Stand Real Still, Kelly Slater
Attendees at the Jan 15–17 run of the Surf Expo trade show in Orlando, Fla., were treated to an unusual sight—a larger-than-life clay Kelly Slater statue alongside a much smaller bronze model dedicated to the nine-time ASP world champion. The two Slater doppelgangers, created by artist Natasha Drazich, are part of an ongoing project that, if it receives the necessary funding, will culminate with the larger version cast in bronze beachside in Cocoa Beach, Fla., Slater’s hometown.
The project, appropriately called The Kelly Slater Project, will not receive public funding, leaving the artist to raise funds from private contributors. The surfer, who last year also received his own beer and has for years had namesake boardshorts made by his sponsor, Quiksilver, is not part of the project. He did not pose for the statue. Rather, the artist used images of Slater’s iconic style and a Slater stand-in as references for her sculpture.
For more information on Drazich’s homage to Slater, visit the artist’s Web site.
