Kiwi Bird

This guy - Kelly Slater - is not wiping out - he's doing an 'air'. He will land upright on the wave and carry on surfing.

Kelly took the moves of skateboarders and transferred them to the waves. He radically changed the way people surf - especially the pros. Essentially he invented modern surfing.

In the old days they would ride a wave standing upright - maybe through a tube and walk up and down the board a bit. Now it's about very athletic gymnastic tricks on a much smaller board. Plus a bit of the old stuff of course.

Kelly Slater has 6 world titles and this year will make it 7!!

The latest comp on the World Tour is on at Lower Trestles in California. So far the breaks have been teeny and hard to surf. Today the breaks are great but they made today an off day. ???!!!

Check out the action at http://www.boostmobileprosurf2005.com/ and select the live webcast. It's cool fun! Just like being there!

The pic is not of the comp - it's tow-in surfing where the dudes ride the giants. They tow them in using jet skis and let 'em go! There's no way you could paddle out in that surf.

But the comp is still good viewing - what those guys can do on a wave is amazing!

Go Kelly Slater!!! Make it 7!!!! (This guy literally walks on water!)