On Saturday, the venerable Kelly Slater won his seventh title at the Billabong Pipe Masters, one of surfing's most prestigious and sought-after competitions. The 41-year-old is notorious for both his bald head and his bold style, and in the below video, he walks us through his Pipe rides (captured with a GoPro on his surfboard) with a charming matter-of-factness.
In case you don't speak surfer, here's a helpful glossary to study before trying to shred like this yourself:
Drop-In: When a surfer initially stands up from his board and "drops" down the ramp-like face of the wave.
Face: The steepening surface in between the very top and bottom of a wave. Also referred to as a "wall" of water.
Lip: The top part of a wave that curls into itself as the wave begins to break. (This is where the wave is most powerful.)
Barrel and/or Tube: The hollow space inside a breaking wave. According to Surfline.com: "A surfer may be completely hidden from view during a barrel ride, especially from shore. One of the most difficult, best and most enjoyable acts in surfing, but often very difficult to complete due to changing variations in every different wave."
Chandelier: The whitewater falling from the lip of the wave as it forms a barrel or tube.
Backdoor: Depending on the swell conditions, the peak at Pipeline can peel off to the left or the right. The right side is known as Backdoor.
Rail: The edges on either side of a surfboard.
Donovan Frankenreiter: A surfer and musician who is good friends with Jack Johnson and who is known for the soul arch, "a classic maneuver when a surfer arches his back through a critical section of the wave."
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