Over the past year, competitive has become more inclusive of transgender athletes鈥攁 move that has placed Australian surfer 鈥檚 right to compete 听at the center of a global debate.

In December 2021, Surfing Australia鈥攖he national governing body for competitions and surf clubs鈥攁llowed transgender athletes to compete in the category that corresponds with their gender identity, as long as they follow a comprehensive set of rules. The move sparked a response from the two international bodies that oversee Olympic surfing qualifications: The International Surfing Association (ISA) and World Surf League (WSL). In November 2022, the ISA published its own rules for transgender inclusion, and in February, the WSL adopted similar criteria. Both rulebooks follow guidance from the International Olympic Committee, which says transgender athletes can compete in the women鈥檚 category as long as they adhere to testosterone requirements.

The new rules had a profound impact on Lowerson, who is believed to be the first and only out trans woman to compete in WSL events. Lowerson, 44, competes in longboard competitions.

鈥淲hat it changed was, before I didn鈥檛 feel safe,鈥� Lowerson told 国产吃瓜黑料. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 feel like there was a support network. And then to see that there actually were influential people that were supportive and there was a network of safety being created. For me, that was, subconsciously, the thing that made me say, yes, I would compete.鈥�

Lowerson has participated in a handful of competitive events since the ruling, most recently the WSL鈥檚 Manly Beach Classic longboard event, which will conclude on Friday, May 5.

The ISA鈥檚 rule change was spearheaded by Dr. Lee Rice, a San Diego-based family practice physician who specializes in wellness and sports science. Rice is the chairperson for the ISA鈥檚 medical commission, and told 国产吃瓜黑料 that he was aware of how other Olympic sports had created rules for including transgender athletes. While attending a 2022 panel discussion on the topic at the IOC headquarters, Rice decided to begin his own research into the topic, which eventually led to the new policy.

鈥淲e knew that we had to have some criteria developed because other nations now are starting to have competitions that will qualify people, theoretically, for [the 2024 summer Olympics], and they鈥檒l want to know what our standard was,鈥� Rice said. 鈥淲e had to be fair to those countries so they were properly educated about what’s legitimate and what’s not available.鈥�

According to the ISA, a transgender woman can compete in a women鈥檚 event by maintaining a testosterone level less than 5 nanomoles per liter of blood for 12 months, which requires . Rice said the new rule was born from conversations he had with a wide swath of scientists, sociologists, and athletes. The rules represent the ISA鈥檚 commitment to safety, fairness, and inclusion, he said. Built into the legislation is a mandate to reevaluate the decision as more data on transgender athletes becomes available.

The announcement, however, generated vocal opposition from some prominent surfers. Global surfing icon that the governing bodies should simply create a different division for transgender athletes. And surfer Bethany Hamilton, who over the past few years has competed in several elite-level WSL contests and was the subject of two films about her surviving a shark attack as a teenager, posted an saying she would boycott WSL events if the rules remained.

鈥淚 personally think that the best solution would be to create a different division so that all can have a fair opportunity to showcase their passion and talent,鈥� Hamilton said. 鈥淏ut we are seeing instances of male-bodied dominance in women鈥檚 sports like running, swimming and others.鈥�

Hamilton did not respond to 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 request for comment. Her Instagram posts were picked up by dozens of media outlets, and sparked nearly 26,000 comments both in support of and against the rules from professional surfers, members of the surf industry, and fans. Her comments also came at a time when the rights of transgender citizens and their access to related medical care have increasingly become political and cultural flashpoints across the United States. And the pushback from Hamilton, Slater, and others has placed surfing within the ongoing global argument around transgender inclusion in elite sports.

In 2021 the for transgender inclusivity, but allowed various sports鈥� governing bodies to create the actual rules. This has led to a patchwork of legislation. World Athletics, the governing body for track and field, who underwent male puberty听from participating. Cycling鈥檚 governing body, the UCI, to maintain a testosterone level of less than 2.5 nanomoles per liter of blood for 24 months in order to compete. Both sports have grappled with public pushback to their respective rulebooks for either being too lax or too restrictive.

Rice is well aware of the cultural and political context in which he and the ISA are working. But he鈥檚 also confident in the thoroughness of their research and discussion, which along with science experts also included athlete representatives.

鈥淲e want to be as inclusive as we can and we want to be as fair as we can,鈥� said Rice. 鈥淪ometimes you can鈥檛 be 100 percent inclusive and also 100 percent fair. So you have to say, 鈥極kay, what’s the most reasonable thing to do, all things considered?鈥欌��

For Lowerson, being thrust to the center听of the debate has produced a wide range of emotions. While she said comments like Hamilton鈥檚 are disappointing, she also frequently gets messages from trans and nonbinary surfers who have been inspired by her story to continue with the sport.

鈥淕rowing up, not having an ambassador as such鈥攁 role model鈥攖hat had led the way was a big reason for me not to take that first step [and transition] for so many years,鈥� she said.

Lowerson says that she struggled with mental and physical health problems before deciding to transition at age 40. As a teenager, she began to feel that her body didn鈥檛 match her identity.

鈥淚 knew I was meant to be a girl,鈥� she said. 鈥溾�榃hy is my body deceiving me?鈥� was the thing I used to say all the time.鈥�

Over the years, she tried to transition a handful of times. At each juncture, she was stymied by psychologists, medical policies, and legal hurdles. Most of all, she feared losing the thing she loved most: competitive surfing. She鈥檇 started competing as a child, testing her mettle at the junior level before moving on to the WSL longboard tour, where she continued to compete as an adult.

Yet, contests also forced her to confront her struggle with identity. Of those early events, she said, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going out to a heat and they鈥檙e calling the names out. I always hated my name because it reflected a male persona.鈥�

鈥淚t would reflect in how I would compete,鈥� she continued. 鈥淚 would either go out and be mind-numb and not even catch waves. Or put really good scores on the board because I would have blocked it out. That was quite hard.鈥�

But in 2020, she reached a breaking point, and says she tried to kill herself. 鈥淭hat was the catalyst for me to go, You either be you or you die. And I don’t want to die,鈥� Lowerson said.

That year, she began a medical and social transition. In early 2021, Lowerson called Surfing Australia to inform them of her new name and offer to help teach them about trans issues. She didn鈥檛 plan to compete again, but hoped she could create a safe space for the next generation, for the type of woman that she could have been.

The organization, it turned out, was more than a few steps ahead. Months prior, officials had engaged an advocacy group called Pride in Sport to help guide them on how to be more informed about and inclusive of gender-diverse athletes. By the time Lowerson called, internal education had already begun.

鈥淭hey were leaps and bounds ahead of where I thought they would have been,鈥� Lowerson said. 鈥淭o already have had training in how to use pronouns properly was really refreshing. Especially in light of how misogynistic the surf industry can be. It was amazing.鈥�

For now, as the sole known trans competitor in professional surfing, Lowerson is a central figure in the coverage and discussion of trans inclusion in the sport. For some, like Hamilton, her presence presents a threat. For those advocating in favor of transgender rights, her presence reflects respect.

鈥淲e look at these attacks that are attempting to restrict the participation of transgender girls and women in sports as really an attack on trans girls鈥� and women’s humanity,鈥� said Joanna Hoffman, the director of communications for Athlete Ally, an organization working to end homophobia and transphobia in athletics. 鈥淓veryone deserves to be who they are in all parts of their life and that should include sports.鈥�

Hoffman thinks that testosterone levels are not the only determinant of athletic ability鈥攁 belief also held by some who oppose trans inclusion in women鈥檚 sports. But she sees training, access to coaching and gear, skill, and tactics as even more important.

鈥淭here are so many things that make someone a good athlete, and to reduce it to testosterone is also an insult to athletes who work really hard,鈥� she said.

Lowerson, meanwhile, is savoring her unexpected return to the surf lineup. In March, she competed in the WSL鈥檚 Noosa Longboard Pro, where her run ended in the quarterfinals. 国产吃瓜黑料 of competition, she鈥檚 also been enjoying her role in expanding trans inclusion in surf. In March, she joined forces with other听 likeminded surfers and allies to create , a collective to support trans athletes.

As for the WSL and other surf organizations鈥� policies, Lowerson sees good intent鈥攁nd works in progress. 鈥淚 believe they’ve done a good job so far. Trans athletes are here and here to stay.鈥�

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If you鈥檙e a surfer, you鈥檝e dreamed of riding Kelly Slater鈥檚 perfect鈥攁nd private鈥�man-made waves in Lemoore, California. A steady stream of highlight reels and competitions have been run at the protype of the听15-million-gallon pool since its unveiling in 2015, and, despite a seemingly constant arms race of wave-pool technology across the world, it is still widely considered the best man-made wave听on the planet.听

The only way听to ride the waves at Lemoore is by invitation through the World Surf League, the sport鈥檚 professional governing body, which bought the facility in 2016, or by renting听the entire place for a full day for $50,000, according to . To date, only a small fraction of the surf world has gotten a crack at the barreling, nearly one-minute-long waves. To say that demand is high is an understatement: most surfers would drown their best friend for a chance to try听one of the ruler-straight waves.

Well, you may finally get your shot (without drowning your buddy). On February 25, plans were revealed for a $200 million development in California鈥檚 Coachella Valley called Coral Mountain. The new facility听will feature Kelly Slater Wave Company technology but will be used for a bigger, 18-million-gallon pool听and as the 鈥渨orld鈥檚 largest man-made wave.鈥�

The new project is backed by Meriwether Companies听and Big Sky Wave Developments, the latter of which is a real estate development company started by Michael Schwab, son of Charles Schwab, who is also a surfer and who 鈥渙riginally invested with Kelly in 2013 for [his]听own personal surfing progression,鈥� according to the .听听

Meriwether Companies partner Noah Hahn says the pool鈥檚 surf will be very similar to that found at听Lemoore, and that reporting of the 鈥渓argest man-made wave鈥� has been inaccurate. The basin and ride time (2,000 feet and about 50 seconds, respectively) will be close to the same as the prototype, but there will be extended pools at the ends of the basin for secondary鈥攁nd easier-to-ride鈥攚aves to form.

Hahn says听the basin will be able to handle a capacity of 25 surfers at a time. This seems like it might be a stretch. I surfed in Lemoore with four people听and wouldn鈥檛 have wanted any more than that. The capacity will largely depend on what those end pools look like and the quality of those waves. Most likely they will feature softer reform dribblers more suitable to beginners than advanced surfers.

The 400-acre site in the town of La Quinta, a two-and-a-half-hour drive听from Los Angeles, will feature a 150-room hotel and up to 600 homes for sale, ranging from $1 to $5 million dollars, according to the AP. The development will also include ponds for paddleboarding, mountain-bike trails, a climbing gym, and skateboarding runs, according to Hahn.听

Access to the pool and these other facilities will be exclusive to those staying at the site鈥檚 hotels and to听members, residents, and their guests. In other words, if you鈥檙e听not a member or homeowner, you鈥檒l听have to rent a room in the hotel and then pay for the wave by the hour.听

鈥淭he analog for this is a golf course with a hotel and private membership,鈥� Hahn says. 鈥淲e want our messaging to be inclusive as opposed to exclusive. There鈥檚 not enough capacity to open it to the public for day use, but if you stay at the hotel, you can get on the wave.鈥�

Hahn said they鈥檙e not ready to comment on what it would cost to rent a room or surf for an hour, but if the prices of the homes are any indication, it will still be quite costly for the average surfer. And with only 25 surfers allowed in the pool at a time, I鈥檇 bet that the coveted spots will sell out faster than you can pop up on a wave.听

Construction is slated to begin in 2021, with its opening planned for 2022. According to the Desert Sun, that makes Coral Mountain , two of which are backed by other well-known pro surfers like C.J. Hobgood and Kalani Robb, albeit using different technologies.听

The exclusive nature of Slater鈥檚 wave technology will certainly play into the new development鈥檚 demand. His听wave is created by a giant hydrofoil (imagine an underwater wing) pulled along by some 150 truck tires. As it moves forward, it pushes water ahead of it and onto shallow portions of the basin, where the wave then breaks. The wave听is long and nearly flawless鈥攂ut the machine only makes one every four minutes. One right, then one left, then one right, and so on for a day.听That鈥檚 only 15 waves an hour, or 120 in eight.听

, one of the other pools being built just up the road in Palm Desert and slated to open in 2022, will use , which already powers听facilities in Europe and Australia. That tech can create up to 1,000 waves an hour, with rides of up to 16 seconds (still far longer than an average ocean wave). These pools can host far more surfers, with far more on-wave time and, as a result, will likely be less expensive. But they鈥檙e still not the best man-made wave听in the world.听

Four wave-riding facilities moving forward in one valley is interesting听but not surprising. Given the proximity to the L.A. sprawl and its economy, plus Southern California鈥檚听vibrant surf culture听and its crowded lineups, it was only a matter of time. There鈥檚 a reason the greater Palm Springs area has over 100 golf courses: it鈥檚 sunny more than 300 days a year and there鈥檚 plenty of accumulated wealth within driving distance. Now it looks like this slice of desert will be a surf destination for those who like their waves chlorinated.

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Last week, a video of people hydrofoiling off Capistrano Beach in Dana Point, California, made the internet rounds.

Even when the hydrofoilers zoom directly over the animals, the sharks don鈥檛 seem to care.听Since drones became a ubiquitous sight听off beaches and piers, amatuer filmmakers have been capturing videos like these and sending them to the media, who, in the words of Chris Lowe, professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University at听Long Beach, 鈥�.鈥� People tend to get a bit freaked out when they realize how close we can unwittingly come to some of nature鈥檚 most refined predators.听听

The听Shark Lab has started to use drone footage to study why sharks, often baby or pregnant ones, tend to hang out in shallow waters as well as how they behave when they encounter humans.听

鈥淲e have a lot of footage and anecdotal evidence of sharks swimming around where humans play, and as long as people aren鈥檛 harassing them, the sharks just don鈥檛 care,鈥� says Lowe.听

And often 鈥渢he surfers don鈥檛 even notice,鈥� he says. For example, pro surfer Kelly Slater听didn鈥檛 seem to be aware of a shark that听 his GoPro footage in 2014.听

Lowe hopes to have data on sharks鈥� attitudes toward close-proximity humans in a couple of years. For now, 鈥渨hen there are a lot of people and sharks in shallow water together, most of the time听nothing happens,鈥� he says. However, swimming in groups and avoiding the water at dawn and dusk can reduce your risk of encountering sharks, friendly or not.听

In withdrawal after the end of ? Here鈥檚 even more drone footage:

Sharks Approach Surfers听

Sharks Circle Surfers in South Africa

Tiger Shark Passes by Swimmers in Miami

Sharks and Surfers Within Feet of Each Other

Surfer Falls onto a Shark

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A few months ago, , Kelly Slater鈥檚 surf-fashion-eco-concious apparel company, launched its first ever women鈥檚 line. And we, the women editors of 国产吃瓜黑料, are here to tell you that the collection听really, really rocks.

I tend to be skeptical of outdoor听companies鈥� forays into the world of lifestyle apparel. The end result, especially for women, tends to be too beige and too boxy.听Granted, Outerknown is known for making sharp-looking, wearable men鈥檚 stuff, so I guess I shouldn鈥檛 have been surprised by the quality of the women鈥檚 clothes. But still, it鈥檚 rare for a company to nail a brand-new collection for lady shredders听and that is absolutely what Outerknown appears to have done.

A few weeks ago, the company shipped a box of eight products to our Santa Fe office for our staff to test. (We did not specifically request this gear, nor did we pay for it.) We did happily wear the clothing throughout the month and found that it appears uniformly well made (durable, sturdy fabric that鈥檚 still soft and supple) and that the cuts were fun and cute.

Take my favorite piece, the . If Carhartt partnered with Lululemon to make a full-length jumpsuit, I imagine you鈥檇 get something like Outerknown鈥檚 S.E.A. It鈥檚 made from a mix of cotton and linen, which makes for fabric that looks burly, yet feels buttery. I can鈥檛 imagine I鈥檓 going to run into any wear issues with this thing, at least not for years. I鈥檝e worn it to work, then into my garden, and it鈥檚 ideally suited to both places. Do I look like a mechanic? A little bit, yeah. But at least I feel like a sexy one when I鈥檓 in it.

Really, the only obvious flaw we鈥檝e seen across the collection is in sizing: many pieces seem to run pretty small and I鈥檇 suggest sizing up if you鈥檙e thinking of buying. The extra-small and small seem to run fairly true to size, but the medium and large were tiny. One of our editors ended up with a large cropped sweatshirt, even though she almost exclusively wears medium in other brands. I guess that鈥檚 the skinny surf industry for you.听

Here鈥檚 what the other editors had to say about the pieces they tried.

Vintage S.E.A. Tee ($48)

I鈥檓 always on the hunt for chic basics that will last. checks all the boxes: high quality, a nice cut, and thoughtfully made. The Vintage S.E.A. Tee鈥攖hat stands for Social and Environmental Accountability, referring to the ethical standards behind its manufacture鈥攊s knit and dyed in Los Angeles, and sewn in Mexico in a Fair Trade Certified facility, meaning the makers have been paid a premium to produce it.听鈥擜li Van Houten, editorial fellow

Currents Dress ($128)

is lightweight and flowy, and the fabric is semi-sheer鈥攁ll things that add up to keeping you cool on warm days. Plus, it鈥檚 super cute, with big bell sleeves. The dress is made entirely of organic cotton, which uses less pesticides than conventional cotton. 鈥擜V

Solstice Hoodie ($118)

I wear everywhere from at the climbing gym to the office. At first, I was a little skeptical of how the shorter crop would look on my long torso (I'm 5鈥�11鈥�), but the sleeves fit perfectly and the mid-section hits just below my bellybutton鈥擨 wear a workout tank underneath for a layered look. The Solstice is fitted enough that it鈥檚 flattering but baggy enough that it hides my post-climbing burrito babies. 鈥擜bigail Wise, online managing editor

Costa Shirt ($98)

This is . Wear it with black pants and flats to dress it up or denim cut-offs to dress it down. Plus, the linen-nylon blend looks even better a little wrinkled, ideal for tossing it into the bottom of a suitcase. 鈥擜W

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Mission Workshop Anaga ($180)

When you鈥檙e charging hard, the last thing you want is to get tangled up in your shorts. These slim-fit bottoms were the stretch颅iest in the test, thanks to a nylon-颅elastane blend that allows you to squat and pop up on a surfboard without restriction.

Vans Surf ($100)

Like the Anaga, Vans鈥檚 latest is beautifully unobtrusive. It ditches the fly for reduced bulk and features low-profile taped seams. Most important, the waist adjustment is on the hip, so there鈥檚 nothing bumpy between you and your board when paddling.

Toad&Co Cetacean Block ($70)

UPF 50 protection and pajama-soft polyester-spandex fabric make these perfect for long days lounging in the sun. On the inside, a bumpy weave helps lift the fabric from your skin for better airflow.

Outerknown Apex by Kelly Slater ($145)

Our favorite daily driver, this sleek suit 颅features bonded seams, so there are no stitches to chafe. Laser-cut holes on the sides and back pocket drain water for quick drying.

Patagonia Stretch Hydroflow ($119)

The lightest, most packable boardies we tested, the Hydroflow is ideal for warm waters. Cut from featherweight recycled polyester and spandex and given a DWR coating, they don鈥檛 hang heavy when drenched. Plus, the colorful pattern looks great around town after a day on the water.

Howler Brothers Waveform ($59)

For pure toughness, these burly trunks win big, with a cotton-poly material that holds its shape so you don鈥檛 wind up with a waistband full of sand. As a bonus, four pockets (two with button closures) hold wallet, keys, and other sundries for after-session cervezas.

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Never mind the surfing for the moment鈥攋ust take in his physical presence. At 21, Kelly Slater looked as if he鈥檇 been cloned from a bead of Elvis Presley鈥檚 Jailhouse Rock sweat. Today, at 46, he can out-handsome Jason Statham. At 70, he will be three-quarters Paul Newman and (sun damage taking its bitter toll) one-quarter Iggy Pop.听

We looked at Slater a lot in 2017, as he says it will be his听. And as we looked, we pondered many Slater-related stats and metrics, ranging from the wondrous to the surreal, beginning with his 11 world titles spread across a 29-year run as a professional. Then there are his 55 World Tour wins, seven Pipeline Masters victories, and 19 Surfer Poll Awards. The list goes on. Break Slater鈥檚 career into two pieces, right around the year 2000, and he鈥檇 be both the first and second winningest surfer on the tour. Or try this. When 颅Slater made his pro debut in 1990, current world champ John John Florence was negative two years old. Florence today gets the kind of rave reviews Slater did in his unbeatable prime. Still,听颅Slater holds an eight to five advantage in head-to-head matches against his young rival. In August 2016, when the two met in a final, in coral-颅grinding barrels at Tea颅hupoo, Tahiti, Slater did everything but take Florence over his knee for a fatherly spanking on the way to an easy win.

Meanwhile, with the听听and its听machine-made, pool-spawned, endlessly replicable perfect surf, Slater has performed the wave rider鈥檚 equivalent of solving cold fusion while simultaneously driving the sport into its first existential crisis. The rarity of good waves, and the eternal chess game a surfer must play to be in the right place at the right time to catch them, has 颅always defined surfing, shaped it, given it character. The pursuit is 98 percent longing, 2 per颅cent fulfillment. To surf is to suffer. Thus, on December 18, 2015, when Slater dropped a surprise video debut of his freakishly perfect wave, located in the manure-scented flats of Lemoore, California, the surf world froze on its axis. Wave scarcity is over. Or it will be at some now visible point in the future.听

. Watch it again. There鈥檚 Slater at daybreak, looking like a million bucks in a winter jacket and wool cap, breathing steam, standing at the foot of his pool, waiting to get a look at his machine operating at full strength. The wave comes, but we don鈥檛 see it. The camera stays tight on 颅Slater as his eyes go wide, his mouth breaks into a huge, shocked grin, and he lifts his arms, saying 鈥淥h, my God!鈥� It鈥檚 a joyous moment. And maybe a little chilling. Slater jumps up and down and starts laughing the laugh of a man who has changed his sport forever.

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This film Continuance Pt. II is the second installment of a multi-part documentary series听exploring the life of . In this film, Slater competes听at as part of the . During a warmup session, however, Slater injures his foot taking him out of the competition.

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On December 15 last year, Kelly Slater made a key addition to his surfing r茅sum茅. That day he released a of himself gliding through a series of squat, glassy barrels. In the clip, the waves come one after another, and they鈥檙e perfect. They ought to be鈥攖hey were the product of ten years of R&D by the Kelly Slater Wave Company in California鈥檚 Central Valley.听

鈥淚t was the most incredible bit of surf pornography we鈥檇 ever seen,鈥� says Jess Ponting, head of San 颅Diego听State University鈥檚 . 鈥淚t was a one-video paradigm shift.鈥� Artificial waves have been around for decades (see 鈥淎 Brief History of Surf Parks,鈥� below), but they鈥檝e been puny鈥攎ore gimmick than game changer. Slater鈥檚 may be the first that serious surfers actually want to ride. But his company is just one of at least a half-dozen racing to bring surf pools to those willing to pay to ride a consistent break鈥攅ven if the ocean didn鈥檛 produce it.

鈥淵ou could call it a wave war,鈥� says Robert Reynolds, an investment banker and consultant who specializes in surf parks. 鈥淲ithin the industry, there鈥檚 quite a bit of drama.鈥�

One of the men on the front lines is entrepreneur Doug Coors, who鈥檚 currently completing the , Texas. NLand uses technology from a Spanish company called 颅Wavegarden, and its six-footers are good for 35-second rides through Texas Hill Country. (The waves in Slater鈥檚 video appear to be about four feet.) The park will also offer a barbecue pit and a brewery. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the first of many we鈥檒l develop,鈥� says Coors. Slater, for his part, has been linked to plans for a park on San Diego鈥檚 waterfront.听

Building a surf park isn鈥檛 cheap鈥攅ach pool costs about $20 million鈥攂ut at least a dozen of them are scheduled to open in听the next few years in Russia, Spain, and 颅Hawaii, among other locations. The snapped up Slater鈥檚 company this spring for an undisclosed sum, and there鈥檚 talk of adding a competition park to the World Tour or 颅including artificial waves in future Olympics. 鈥淭here are so many surfers in the world and a finite number of great spots,鈥� says Wayne Bartholomew, former president of the Association of Surfing Professionals. 鈥淏eing able to produce a wave that breaks 24/7 is really appealing.鈥澨�

At least it鈥檚 appealing to businessmen. 鈥淪urfing鈥檚 more fulfilling in the ocean,鈥� says Australian board shaper (and park designer) Greg Webber. 鈥淏ut when it鈥檚 beautiful and predictable, there鈥檚 a crowd.鈥� Surf parks are geared toward people who may live hundreds of miles from the coast but want to try getting on a board. Promoters and entrepreneurs have been trying to reach those potentially lucrative customers for decades, with little success. What鈥檚 different now, says Tom Lochtefeld, owner of , is the technology. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a space race,鈥� he says.

Lochtefeld spent millions pursuing tech similar to Slater鈥檚, which works by dragging an underwater sled across the bottom of the pool at a rapid clip. The 颅resulting wave is beautiful, but riders must wait 90 seconds for the next one to roll by. That might be a problem from a business standpoint. Fewer waves per minute could mean fewer customers. Lochtefeld thinks he has a solution, in the form of a scale model that sits in his听San Diego office. Perfect peelers鈥攁lbeit only six inches tall鈥攔oll down a 40-foot-long tank every eight seconds, pushed along by puffs of air from pneumatic engines. The company plans to turn a canal in the Dutch city of Rotterdam into a wave pool and to use the technology at a park outside Bristol, England.

But a firm called , located just north of San 颅Diego, is trying to beat him to it. 鈥淟ochtefeld says that pneumatics are the greatest thing, but he didn鈥檛 even invent the system,鈥� says Bruce McFarland, who owns AWM with his wife, 颅Marie. Seventeen years ago, McFarland worked for听Lochtefeld, and the breakup was not a clean听one. After McFarland left Wave Loch, Lochte颅feld filed for patent infringement. His suit was eventually thrown out, but the experience rankled the McFarlands, even as they have their own plans to open a three-pool park outside New York City next year.听

What differentiates AWM鈥檚 pneumatic system from the technologies used by Wave Loch and Slater, McFarland says, is that it鈥檚 customizable. 鈥淚鈥檇 call Kelly鈥檚 wave a point break, and it鈥檚 great,鈥� says pro surfer Cheyne Magnusson, who is on retainer with AWM. 鈥淏ut here it鈥檚 pretty much wherever your imagination can take you. For a surfer, that鈥檚 mind-blowing.鈥�

By way of demonstration, Magnusson grabs an iPad wired into a tank and 颅begins firing off a series of vacuum chambers, which can shoot air at any 颅angle. 鈥淚 can hit all the chambers at once and make a big closeout, or do them in succession and make a simulated point, or do a combo swell where you shoot them at each other and make a peak,鈥� says Magnusson. 鈥淚t really gives you the kinds of dynamics the ocean throws at you. The first time I tried it, they had to drag me away.鈥澨�

The industry is betting big that consumers will feel the same way. 鈥淧eople are ready,鈥� says McFarland. 鈥淭hey saw the Slater wave. Now they want to know what鈥檚 next.鈥�

A Brief History of Surf Parks

1969: Big Surf, the first wave park in the听U.S., opens in Tempe, Arizona.

1985: The first surfing competition on an artificial wave takes place, in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

1993: 国产吃瓜黑料 heralds the听鈥渓atest trend.鈥�

2012: Pro Sally Fitzgibbons learns to stick听a reverse aerial at Wadi Adven颅ture, a park outside Dubai.

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Last October 17 was a mixed day for surfing on the west coast of Portugal. On the south side of Peniche, a small oval-shaped rocky peninsula poking out into the Atlantic, winds were gusting onshore at about 25 knots, leading organizers of the , the penultimate event in the 11-contest , to call for the fifth lay day in a row as they waited for conditions to improve. Things were better on the north side, so many of the pro surfers who had come to town for the event went to a beach there to chase down the occasional barreling swells. Among them, Kelly Slater, at age 42 the oldest competitor on the tour by six years, was probably the least enthusiastic.

鈥淚 had it in my head space that I was going to go golfing,鈥� Slater told me a few weeks 颅later. 鈥淚t looked really hard to find a good wave.鈥�

A friend encouraged Slater to at least get in the water, telling him that they would just catch a couple and then come in if it wasn鈥檛 any fun. So they pulled on their wetsuits and paddled out into the head-high sets. After a few minutes, Slater scored a little tube.

A couple of minutes later, he dropped into his second wave, turning to face it as he raced under the folding crest. In front of him, the wave began to crumble. It was going to be a short ride. Back on the beach, , a 20-year-old California pro known for aerial acrobatics, had told Slater that the strong offshore winds made it possible to catch huge air if you launched off the top of a wave. Slater figured this was a chance to try something new.

He was surfing at a high speed, and as he approached the tumbling whitewater, Slater crouched low and spread out his arms, coiling his upper body and aiming for the lip. He shot skyward and began spinning, his board now higher than his head. He went around once, then kept going, completing another half-rotation and landing backward in a sea of froth with his board pointing toward the shore. Then he spun another 180 degrees in the water and stood up.

Shortly after, . Four hours later, a professionally shot video that included commentary by Slater and other pros who were on hand in Portugal was on YouTube. The surf world erupted. Comments sections on surf websites lit up with a debate over whether the trick was a 540 or 720. A few younger pros had come close to landing something similar over the past year, but none had pulled it off. Nobody would have predicted that Slater would be the one to do it鈥攅specially not on his first try.

Slater was barraged with dozens of texts from pros expressing admiration or indignation. Industry pundits contemplated whether it was the greatest aerial in the history of the sport. A technical breakdown of the maneuver by skating legend Tony Hawk circulated. Mainstream media outlets like , , and reported on the 鈥渕ind-blowing鈥� stunt.

With a single stunning move on an unremarkable wave, Kelly Slater had shown the world that the bald geezer of competitive surfing was still its undisputed king. For the next month, nothing else that happened in the sport really mattered.

Slater caught his first wave when he was five years old, near his hometown of Cocoa Beach, Florida. He won his first world title in 1992, at age 20, making him the youngest champion in surfing history. He captured five titles in a row between 1994 and 1998, got bored and went into semi-retirement for a few years, singing lead for an acoustic rock band called the , then came back to win five more titles, the most recent in 2011, when he beat his own record for being the oldest champion in the sport鈥檚 history. In 2012 and 2013, he finished in second place, both times narrowly losing out in the points race in the final event of the season, the Pipeline Masters, on the North Shore of Oahu. In December, he arrived at Pipeline in third place, clinging to an outside chance at a world title.

Other superstars have had successes in their late thirties and early forties, but none have retained their potency like Slater. On any given day, he鈥檚 still the best surfer in the world. What he did on that windy day in Portugal would have been like Michael Jordan winning the NBA slam-dunk contest while playing for the Washington Wizards鈥攊f Jordan was also still contending for a championship and an MVP award.

鈥淭here is no precedent for what he does, in surfing or in any other sport鈥攑eriod,鈥� says Matt Warshaw, author of . 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have time to listen to people talk about any other athlete in any other decade or century. What Slater has done for as long as he鈥檚 done it, he鈥檚 on a level by himself and he can鈥檛 even see who鈥檚 in second place.鈥�

When he was younger, Slater dominated surfing contests with his technical precision, innovation, and ruthless competitive drive. He rode waves faster than everyone else and artfully mixed new-school aerial tricks with the fluid style that had long defined the upper echelon of the sport. But as he鈥檚 confessed many times, he was a miserable winner. Surfing was Slater鈥檚 escape from an unhappy childhood鈥攈is mother kicked his alcoholic father out of the house when Slater was 11鈥攁nd he channeled his anger into a brash win-at-all-costs approach. It worked, but the other guys on the World Tour resented him, and Slater could barely stand himself. After watching him take advantage of a technical rule to win the finals of the 1996 U.S. Open in Huntington, California, the crowd of some 50,000 welcomed Slater back to the beach with a 颅chorus of boos. 鈥淚 had such a feeling of emptiness and loneliness back then,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 wanted to win so badly that it got in the way of other things.鈥�

Since the end of his first retirement, in 2002, Slater has worked at cultivating a more balanced approach to life and surfing. The first time I interviewed him, in 2005, he was deep into a process of self-reflection and emotional recovery, spurred in part by the death of his father three years earlier. He spoke openly about trying to identify patterns in his personal life and teared up a couple of times when talking about the kindness of people close to him. When I spoke to Slater several years later, he had settled into a more relaxed existence but seemed ready to be done with the battle mentality required to be a champion. Now he appears to have found a middle ground.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really like a Zen practice,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or most elite athletes, a personal challenge feeds their desire to be good at something. So to get to a point where you鈥檙e happy and you鈥檙e still able to push yourself competitively, you have to find different reasons.鈥�

But having a cooler head doesn鈥檛 颅explain how Slater has managed to hold onto his physical skills into his forties. Warshaw points out that, as surfers age, the critical thing they lose is the ability to stand up quickly and cleanly the moment they catch a wave. 鈥淵ou start popping to your feet a little bit more slowly, and your position on the board isn鈥檛 perfect the way it used to be, maybe your weight is shifted just a tiny bit off-center,鈥� he explains. 鈥淣ow you have to make corrections. Everything you were able to do as a great surfer isn鈥檛 out of the question, but you have to get things together right away to make it happen, because you have less time. And once you start thinking about that, you get the yips.

鈥淏ut it鈥檚 never happened to Slater,鈥� Warshaw adds with astonishment. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 seem possible.鈥�

There are, of course, other older athletes who鈥檝e been able to defy or at least postpone the inevitable declines that come with age. According to Hirofumi Tanaka, director of the Cardiovascular Aging Research Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin, most of them follow what he calls the Formula One approach. 鈥淔ormula One drivers have 20 peo颅ple working on their car during pit stops,鈥� says Tanaka, who points to swimmer Dara Torres as a prime example of someone using this resource-intensive system. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the same for aging elite athletes. They have dieticians, doctors, massage therapists, personal trainers, strength-conditioning specialists鈥攊t鈥檚 a whole army of helpers trying to maintain and enhance their performance.鈥�

Slater is not one to be this regimented. His wandering answers to questions about fitness reveal his interest in all kinds of practices鈥攋ujitsu, CrossFit, freediving鈥攂ut ultimately the guy just surfs a lot. He does follow his own downsized, DIY version of the Formula One approach, reading obsessively about health and nutrition and tapping trusted practitioners when in need. 鈥淚 get beat up and go looking for help,鈥� he says.

Slater does almost no dry-land training鈥攏o weight rooms or beach calisthenics. He鈥檚 a big believer in the power of regular, deep-tissue bodywork, 鈥渨here they walk on you and use their feet,鈥� and has recently started traveling with a hard plastic roller with a vibrator inside that he uses to work out the kinks in his muscles. Recovery after a contest can mean a couple of weeks of no surfing at all. When he retreats to his Florida home (he also has properties in Hawaii and Australia), he鈥檚 likely to spend days by himself, doing nothing other than taking hot baths and listening to music.

The one thing that stands out in his otherwise low-key program is his yogi-style diet. Most days his breakfast is a homemade pudding made of chia seeds, raw nuts, goji berries, and yogurt. At home he makes his own almond milk in a blender, straining it through cheesecloth. He frequently drinks a concentrated dose of omega-3 fatty acids from marine algae. Over the past couple of years, he鈥檚 cut out almost all caffeine. When he鈥檚 traveling for surf contests, his 鈥渧ery big suitcase鈥� is packed 鈥渉alf with clothes and half with food.鈥� He even pays close attention to the texture of his stools: 鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to the bathroom regularly, and it鈥檚 a healthy stool, your body is 颅probably 颅doing good.鈥�

To surfers who have known Slater for a long time, the most amazing thing about him isn鈥檛 his enduring physical power but his motivation to continue competing on an 11-stop, round-the-world circuit with a pack of kids. 鈥淚 have no idea how he does it,鈥� says , who鈥檚 also 42 but left the World Tour after 11 years, citing burnout, to focus on big-wave surfing. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e all trying to figure that out.鈥�

It may simply be that he still enjoys it. 鈥淚鈥檓 healthy, and I鈥檓 competing with guys who are literally half my age or less,鈥� he adds. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 personally tie anything to that. I don鈥檛 care what my age is. These are my peers, and I鈥檓 surfing against them. If they have a problem that I鈥檓 older, then go ahead and beat me.鈥�

So what happens when an athlete鈥檚 skills don鈥檛 erode with age?

The short answer is that he can do things nobody else can do. Slater has spent 37 years surfing waves, accruing experiences in incredibly difficult situations鈥攊n midair, inside giant tubes. Like crafty veterans in other sports, he sees opportunities for moves that the young guns don鈥檛 and has an ever growing bag of tricks to pull from. But unlike, say, a seasoned baseball pitcher who has added a few pitches to his arsenal but lost some pop on his fastball, Slater still has his best stuff.

Which means that we鈥檙e likely going to witness more surprise aerial tricks and, when the 2015 championship hunt gets going next spring, more performances like the one he put on back in August, during the semifinals of a World Tour event at Teahupoo, the dangerous reef break in Tahiti. Slater was surfing against , the then 21-year-old Hawaiian wunderkind who鈥檚 been hyped for years as the next Slater. Teahupoo was doing its thing, cranking out thick barrels of emerald water that offered up short, thrilling rides before thundering onto the reef. Florence caught the first wave of the heat, went deep into the tube, stood tall for a moment, then came flying out the far end in a spray of whitewater. The crowd hooted, and the judges gave Florence a near perfect score of 9.9.

Slater paddled into the very next wave, taking a huge drop before grabbing the rail of his board and turning onto the face. The tube started to swallow him, at which point the proper move was to gun it for the exit and hope you don鈥檛 get thumped. That鈥檚 what every other surfer at the contest would have done. But Slater saw another possibility. He tucked low on his board and rode an arc toward the top of the wave, where he found a faster line. He rocketed out of the hole and threw his hands into the air, as if to say, Can you believe that? The judges couldn鈥檛: they gave him a 10. He went on to beat Florence in what many consider the greatest heat in the history of competitive surfing.

For Slater, the rush from that kind of experience is the same as it's always been. “It just feels natural,” he says. “I get the affirmation that I'm doing what I was meant to do in life. When I landed that maneuver in Portugal, I felt like I was eight years old again and my dad was on the beach watching me do my first off the lip. It felt like I did something really special. And I was so stoked.”

Michael Roberts () is an executive editor at 国产吃瓜黑料.

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