Early Blessing by default 2012-04-13 at 12.00.01 PM

Subscribe Magazine Digital

Early Blessing » by default 2012-04-13 at 12.00.01 PM

Contest Wire

Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One Before

They say if you walk in like you own the place, then you’re halfway to where you’re going. Well, Kelly announced his arrival at Cloudbreak this morning by burning some hot laps on his jet ski through the lineup, shooting follow-footage of local surfer Aca Lalabalavu who was heavily piped at the time. Kelly dismounts and paddles straight out for his quarter against Seabass, and that’s when things really start to burn. John John, still dripping wet, catches Kelly’s first perfect 10 and comments, “I don’t know, but from here it kinda looked like a 20.” John John didn’t know how prophetic he was being, because it’s only a matter of minutes later that Kelly draws another wall of Pacific toward him. It’s bigger, foamier and throatier than the first, and tail of his 5’10” quad is doing it’s best to skip out from under him. CJ offers, “Man, that thing was a bull ride!”…and it was another 10. That’s your perfect heat, right there folks, the fifth in pro surfing and Kelly’s second. History made before 10am. The signs for the rest of the day are there early. When Kelly comes in and starts talking about the significance of the feat, he adds the caveat that, “Man, the way the waves are out there today, someone could go real close to getting another one.” And when he says someone, well, you probably know who he means.

Videos

The Gold Standard

Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, Josh Kerr, and more score at Kirra and elsewhere in Australia.

Opinion

Hype Beasts

The much-hyped swell event at Teahupoo has quickly become a real-time global spectacle. Whether or not that spectacle is worth celebrating, however, is something to consider.

Photos

Round Two

Another day of massive, pumping Teahupoo.

Photos

Tahiti Untamed

Teahupoo returns to center stage as the first monster swell of the year rolls through.

Arts and Culture

The Top 5 Beards in Surf

The surf world is occasionally blessed with prodigious facial hair. Here's a list of contemporary favorites.