Letting Go

It's hard to believe a bunch of grown-ass men would get so excited that they'd act like little girls at the sight of a pro surfer, but Kelly Slater apparently has some kind of hold over his fans. Last night at Chelsea Piers on Manhattan's uber-west side, Monsieur Slater showed up and showed off his new Quiksilver-bankrolled surf flick, Letting Go , much to the delight of the guys'and girls'in attendance. Spoiler alert: it's got a happy ending. In it, Slater wins his 7th world title, taking the 2006 ASP Championship.

After the screening, Slater auctioned off a signed board. Actually, he auctioned three. The first two went to suits, and Slater wanted a real surfer to land one, so he kept trying. Fortunately, all the money goes to his environmentally progressive Surfrider Foundation, so the extra cash will help a good cause. And those diehard fans, who booed the suits when they won the auctions? They went home happy too. Deliriously happy. Almost too happy. But whatever.