In surfing, there are a lot of legends. Hovering somewhere around the very top of the mountain, though, are Kelly Slater, Tom Curren, and Gerry Lopez. Three generations, one after another, each of their styles affected in some way by the other’s. All of them, of course, have surfers they looked up to when they were growing up. Tom Curren no doubt looked to Gerry Lopez. Kelly Slater looked to Tom Curren. And back in 1990, a fresh-faced Kelly Slater came up against his idol for the first time on the world stage at the Quiksilver Pro in Lacanau in France. It was semi-final number two and, at the time, Curren was sitting on three world championships. Slater was still two years off his first one — the first of many — but already he was on pro surfing’s lips and hungry to become the GOAT. Gerry Lopez came on to narrate this old film about the battle, and although it’s an oldie, it certainly is a goodie.
