Kelly Slater: For the Love (Hardcover)

by Kelly Slater (Author), Jack Johnson (Introduction), Phil Jarratt (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
No one knows eight-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater better than Kelly himself. In this revealing and heartfelt tribute written with surfing veteran Phil Jarratt the world's best surfer riffs on a life filled with big wins big money and big loves. Interviews with friends and fellow surfers unearth amazing anecdotes and hundreds of photographsósome never before publishedócapture the greatest victories and the quietest moments in equal measure. This beautifully produced book marks the first time Slater's story has been told in full color and reflects the latest twists and turns in an incredible and unconventional life.

About the Author
Kelly Slater is the most successful professional surfer in history, with an unprecedented eight world titles to his credit. Born in Cocoa Beach, Florida, in 1972, he now divides his time between homes in Florida, Hawaii, and Australia's Gold Coast. http://www.kellyslater.com/ Phil Jarratt has been a journalist, author, and editor since before Kelly was born. Among his many books are the surfing best-seller Mr Sunset, and Home, the biography of tennis star Evonne Goolagong. He lives in Noosa Heads, Australia. Jack Johnson is a Hawaiian-born singer/songwriter. His chart-topping albums include Brushfire Fairytales, On and On, In Between Dreams, and Sleep Through the Static. Before becoming a successful musician, he often surfed big waves with Kelly in Hawaii.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811862224
• ISBN-13: 978-0811862226
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #109,440 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surfing Is Love, October 24, 2008

By	Lazerize (Neptune) - See all my reviews

As of this review, Kelly Slater has clinched a record 9th Asp World Title at the age of 36. What we are witnessing is the climax of perhaps the greatest competitive athlete in the history of sports. Kelly Slater's achievements as a surfer are perhaps a result of a phenomenal combination of physical, mental and spiritual synergy. Incredible performance surfing is a challenging combination of physical and mental coordination involving aspects of rhythm, timing, power, speed, flexibility, creativity, reaction, instinct, and balance. No other sport requires the unique amount of grace under pressure all controlled by complicated laws of physics. Perhaps that is what makes surfing so utterly spellbinding, captivating and magical. It is hard to explain in exact words what is going on, even for expert surfers. Everything is moving so fast, and at the end of the day you remember the feeling. And that is what brings them back for more. I believe that surfing is perhaps one of the greatest intimate experiences humans can experience. There is nothing more "in the moment" and engaging than surfing. We are not seeing Slater's utter dominance of competitive surfing as a result of his desire, rather his absolute love and passion for the act of surfing. He has transcended that love into his performances. I do know that something deeper is going on. Surfing holds a quality in itself of happiness. There is nothing more spiritually pure than the act of surfing. Surfing is Love. Every surfer knows that, and perhaps none more so than Kelly Slater. For The Love features over 300 Full color photographs from the life of Kelly Slater. Comments from people who have known Kelly Slater his entire life, and comments from Kelly Slater about his life. Beyond fascinating, For The Love is a deep look into the mind of one of the world's most unique human beings and the events that helped shape his destiny. In a non-mainstream fringe sport such as surfing, in a sport that is perhaps more misunderstood, stereotyped, and cliched as surfing, from a state and a country that regards surfing as more recreation than sport, has risen perhaps the greatest individual human athlete the world has known. For The Love.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Part inspiration, part heroism, part beautiful story..., May 18, 2009

By	Mary Eastham "Author" (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Kelly Slater is the male me - he works hard at his art, he lives inside his head a lot of the time and he's tryin' to do the hard work of figuring out his place in the world beyond surfing. For me, he's a thinking woman's dream - athletic and evolved. I'm happy that he's finally found the 'big love' of his life, someone who makes him feel calm and just better.

This book gives you more than a glimpse into the world of Championship surfing.It inspires you. I've bought this book for several of my friend's kids in the hope that it will steer them toward their own passion. Sometimes I just look at the pictures and pretend I'm an ocean dancer like Kelly. I really enjoyed his beautiful story...Mary Kennedy Eastham, Author, 'The Shadow of a Dog I Can't Forget' and the upcoming novel, 'Night Surfing'

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Top pictography of world's greatest surfer , March 15, 2009

By	Sacramento Book Review "SacramentoBookReview.com" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

While not quite a coffee table book of surfing photos, and not quite an illustrated biography of the nine time Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour champion Kelly Slater, For The Love is an interesting combination of the two. There are plenty of action photos of Slater surfing, after-the-action pictures of quiet time on the beach, and crowd scenes from the events and others in the hundreds of pictures selected for inclusion.

Slater has plenty of stories to share, from the many championships he's competed in, to thoughts on parenting, recycling, the environment and the future. Also included are many short stories from many of Slater's friends and competitors, who most often fill both roles. Many of the pictures are original to this volume, and are often full page, or covering a two-page spread. This is a good follow-up companion to Slater's 2003 autobiography Pipe Dreams, just with a great deal of pictures.