Have we seen this one before?

Kelly Slater shows up on the Gold Coast of Australia, and says he's excited and ready for the Quiksilver Pro, which he has to say, since, well, it's Quiksilver, his primary source of green gravy. There's a bunch of talk about whether the Superbank is going to be working or not; about the next generation on the horizon; about World Champion Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson, but fans are ultimately wondering what's going on in the mind of Kelly Slater.

Just what are his plans?

Slater, to his credit, handles the demands of media better than most. Like a skilled diplomat, he sounds completely accommodating even while he's keeping his cards close to his chest, revealing nothing. Yet every once in a while something slips out that speaks volumes.

Just before leaving for Australia in mid-February Slater was in Southern California promoting his new IMAX 3D movie "Ultimate Wave Tahiti". At his press junket (where he sat and answered questions for nearly 20 hours straight) we talked about the movie (by far the best IMAX project on surfing that's ever been done) before venturing into other areas, including: his infatuation with board design and his thoughts on whether he's an athlete or an artist. But the most interesting was Kelly's take on his relationship with the ASP, which was strained last year as he sought to launch a new tour.

We'll bring you more on Kelly's IMAX movie in a separate post, but for now, with Fantasay picks to be made, it's time you judge for yourself how much Slater wants it this year.