Kelly Slater won his 11th ASP World Title, twice, last week. It was an honor to be there for both celebrations and definitely goes into my personal history books as one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The fact that it happened at Ocean Beach is some sort of a mini-miracle, and no doubt holds major significance in my mind.
This photo is from the second win on Sunday November 6th, which was not as wild as his first but still an exciting moment given that it his exit from the water was preceded by the most unbelievable barrel I have ever seen.
Jon Weiand/Ocean Beach Bulletin
Coaches dotted the beach with binoculars, friends and girlfriends waited with towels and oversized sunglasses, and locals lined the beach watching one of the most high-performance out of contest sessions ever to grace Ocean Beach. Here, an unidentified pro breaks his fins loose as a warm-up to the Rip Curl Pro Search in San Francisco, CA Sunday October 30.
As a side note, when you’re a poor college local publication photographer you shoot with a 500mm Samyang mirror lens. That’s manual focus, single aperture (00), fixed length. I’ll be renting a $6k lens during the contest.
Jon Weiand