A ‘Momentum’ Reunion
Kelly Slater in the 1990s. Photo: Tom Servais
In 1992, “Momentum” — filmmaker Taylor Steele’s first foray into surf movies — announced a culture-shifting domination with an aggressive style of surfing and filmmaking. For the last two weeks, a “Momentum” reunion took place at the Kandui Villas resort in the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia, off the coast of Sumatra.
The surfers that became idols to the generation they preceded were all in attendance: Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Taylor Knox, Shane Dorian, Kalani Robb, Benji Weatherly, Ross Williams, Chris Malloy, and Taylor Steele and local pro Rizal Tanjung.
Knox, who arrived at the reunion from Southern California with Machado, did not hide his excitement on Twitter: “I’m pumped for this trip and to hang with the boys again!” he wrote. Steele chimed in: “Really excited off to #momentumreunion today! Can’t [wait] to hang with the boys.”
From “Momentum” emerged some of the most accomplished surfing careers in history. Slater, currently ranked second on the 2012 World Tour, is easily the most competitively decorated with 11 world titles and 49 contest wins.
Before evolving into arguably the most recognizable free surfer around, Machado posted a runner-up finish on the tour and a Pipe Masters victory in 2000, and his 14th place finish in 1999 was the lowest of his career. Dorian also found success on the circuit, winning in Mundaka, Spain, in 2000 en route to a career best fourth place tour finish. In later years, Dorian has dropped himself into bigger and bigger waves, scoring multiple XXL Big Wave Awards.
Most of the group traveled on June 30; Slater arrived last Friday. With the ASP World Tour’s two-month lull underway, Slater and Knox — both the oldest and only two still on tour — were free of competitive obligations. (“Momentum” debuted two years before WT rookie Kolohe Andino was born.) The reunion is being documented for a project due out later this year.