SURFER KELLY SLATER RIDES ANIMATED WAVE

Real life championship surfer Kelly Slater gives animators advice for Surfs Up.

Surfs Up animators had the ultimate challenge of designing the perfect wave so they sought out advice from pro surfer Kelly Slater.

Slater, a world champion surfer who is considered the Michael Jordon of surfing gave his expertise collaborating with the artists for the film which takes on surfing penguins at the Penguin World Surfing Championship.

“I think a project like this is a perfect example of people working together. I couldn’t go and get on the computer and actually animate a wave properly but I can tell you where it needs to change and the animator might not know exactly where it needs to change. And so it’s a whole bunch of people putting in their two cents at the right time and the right places to make something work correctly. I think it’s a perfect project for Rob and I to have fun with and use our experiences to make something come to life.”

Kelly tries to describe what it means to catch the perfect wave.

“As a surfer it never stops because you’re always looking for something that’s beyond what you’ve done, beyond what anybody’s done. You’re always trying to find a wave that you haven’t ridden. A place you want to go you want to surf or a wave that no one’s ridden that you want to try to be the first to ride. You put yourself in a position that you’ve never been in so it’s about finding that something new.”

Kelly also lends his voice to Surfs Up playing what else but a champion surfer penguin.