SURFER staff photographer Todd Glaser has captured some of the most memorable moments of Kelly Slater’s illustrious surf career. Among them is Slater’s first session at, what you now know and love, The Surf Ranch, but was simply referred to as “Kelly’s Pool” at the time.

Invitees to the unveiling were asked to put their cell phones in a basket. The heavy responsibility of photographing the engineering feat the best man-made wave ever was delegated solely to Glaser. A challenge he rose to, hence the image above.

Slater was fresh off a plane from Fiji, where he was probably packing organic Cloudbreak pits in 80 degree water, a stark contrast to the pool’s winter temp of 48 degrees. Wanting to be the first surfer tubed in the tub while wearing boardshorts, Slater Wim Hoffed his way through the brain freeze to nail the shot.