Kelly Slater Speaks About New Tour

The nine-time world champ breaks his silence on ESPN’s plans, the ASP and his critics

Kelly competing on the current World Tour in France.

“When you have the influence to make change, it's irresponsible not to do the right thing with that, and the surfers have that ability as a group.” – Kelly Slater

By Tim Baker

There’s little doubt that Kelly Slater has been stung by widespread criticisms of his perceived involvement in a proposed new pro surfing tour. Allegations that he was “cashing in” at the end of his career, dividing the sport, and even undermining the world title campaign of Joel Parkinson have been hurled at him since news of the proposed “ESPN Tour” broke during the Jeffreys Bay event.

While Kelly has sought to distance himself from the new tour, claiming he knows little more about it than any other surfer, his manager Terry Hardy is deeply involved. And after meetings with ESPN in California during the US Open, Kelly is in a position to comment in more detail on the tour, the motivation behind it, and his response to his critics.

“I will say that surfing has been my life since I was a little kid,” said Kelly in an email to ASL over the weekend. “Change always freaks people out and has caused a lot of negative stuff (along with positive) to be thrown my way,” he says. “I don't understand that ’cause I'm not changing anything alone and without full surfer support. My only hope is to create a better environment competitively for surfing. The current structure is outdated and although it served a purpose at one time, in this day and age it's either time to change things while it's possible or continue to allow an outdated business model to limit the industry and hold back our tour's potential. If at the end of this the fans and the surfers have a better platform, why is anyone complaining? When you have the influence to make change, it's irresponsible not to do the right thing with that and the surfers have that ability as a group.”

While Kelly has been upset by the new tour being described as “Kelly’s Tour,” there’s no doubt he has been encouraging other surfers to listen the organisers’ case, and that his endorsement would be key to its success. Why does he see the need for a new tour?

“My main motivation is firstly to see pro surfing set up properly from the ground level,” says Kelly. “Most people out there probably don't understand the need or why this is happening. The ASP does not own their own media rights, the events (sponsors) do. This limits and effectively stops any chance to actually do business outside of what is controlled by the current sponsors, and the event sponsors are never going to vote away those rights at the board level (which they also control 50 per cent of). Ultimately, this change is clearly the best thing for the surfers themselves. Also, it's to provide the best platform to show surfing and create the most dynamic format that gives everyone surfing the best chance to give the top performance they can. All this talk of trying to undermine what Joel is doing right now on tour is completely false. I don't seek to take away from surfing or what surfers are doing. In fact, just the opposite. If this is the right thing, Joel himself will be key to it's success as will the other surfers.”

One of the inducements of the new tour is that organisers are offering comprehensive insurance coverage for all competitors, something that has been a sticking point between the surfer’s union, the WPS, and current event sponsors. They are also being offered travel and accommodation expenses and a share in an annual bonus pool for all competitors.

Joel Parkinson after his first of three wins so far this year.

“All this talk of trying to undermine what Joel is doing right now on tour is completely false. I don't seek to take away from surfing or what surfers are doing. In fact, just the opposite. If this is the right thing, Joel himself will be key to it's success as will the other surfers” – Kelly Slater.

How would the surfers be chosen for the new tour? “That is to be determined by the surfers themselves,” says Kelly. “Personally, I would suggest a combination of ways, obviously contest results determining most guys, the bulk from current ’CT then a number from top ’QS results.  I think there should be a trials format at each venue to pick two to four guys who are the best at those locations and then a couple spots each for tour-chosen wildcards (at each event or full year exemption) and sponsor wildcards. I would think something like this would make most sense to the guys involved and the fans. This would never be just some cherry picked group of media friendly guys. That undermines competitive credibility altogether. I'd also like to see ex world champs and past event winners have certain exemption periods to show at those events (if) they want to and get a spot. Maybe if you come in as a qualifier/wildcard and win an event you guarantee yourself a seed the following year and wouldn't have to surf a ‘QS style system at all. It should have more incentives like that and interesting chances tied to it. You should have to qualify as anyone else but if you can beat the best guys consistently at any spot maybe that should be your proof of qualification.”

Would the winner of this new tour be called a world champion?  “Most likely that is the objective but only if it's unified as the only world champion,” says Kelly. “Nobody wants to split surfing down the middle. Surfers will ultimately decide this if and when it happens also.”

If the "ESPN Tour" gets off the ground we may see more surfers like Rob Machado in comp jerseys.

“This would never be just some cherry picked group of media friendly guys. That undermines competitive credibility altogether” – Kelly Slater.

The choice of event venues and the logistics of gaining permits from local governments and organising events is a complex one. Most current WCT events have been running for years, and all those issues ironed out of time. Rip Curl’s floating Search events take a good 12 to18 months to organise. Is it realistic that this new tour could be up and running by mid 2010? “It sounds like they're getting some serious and genuine interest from current events and some sponsors who can't even afford to run events in the current format. That would probably work itself out, though we will see people doing their best to try and stop it from happening from inside the current system,” says Kelly.

Recent discussions between ASP and organisers of the new tour have hinged on whether they can work together under the ASP umbrella to produce one unified world title, or whether the ESPN tour goes it alone. To use a cricketing analogy, what remains to be seen is whether this tour – if it gets off the ground – would become a World Series Cricket style breakaway tour, or a lucrative IPL-style sideshow to traditional competition.

Kelly is clear that his preference is for ASP and ESPN to work together. “It seems like good progress is being made on some fronts going forward, and also many hurdles to be jumped and people who would like to see no further progress be made on it weighing in behind the scenes and mostly in private to try and derail positive change. As I understand it and would like to see it, ASP would fully continue in terms of surfing’s governing body,” Kelly says.

While Kelly insists he has “as many questions as anyone” about the precise format of the proposed new tour, more details are emerging.

The so-called “Champions Surf Tour” would be made up of 16 surfers - 12 to14 regulars and the rest wildcards. They would compete in eight events spread over a five month season from July to November, culminating in a final world championship event. Each event would have a seven to eight day waiting period and take one and a half days of actual surfing time. A one hour TV show would be produced on each event and televised through ESPN within a week of the event, reaching a potential 98 million homes. A dedicated web production team, including commentators, would work on the entire series of event.

Organisers of the ESPN Tour have forecast some sort of formal announcement this month, and the back room maneuvering between now and then will be fascinating. Stay tuned.