on tour, and while he is no longer “the new guy” he’s still “the guy.” His most recent career victory came in 2022 at Pipeline and eight of his 56 career wins are Pipeline Masters titles.

Times may have changed for Kelly since he was sleeping on the floor in the guest bedroom of his team managers house before getting peppered with questions at the breakfast table while he mows through his cereal. There wasn’t a webcast for a good portion of his early competitive career, which is why this film is more important than ever today. —Brandon