Tom Curren re-wrote surfing, and Slater exploded the envelope of that genius. Both Slater and Curren are soft spoken, well spoken, extremely polite, and avoid the idiotic surfer jargon and slang. Both are superb athletes, Curren is surprisingly shy in person. Never met Slater, but he is an absolute God of surfing.
To this day no surfer can come close to matching Curren's style. When it comes to style Curren is in a league of his own. If you play a video of him surfing and pause at any moment he looks incredibly balanced and smooth. Poetry in motion.
Exactly! Modern surfing is wild, but kinda skateboardish??? old skool, cool, smooth, stylish, uniquely elegant, ????? Sorry but it's the olskoolin me! BARRY Kaainapuni misspelled 4sure,BK mo ezy ,sunset any size condition, he's legendary!! Check it out, fo reals! Aloha
Amazed that their styles where similar at that time. Good thing is Kelly chose Tom's style and even bettered it over time. Tom was kinda a mentor of sorts while both on the same team with AL Merrick.
Curren's timing is so perfect and his surfing so fast and smooth here it's hard to appreciate how technical and advanced it is. Kelly despite his new school tricks still looks like a kid in comparison.
I grew up in Melbourne fla when slater was in Coco. I was 6 years younger and he was our local hero. I was in the lineup with him twice, and I remember thinking this guy can’t compete around the world. No way. Ha
Yeh but it's 30 years since that event, im sucker 4 big wave crew but after Eddy, Derrick, Gerry etc came the kid, now the Goat, soon he'll be Zeus , Methuselah who knows, he'll be 50 sn, but the Best I ever watched Inc Ho n that's big praise from me, a nobody 4 60yrs 😃😝😊🤙🇦🇺🖖 really, all time,
I love Slater's face in that Trestles podium clip. He's looking all nervous like he wasn't sure he won. And everyone else fully knew that he surfed laps around them.
Slater greater than Tom (Current)...? You mean, Slater won more titles. But Slater's surfing style is not as great as Current's surfing style. Current's is majestic, Slater's circus-like.
most wct surfers are better than curren ever was these days..he was a top surfer for his time but hardly compares to the new school pro surfer....and yeah, kelly is a way better surfer than curren ever was.
Props to Buttons for having this style 20 years prior!!
Tom Curren re-wrote surfing, and Slater exploded the envelope of that genius. Both Slater and Curren are soft spoken, well spoken, extremely polite, and avoid the idiotic surfer jargon and slang. Both are superb athletes, Curren is surprisingly shy in person. Never met Slater, but he is an absolute God of surfing.
To this day no surfer can come close to matching Curren's style. When it comes to style Curren is in a league of his own. If you play a video of him surfing and pause at any moment he looks incredibly balanced and smooth. Poetry in motion.
this surfing is incredible, personally i think this is better than the new school style of surfing
Juston I agree. Seems sharper and snappier
Exactly! Modern surfing is wild, but kinda skateboardish??? old skool, cool, smooth, stylish, uniquely elegant, ????? Sorry but it's the olskoolin me! BARRY Kaainapuni misspelled 4sure,BK mo ezy ,sunset any size condition, he's legendary!! Check it out, fo reals! Aloha
I was there then, in the public!! Funny to see it again
Amazed that their styles where similar at that time. Good thing is Kelly chose Tom's style and even bettered it over time. Tom was kinda a mentor of sorts while both on the same team with AL Merrick.
Slater was like oh shit they gave me a bottle of champagne, I'm to young to drink.
Too young to drink? On ne le trouve pas en France 🇨🇵🥂
I absolutely loved your video. Ted
Can't compare the two styles.both are awesome!
Curren's timing is so perfect and his surfing so fast and smooth here it's hard to appreciate how technical and advanced it is. Kelly despite his new school tricks still looks like a kid in comparison.
I was stood on the beach watching…Lacanau was cool in those days! (Grande Pins Camp site)👍
Two legends
I grew up in Melbourne fla when slater was in Coco. I was 6 years younger and he was our local hero. I was in the lineup with him twice, and I remember thinking this guy can’t compete around the world. No way. Ha
@Mosquito1961, I agree, though Curren's style was extraordinary for 1983, 7 years prior to this.
Dave Weaver and I played a set of doubles against those two in Biarritz on clay courts right around that time...
It's been 8 years since this video was posted and Slater is still competing!
It's been 3 years since you've wrote that, and he's still competing.
This video is 30 years old, and he’s still competing.
Yeh but it's 30 years since that event, im sucker 4 big wave crew but after Eddy, Derrick, Gerry etc came the kid, now the Goat, soon he'll be Zeus , Methuselah who knows, he'll be 50 sn, but the Best I ever watched Inc Ho n that's big praise from me, a nobody 4 60yrs 😃😝😊🤙🇦🇺🖖 really, all time,
He should retire, nowhere near anyone's level in small point breaks, still charges barrels tho
It’s been 6 years since you wrote that and he’s still competing!
Tom Curren was/is a classy surfer and a classy guy.
2 great surf heroes
Great heat!
I love Slater's face in that Trestles podium clip. He's looking all nervous like he wasn't sure he won. And everyone else fully knew that he surfed laps around them.
Tom Curren Rules!
tom curren is a legend and young kelly, was already showcasing his talent and radicalness..
Kely parece hj que está com o mesmo preparo físico de antigamente tiro o chapéu para ele está quebrando.
Che spettacolo unico...
Tom Curren is the man with his fluid, strong, chill surfing, shredding in 3 ft slop to 20+.
The best vs the very best
Both are equally Legendary in their own right
Curren will always be the number one. Doesn't do airs - doesn't need to
Passing the Torch!
judges were not schooled yet on what was radical surfing
1:20 look at all that hair!!!
Those boards hurt my eyes
Lacanau pro 🔥🔥🔥
The people who gave the thumbs down should hang up there boards and stop surfing,and give some respect to those guys
Curren was so bad ass, my favorite surfer for sure......
If we only knew then what we know now
Looks like Slater was doing the more progressive surfing in that heat. I think Slater is the winner in this heat
So who's replacing Kelly now that he's retiring . And I know Tom Curren still surfs for fun , they should party together .
John john Florence for sure, he is the future of surfing right now
wow
of course he had hair what do you think he was born bald? Check out slaters early days around 1990-1992for when he was so young and a rookie
KELLY SLATER BROKE THE RULES!
Amen Brother man! #FLRepresent God IS Great !
Slater didn't stand a chance? Whatever Ian
indeed owen right
@darrenwilsonV2 are you his agent?
tom... only cuz im from sb
Missing the airs
PT says Slater is better than Curren? Competitively, yes, free surfing, no.
Andy Irons is still king, dead or alive.
cLassic. Curren is God
You play that whole heat again for modern day judges we all know wins #DaKing
Kelly very explosive when young
Looks like Kelly won this heat. Curren was not surfing more radically or 'better'.
lol they hand kelly a champage bottle and he try's to give it to curren haha
he looks like jeremy flores in the interview haha
am i the only one who thinks kelly surfed better here?
Slater greater than Tom (Current)...?
You mean, Slater won more titles.
But Slater's surfing style is not as great
as Current's surfing style. Current's is majestic,
Slater's circus-like.
ITS MARK RICHARDS,AND ALL I WAS SAYING THAT KELLY IS BETTER THAN CURREN.. THEN YOU REPLIED TO ME WITH ALL THIS RABBLE ;)
I wish I could tan like Kelly and not have to use sunscreen...
curren looks a little......baked. or something.
HE HAD HAIR!
I thought he just didn't grow hair.
most wct surfers are better than curren ever was these days..he was a top surfer for his time but hardly compares to the new school pro surfer....and yeah, kelly is a way better surfer than curren ever was.
I say Curren won, because of favoritism!
Hes fried.