Slater Sculpture for Cocoa Beach - Needs More Funding

Sam Drazich’s dream to create a landmark statue in Cocoa Beach to honor surfing champ Kelly Slater is closer to reality, although far away from meeting expenses.

The unique bronze sculpture (still a clay model), which has taken nearly a year to complete by Drazich’s sister, Natasha, will be placed later this year in the middle of the city at the 4th Street North “split” on Hwy. A1A.

The entire process, including a forthcoming $47,000 bill to the bronze foundry in Sarasota, will have cost Drazich and his family “about $100,000.”

“I guess we’ve probably raised about 30 or 40 bucks,” laughed Drazich, a weekend surfer whose family grew up in the city. “I’m just hoping someone is going to come through, big. The next stage will probably require a loan.”

At 6 tonight at Rusty’s Seafood Restaurant at Port Canaveral, a fund-raiser will take place, with free hors d’oeuvres, drink specials, entertainment and surf art by Bruce Reynolds, who will donate part of his sales.

The statue — 11/2 times the size of Slater without the mounting — was Drazich’s idea to not only earmark the city, but also honor its nine-time world champion in a larger-than-life style.

“I’d been thinking about this awhile,” he said. “It took me a little while to convince ‘Tash,’ but when you think of Cocoa Beach, it’s obvious it had to be a surfer. And, who are you going to do, but the man, who grew up right here?”

If things go as planned, Drazich hopefully will be honoring Slater in the August-September time frame, perhaps when the superstar surfer could be closing in on his 10th world championship.

“The whole project is mind-boggling,” said Drazich, an aerospace engineer. “We took it to Surf Expo in January, and it wasn’t done, of course, but we blew everyone away. I know Natasha is nit-picky, just like all artists are critical of their work, but she thinks she’s pretty much nailed it.”

The sculpture is one of Slater’s signature moves, with his arm up over his head while completing an extreme cutback. A photo, taken in 1996 at Sebastian Inlet by Eastern Surf Magazine photographer Tom Dugan, was used to create the portrait. At one time, that photo was listed among one of the best 100 surf photos of all-time by Australia’s Surfing Life.

Melbourne Beach surfboard maker Matt Kechele designed the replica board for the statue.

“We have so much invested in it,” said Drazich, noting that his sister (one of Slater’s former schoolmates) had quit her job to focus full-time on the project for the past four or five months.

Slater has not seen the large sculpture, but his mom, Judy, was “stoked” to see the smaller bronze replica.

Cocoa Beach city officials have told Drazich they planned to do the prep work on the location they are offering, as well as assisting with the lighting and water that will enhance the entire project.

“We haven’t nailed it all down yet,” Drazich said, “but we’re getting closer.”