Surf’s Up

More power to surfing champion Kelly Slater “Different Office, Different Stress,” by David Sheff, June 11. I hope he finds what makes him happy. However, to people like Northern California surfer Tim Roth, I say, “Get off the waves--surfers don’t need the likes of you ‘on one of my waves.’ ”

I’ve surfed for years. The sport is not about jealousy and negativity. Roth and others like him need to engage in some self-examination before attacking people like Slater.

Dasha Millson

Seal Beach

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Sheff began with the question: “So, why isn’t [Slater] having more fun?” That question was never answered, despite some important clues found in the surfer’s own remarks.

Slater is quoted as saying, “Sometimes I just want to surf. . . . Get out of here and do nothing but surf, surf, surf, get burned by the sun, pass out exhausted at night and wake up and surf some more.”

Sheff mention’s Slater’s father’s addiction to alcohol and his separation from the family when Slater was just 11. The impact of family history on the self-esteem of adult children of alcoholics is considerable, and their tendency to repeat the problems in their own lives is great.

Greg Louganis’ experience--described in his book, “Breaking the Surface”--contains many parallels to Slater’s experience. Louganis’ indifferent father and Greg’s lack of self-worth led, in part, to drug and alcohol addiction, an overwhelming desire to please others and the need to be the best at great personal cost.

Rather than romanticizing Slater’s comments and pointing up his numerous book and other media deals, Sheff could have shown more sensitivity to Slater’s calls for help. I hope Slater finds such help before he finds the wave that found Mark Foo.

Stewart A. Rubin

Santa Monica

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An L.A.-area magazine should know better. The first marketable surfing champion was the legendary South African, Shaun Tomson, who won the world championship in 1977. The articulate and intelligent Tomson almost single-handedly changed the image of world surfing with his clean-living lifestyle and clean-cut good looks. In fact, he was a poster boy for Calvin Klein, among others.

Sessel Sagorin

Park City, Utah