Product Description

Six–time world surfing champion, actor, and US heart–throb Kelly Slater tells of the struggles and triumphs he's experienced throughout his life and how they have helped him to become one of the world's most loved sports figures.

From beach blanket bingo to Baywatch, surfing has fascinated people for years, and Kelly Slater is the sport's newest star. He's one of the world's most popular surfers; his radical moves have revolutionised the sport. Born in Cocoa Beach, Florida, in 1972, he found surfing to be a great way to escape problems at home. When he was 11, his parents divorced. Slater and his brother, Sean, were raised by their suddenly single mother, who struggled to support two young sons. After Slater's surfing career took off, he made the transition into acting and modelling. He spent a season starring on the popular television show Baywatch, where he won the hearts of women young and old, including Pamela Anderson, whom he dated for about a year. He has also been featured in Versace ads.

In Pipe Dreams, he shares the stories that have influenced his life and have inspired him to overcome both personal and professional hurdles and achieve his dreams.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #480776 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-01
• Released on: 2004-07-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780060096311
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author

Kelly Slater is a world-champion surfer who came out of semi-retirement in 2002. When he has time he sings with his band, The Surfers. He owns the Kelly Slater Boardrider's Club, a clothing and surf shop in Los Angeles, where he lives.

Customer Reviews

An Introspective Look At The Greatest Competitive Surfer Ever
Seven Times World Champion. An incredible comeback. Numerous professional surfing records, a stint on Baywatch- Kelly Slater is recognized as the greatest competitive surfer of all time- living or dead. For anyone wanting to know more about Kelly Slater as a person, and as a surfer, and how he got to where he is- this book is for you. Kelly is one of the smartest surfers on tour, and this is part of the reason he's won as much as he has. He has literally reinvented modern day surfing through his own self analysis as a surfer and a human. Kelly hasn't won seven world titles on sheer ability alone. Well- maybe. He is such a great athlete, because he is constantly looking to improve on his weaknesses. He was critically analyzed everything about himself and his surfing. I've been fascinated with Kelly because I started surfing on the east coast, and there was always alot of talk about him. Alot people say Kelly comes across selfish and conceited in this book, but I think Kelly is just trying to be honest. That's the way his personality is. He thinks rationally. He would truly be the last person to brag or boast. People like Kelly are going to have alot of good things to say about themselves. Although he is the greatest surfer of all time, he is human just like the rest of us. I've listened to Kelly speak in person, and he is one of the most rational, down to earth, considerate surfers I've ever seen. After he won his 7th title, the first thing he did was look for Andy- to thank. So what more could we want to know? Kelly Slater has lead an incredible life. The man is a freak. Basically the book, chronicles his every competitive win and accomplishment as an athlete-down to the latest tenth of second in his 4th heat in round 3. Well not quite, but close. Kelly doesn't hold back about other things as well. He talks about the death of his father, and how that affected him powerfully, his relationship with Pamela Anderson, and his daughter Taylor. Kelly talks about his relationship with people who have helped him along the way. I enjoyed reading about his rivalries on the tour, and how he dealt with that. He talks about his influences in surfing, and in real life, and his childhood in Cocoa Beach. There is alot of information to be taken in, and at the end of the book, you can safely come to the conclusion that Kelly is a competitive machine. And he knows this, and that is why he is so damn good. He has focus, determination, discipline, and the mind to realize all this. There are alot of never before seen black and white photos throughout the book, as well as color photos. An entertaining, fascinating, and introspective read. Recommended.

Pipe Dreams, may haunt you
For readers expecting the champ to keep pace with the ever-increasing quality of surf literature, you are in for a disappointment. The only conclusion I can come to is that this was written for pre-teens. I believe even they would be left wanting more. I felt as if I was reading a chronological timeline of surf contest results while sprinkled in were tidbits of interesting relational, or situational, anecdotes that were never developed or cut short. This man's story could have gone into so many interesting directions but one direction was never made clear. So why the three stars anyway? Because he has given us the first roughly hewn look into some personal experiences that shaped him.
All the raw paragraphs did expose the champ as someone less enviable, maybe a little less balanced out of the water, but with one internal drive: his competitive nature. Between these pages are the things he cares about most. We are witness to a man in development and someone still searching. This biography leaves the reader feeling they have received an unedited glimpse into Mr. Slater's life. An interesting segway that needs to be explored further is the story of the changing of the guard. I know that Kelly Slater was at the heart of a revolution in the way competitors viewed each other, as friends, as fellow artist and musicians, and as renaissance men. This revolution changed the face of surfing forever. I know because I have seen the difference in surf literature and films and in the water. Mr. Slater, thanks for the effort, but you still have more to offer us, in and out of the water.

Very Good
I really enjoyed this book. The basic story of Slater's life is interesting, but his honesty about his feelings is what I enjoyed most. It's easy to think that guys who tackle huge waves never know a timid moment in their lives, but Slater's comments about his feeling timid against big surf, and feeling timid on dry land in the form of having a shy personality when he was a kid, were reassuring to someone like me who certainly has felt fear in the water and was a shy kid, too. (Slater was voted "best looking" at his high school, so in a way his shyness didn't MATTER, since girls came after HIM. I wish I'd lost my virginity as young as he did! But nonetheless, his honesty about his feelings are endearing and interesting.) And if you're a surf nut, just reading his take on approaches to surfing, his experiences with different breaks, and his evolvement as a surfer are interesting. Sometimes it feels like THE MATRIX where Neo/Slater blows it a lot during the learning process, but it's those mistakes that make for a rapid learning curve. P.S. Aug. 2, I had Kelly sign the book yesterday at the U.S. Open in Huntington Beach, after he introduced Tom Curren at the ceremony where Curren impressed his feet and hands in cement. I told Kelly I'd finished the book and liked it, and he said, "Thanks a lot," but seemed maybe a little disbelieving, since the book had only been published a couple days before. But I did read it in only a couple days...because it's a good read.