Kelly + Tahiti
A film by Todd Glaser

But what most people didn’t see beyond the jersey was a different side of Kelly - as a father, partner, and person away from competition. Between heats and lay days, Kelly spent time exploring Tahiti with his two-year-old son Tao, his partner Kalani and his youngest daughter Azumi.
 
Along for the trip was Kelly’s longtime friend and photographer Todd Glaser, who documented it all. The result is Kelly + Tahiti, an intimate short film capturing competition, family and life in one of Kelly’s favorite places on earth - all through the eyes of Kelly Slater.

We sat down with Todd after the trip to catch up and hear more about the moments that shaped the film.

In Todd’s words:

“While we were in Tahiti, you could feel the energy and excitement from Kelly to not only get to compete at one of his favorite waves, but to be there with his family. He’s won the event five times before and, from my point of view, he competes his best when he’s inspired by the potential to catch an amazing wave. 

My approach in making this film was to show an intimate look at what it’s like to experience surfing at the highest level through the eyes of his son, Tao. We’ve seen Kelly time and time again pushing himself over the ledge and onto the podium. Rarely have we seen an intimate look into the process and life outside of the jersey. Kelly gave us permission into his world, and I wanted to celebrate those moments by capturing them in a personal and beautiful way.”

Read the full conversation with Todd: https://bit.ly/47ARCz2

KELLY + TAHITI
Filmed & directed by Todd Glaser  
Edited by Alek Parker  
Original underwater score by Cody Sherman  
Thanks to Raimana for hosting us and giving the crew the proper Tahiti experience, as always.
Competition footage courtesy of WSL.