JettyGirl: A one million
dollar check arrives in your mailbox with a
note that reads, "Half of this amount is
yours and the other half is to benefit the world
around you." How would you spend the money?
Kelly Grant: I
would use half of the "benefit the world"
money on a micro level. I would split it three
ways, and give it anonymously to three exceptional
human beings (smart, humble, resourceful, compassionate,
creative- thinking) capable of extraordinary
things, who just need the extra breathing room
necessary to invest in themselves and in return,
develop their craft and make an enormous contribution
to the world. Kind of a "pay it forward"
mentality. The other half I would donate (after
doing the appropriate research) to the most
effective organization dedicated to the abolishment
of human trafficking. This issue haunts me and
I look forward to the day when I have the knowledge/resources
to do something about it.
With
my half of the money I would buy the perfect
Kelly-Style boat, summon the man that was made
and put on this earth specifically for me, and
then sail around the world ...stopping at the
different harbors, seeing friends and family,
bringing them aboard for a sail, reading, eating
healthy food, loving, and living a great adventure.
Maybe we would get married wherever we ran out
of money ...or not, nothing would be too planned.
JG: Describe the best surfboard
you've ever ridden and why it was special to
you.
Kelly: I would
have to say it is the funboard (I have no idea
what brand), with neon stripes and all, that
I first started surfing on. It was purchased
by my dad to help me get started. We would go
down to Carlsbad to see and surf with my older,
"cool surfer" brother Chris. It was
always so fun and I always felt really cool
even though I didn't really know what I was
doing. They, Chris and my Dad, would go farther
out while I would just go into Kelly-World ...day-dreaming
and drowning, falling, singing to myself and
learning to surf. It was great.
JG: If you could travel
back to any time in history and hang with one
person while they go about their daily activities,
who would it be and why?
Kelly: Probably
Leonardo da Vinci. He knew so much more than
he could ever share or express in such a controlled,
suffocating time period. I love how he found
creative, clever ways to inspire beauty and
display truth. It would be an enlightening experience
to cruise around with that wise, ingenious soul.
I would pick his brain and welcome any insights
or advice he had to offer. He was/is a timeless
mystery!
JG: For thirty days you're
stuck on a desert island with one book, one
song, one surf movie and one snack food. Which
ones would you choose?
Kelly: I'm kind
of a book nerd and have lots of favorites ...ummmm,
I don't think I could pick one. So, I guess,
since I have yet to educate myself on the ways
of the wilderness, I would have to go with the
most extensive piece of literature on the tropical
lifestyle; building, eating, staying healthy
and how to basically survive and thrive on a
deserted island. The song I would pick would
be Glosoli by Sigur Ros, a band from
Iceland. For some reason every time I play it,
my mind/spirit goes to amazing places. I wouldn't
be surprised if that song eventually teleported
me back home :)! As for the food, (assuming
the island has all kinds of amazing tropical
fruits) I would go with the avocado; can't live
without the avocado, there's just too many possibilities
with that one.
JG: What is your best surf-related
memory of 2009?
Kelly: I was on
the North Shore of Oahu, staying in an incredible
house right on the sand of V-Land. I got a week's
stay in exchange for a painting. My best surf-related
memory was, after a long-time surfing hiatus,
going tandem surfing with a friend of a friend
...right in front of the house. It reminded
me of the beauty, simplicity and fun of not
taking things too seriously and just having
fun out in the water. I seriously need to live
out there at some point in this lifetime!
