Kelly Slater pays a visit to his image

Suzie Harrison

World-renowned professional surf champion and icon Kelly Slater has

been surfing every day in Laguna Beach since July 6 and plans to

continue through the month. It might seem like a lot of hard work for

Slater with this grueling schedule but it’s not.

Rather, it’s the 500 volunteers and employees of the Pageant of

the Masters, who have done all the work -- the surfing is a painting

by Gary Prettyman of Slater doing his thing. He created the

larger-than-life image of Slater for the surf section of the pageant.

Slater visited the Pageant of the Masters for the first time to

check out this piece called “Cutting Glass” on Aug. 15.

“I’ve been to plenty of galleries around the world, but I have no

idea what to expect,” Slater said of the pageant.

This is the second piece of Slater that Prettyman has done.

“Cutting Glass” was painted in ’92 and is a portrait of Slater in

action at Lower Trestles.

“It’s mind boggling, sensory overload,” Slater said.

Slater hung out with occasional surf buddy Richard Henn before the

show. Henn has been the musical director and conductor for the

pageant for more than 20 years. After seeing Prettyman, and the piece

and stopping to take photos with Prettyman’s family, it was time to

experience the pageant.

“He was simply blown away by the pageant,” marketing and public

relations director for the pageant Sharbie Higuchi said. “His

favorite part was watching a piece being put together before his

eyes.”

She said after the show, Slater went down into the orchestra pit,

met members of the orchestra and jammed with them.

“Then he went up on stage and met with the volunteer who played

him,” Higuchi said. “He was a substitute pulled from the cast patio

that night. His name is Chip Van Stralendorf and he was visiting a

friend in the cast.”

Afterward, Slater was able to get onto the set and pose as himself

in “Cutting Glass.”

The Pageant of the Masters has been sold out for some time now,

but tickets are still available for the big gala/fund-raiser on Aug.

30, which will include the final performance of “Seasons.” For more

information or to order Gala Benefit tickets, please call

1-800-487-3378. The Pageant begins at 8:30 p.m. nightly.