Slomo

16 MINUTES

There’s transcendence in skating – just ask the man they call ‘Slomo’

Having spent decades as a ‘typical, institutionalised, educated Western man’ – or, put simply, an ‘asshole’ – the US neurologist John Kitchin found himself to be financially secure but spiritually diminished. After learning that he was losing his eyesight, he emerged from a bout of hopelessness with the realisation that all he wanted to do was ‘the basic things, and skate’, and gave up his practice. Now a familiar face on San Diego’s Pacific Beach boardwalk, Kitchin – or Slomo, as he’s become known – is famed for his idiosyncratic, seemingly slow-motion style of inline skating that doubles as meditation.

The short documentary Slomo (2013) from the US filmmaker Josh Izenberg chronicles Kitchin’s transformation from a wealthy yet miserable doctor living in a mansion, to a beach bum with a studio apartment who finds transcendence in acceleration. A charming and light-hearted vision of what can happen when you actually do what you want to, Slomo won dozens of awards upon its release, including Best Short Documentary at the SXSW Film Festival. And, 10 years since the film made him a minor San Diego celebrity, Kitchin, who turned 80 this spring, still rarely misses a day on the boardwalk.

Director: Josh Izenberg

Producer: Amanda Micheli

Explore more

Illustration of two stylised people running on a boardwalk near the sea with telegraph poles and wires in the background.

How increasing short-term pleasure can help you achieve your long-term goals

Video by TED-Ed

A woman and a man converse while seated on chairs in a room with plants. A decorative table with glasses is between them.

The critic inside your head has something important to tell you. Here’s how to listen

Video by Esther Perel

Close-up photo of an elderly man with a beard wearing a black cap, lying in a hospital bed, looking content.

After four decades in prison, Big D contemplates the brave new world that awaits him

Directed by Laura Tejero Núñez

A naked young woman walking on a rippled sandy beach towards the sea, clear blue water and distant islands in view.
Psyche Exclusive

For Lucy, surviving on a remote island was hard, but returning was harder

Directed by Jesper Wachtmeister

A woman holds a square mirror that blocks her face; it reflects rocks and grass. There is blue sky and clouds in the background. The only element in focus is the reflection on the mirror.

Losing her eyesight, a painter’s art evolves with the way she sees the world

Directed by Liberty Smith

A photo of an artist in a cap and paint-splattered trousers sitting next to a large painting of a man holding his face in his hands.

A rural Namibian artist reflects on authenticity in work and in life

Directed by Niklas von Klitzing and Leo Stolz

Illustration of a person in a bathtub, their head covered by vibrant, multicoloured flowers, against a pink-tiled background.

What’s it like to feel betrayed by your brain? A memoir of bipolar disorder

Directed by Melanie Cura Daball