The Joel Parkinson Interview

Photo: Corey Wilson/Billabong

In September Joel Parkinson made a 28-hour journey and ended up at Down the Line surf shop, Hayle, for the afternoon. He was the first elite WSL tour surfer to visit the UK for a very long time. A top effort and you know what, he turns out to be a top bloke too. Everyone who met him left with a smile on their face. Steve England caught up with him to have a chat.

Photo:  Joli

So what are you going to do when you retire?
Honestly, I’m going to pretend to be busy, so I can surf as much as I can. (laughs) I’ve got a lot of things happening outside of the WSL. I’m still with Billabong so will continue the ambassador stuff. I do enjoy going out and meeting kids and people and putting smiles on people’s faces. So that and a few surf days, that kind of stuff. I find all that rewarding and enjoyable, so I am going to do a fair bit of that. And I also have a few other little business ventures that I’m involved in. I also do Balter beer.

Is there a beer off with your and Taj at Honest?
No, not really. We all get on well, and we try to be supportive of each other, so it’s pretty good. There is no bad blood in beer! (Laughs) And hopefully, I am invited to the Champions Trophy in the Maldives! That thing looks so good. I’ve asked Taj and Kerrzy to put a word in for me!

Do you think surfers ever really retire?
Not from surfing no. The way I put it is I’m not retiring from surfing I’m just taken the competition vest off. That’s the only way I can put it. You won’t see me in the WSL comps. And I am pleased about that because I’ve had enough of competition, but I nowhere near feel like I’ve had enough of surfing. I don’t think you ever think you have had enough surfing. Even today I’d love to have a surf, I am stinging to get the water (after 26 hours solid travel – Ed) so while I have decided I don’t want to pull a jersey on I still have a desire to be in the ocean as much as possible.

Photo:  Courtesy Billabong

It’s one of those things that never goes away.
No, I don’t think it ever does go away. My uncle is 57. He still surfs before and after work, and he’ll take a day off when the waves are pumping. He still rides my shortboards and even steals my quiver. He surfs more than anybody!

Is it that you’ve lost the competitive drive or is it just the pressures of the tour that made you quit. Are you competitive in life in general?
Not really, no. It’s funny I’m not the most competitive human out there, maybe in certain things. It might come back I guess – the drive for one or two events. I’m excited for the early Burleigh single fin event in January. I want to surf in different and fun events. But the WSL is the beast of competitions. And it takes so much out of you with the consequences of winning and losing being so great. So doing the other speciality events without those consequences will be fun. But that is it for the WSL; I’ll never take a wild card or surf on tour again.

Did you not fancy hanging on until the Olympics?
No.

What do you think of the Olympics?
So it’s hard for me to say too much, but my opinion is that I worry. Maybe if it’s done in the wave pool and that’s just that, it will be ok. But I can see it being held in a one-foot beach break at Chiba and it will be a disaster, because the following week or month we’ll be at 10-foot Chopes, and to be honest that is our Olympics. That’s what I think; if you want the Olympics, you take it to Tahiti. For me, everybody is hanging their hopes of mainstream glory on the Olympics, but I think what the general public like about surfing is everything else. They like going surfing, the lifestyle and watching big waves I don’t think they will get small wave surfing as it stands. I think one older Hawaiian guy said some brilliant things. It seems like every 20 years we have this vicious cycle and it’s coming back. Possibly in the late ’80s and early ’90s, we (not me as I was too young!) made some mistakes, and it seems like we may be doing it again. I was lucky to be surfing in a phase where Rabbit started the dream tour with exotic locations and waiting periods and all the best surfers in the best waves, all that is what is great about competitive surfing. I think you learn a lot of lessons from mistakes and some lessons should have been learnt along the way.

Photo:  Courtesy Billabong

Over your career has there been one moment that you feel everything came together and it was absolute gold?
I had a heat in Tahiti, like pumping Tahiti eight to 10-foot perfect Chopes. Nathan Hedge, Ace Buchan and I were out. It had been pumping all morning, and I think we were going in heat four. Hedgy went on the first wave and went deep, and he made with it with a seven score. And then it just went flat… After it been pumping all morning. We were all sat there like “What the hell’s happening here? This is not right?” Anyway, it went on like that until we get down to the five-minute mark. I think Ace had had like a two and I had had like a 3.5, but after that, there had just been nothing. Then all of a sudden with a minute to go in the heat, this three wave set comes through. Hedgey had priority, so he takes off on an absolute 10 foot perfect Chopes barrel, and stands in this thing. He doesn’t get very deep, but he gets spat out into the channel. Ace is on the next wave. He got one of the best barrels of the event. It should’ve been a 10. He was riding on the foam ball at 10-foot Teahupo’o. The third wave was mine. I took off fell out of the lip, as stood in one of the biggest, most perfect, bluest barrels I can ever remember surfing. I got deep, touched the foam and got blasted out into the channel. So there we were, the three of us sat next to each other in the channel. And we were all so stoked I was like, “That was sick, how was yours?” And they were like “Mine was amazing! How was yours?” We all just shared an amazing moment, and it wasn’t lost on us, we were thinking “How cool was that!” It was the worst heat of the morning, and it turned into a fantastic moment. Three guys getting §absolutely drained one after the other. I went and watched it back on the replay. I thought I had got the better one of the set, but Ace’s wave was incredible. It was one of the best waves of the event.

Obviously lots of funny moments on tour. What were the most amusing moments that stand out? Who is the most hilarious guy on tour?
Probably Bede.

Really?
Yeah. One of the funniest moments happened after the event in Fiji. We had all had a few beers one night, so I tap out and sneak off to go to bed. The next thing I know my doors being kicked in, and Mick comes in trying to get me to go back out. The Bede tries to get in, and he had this huge sea snake! Somehow he’d been walking around outside caught this huge sea snake. Anyway, I fought them off so he couldn’t get it into my room, but he ended up wandering off and stashing it in one of the guys who was leaving in the morning board bags.

The best person to travel with?
I always liked travelling with Mick just because we’re pretty close. We grew up surfing and travelling together. And it’s always good travelling with a mate like that, somebody that knows you. Especially if something was up at home while we were away, and we needed to bounce something off someone. Andy was always hilarious travel with too.

So on that note mental health is now coming to the fore, with the pressure of the tour do you think it’s essential to have someone to talk to about these things?
Yes for sure I have been a little bit worried about things myself. Like leaving the tour. I was chatting with Barton Lynch the other day, and he told me that he was 12 years on tour and when he left it took in three years for him to normalise. He felt like he’d lost his marbles. And he was like “Joel you’ve been on there 18 years…” I hadn’t thought about that too much. But I asked if he was keen to come off tour or had to leave, and he said he was so frustrated by the end of his career, with companies and being surfers rep, he had built up a lot of things. So I had a good chat with him. That was great because it made me realise that I I don’t feel frustrated. I feel like I’m the other way. I’m a bit more appreciative of what I’ve been able to do to get to this position and what I’ve achieved. I don’t feel like there is any stone I have left unturned and I don’t feel any guilt that I’m leaving. I feel like it’s a release. And every time I end up thinking about leaving and what I’m going to do next I get a smile on my face. I’m happy with life and excited to head to the next chapter.

Photo:  WSL/Cestari

Greatest adversarially? 
My best battles were always with Mick. When we first started on tour he would always be on fire, and I get to him in my heat, and he would have a shocker, and I’d have a stormer! We had so many great battles. At the start of my career, Sunny was probably the most intimidating surfer to be drawn against. Every time I drew him suddenly I’d be like “I could be killed before even getting in the water!” (Laughs) But as I got older and got to know him and he knew who I was, it was nice to surf against him. But at the start, he was the scariest human, and if he lost you’d be thinking “Is he coming after the judges or me?” (Laughs) People forgot how intense he was. But look at him today and is an amazing Aloha gentleman.

Most outstanding surf session over your career?
I got to see Code Red in Tahiti and spent all day in the water watching, and then the huge swell that hit Fiji in 2012. Monster huge. I got a couple of waves that afternoon and then watched the two sets come through that no one rode. That was incredible. To watch the ocean do that is one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.

Were you scared at any point?
Erm, Code Red for sure. When they shut it in the morning for an hour and a half, I was out just sitting in the channel on a stand-up, and 30-40 foot waves were breaking onto dry reef. It was the evilest ocean you have ever seen. If one of those had caught you or fallen that would have been it, it would have been over.

What about Cloudbreak were you scared out there?
I guess when you are in that position, the big wave guys, you use the adrenaline as a driver for sure. To a point you know, it’s all calculated risk.

And the last question. Complete the following: surfing is…
It’s been my life. I couldn’t imagine my journey without it, and it’s been awesome.

World’s Best Adaptive Surfers Shine

Brazil’s Figue Diel is completely blind, but that doesn’t stop him from finding the perfect spot on the wave above.

La Jolla, California, December 13, 2018 – The world’s best adaptive surfers shined on the second day of competition at the 2018 Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship presented by the City of San Diego, taking advantage of the global spotlight to put their elite talent on display.

Ten of the twelve divisions took to water to represent their nations in the first full day of competition.

The first-ever visually impaired women debuted in the event in both the open and women’s divisions, showing how the sport has spread to new athletes around the globe since the inaugural edition

Canada’s Ling Pan put on great performances in the visually impaired divisions her first time participating in the world championship.

“It was so nerve-wracking competing in this event for the first time,” said Pan. “I realized that I just need to have fun. It’s an honor to represent Canada.

“I told my mom that I was embarrassed to compete as a visually impaired surfer. She told me to practice, but more importantly, that my participation here is not just about me. This is about showing other young women that are facing challenges that you can overcome and do anything that you set your mind to.

“My goal is to show everyone, especially other visually impaired women, that surfing is fun.”

Australia’s Samantha Bloom put on the top performance of the day in the women’s AS-4 Division, earning a high heat total of 16.50 in her quest towards the Gold Medal. Bloom is making a strong statement in her first year competing in the event.

Thursday saw the first women divisions of the event take place, which is of particular importance because this is the first year that the women’s divisions will count towards the overall team point rankings. The women and open divisions each hold 50% of the weight, underlining the ISA’s drive for gender equality across all disciplines of Surfing.

South Africa’s Antony Smyth, a 2016 Gold Medalist, led the charge in the open divisions, earning a heat total of 16.33 in AS-1.

Past ISA Gold Medalists Fellipe Lima (BRA), Kazune Uchida (JPN) and Jesse Billauer (USA) also had strong showings, getting off to quick starts in their campaigns to add to their Gold Medal counts.

The 2016 AS-5 World Champion, Brazil’s Davi Teixeira, took first place in his qualifying heat of the morning and commented on his fourth experience at the event.

“The level of competition is so high,” said Teixeira. “It’s getting better every year.

“My goal this year is to ride some great waves and win. Being crowned world champion would mean so much for me and for my family, friends, and country. This is for them.”

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:

“The conditions have been flawless for the first two days of the event. We have had sun, no wind, and plenty of waves on tap. What more could we ask for?

“It’s incredible to see how the level of talent around the globe has been growing over the four years of the event. These are the world’s best and they did not disappoint.

“The youthful energy and high-performance action that I have witnessed in Para-Surfing this week would be a great fit for the Paralympic Games. We will keep working to get this sport onto the world’s greatest sporting stage.”

The 2018 Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship is streamed live daily on www.isasurf.org.

The remaining schedule is as follows:

December 14-16
• Competition at La Jolla Shores, 7:00am – 4:00pm
Sunday, December 16
• Closing Ceremony at La Jolla Shores following the competition Finals

For updated results click here

Pipe Masters Excellent Rides in Challenging Conditions

BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Thursday, December 13, 2018) – The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons, the final stop on the 2018 World Surf League (WSL) Men’s Championship Tour (CT), launched today in wind-affected 4-to-6 foot swell and completed the opening round of competition. Waves improved throughout the afternoon, offering an action-packed final two hours of action that included excellent scores from three-time Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Champion Joel Parkinson (AUS) and 2017 Vans World Cup winner Conner Coffin (USA).
World Title contenders Gabriel Medina (BRA) and Julian Wilson (AUS) advanced through their opening heats at Pipeline to launch their final campaigns towards surfing’s most prestigious crown. 2014 WSL Champion and two-time Billabong Pipe Master finalist Medina won his battle against Connor O’Leary (AUS) and wildcard Benji Brand (HAW) well above the lip, locking in a 13.16 point total (out of a possible 20) for a high-octane progressive approach in the windy ramps this morning.

“I was just trying to get a lot of waves,” Medina stated. “I’m really happy to make it through. Today the waves are really challenging out there. This year has been challenging with a couple of ups and downs. I’m stoked to come to Hawaii with a little advantage over the other competitors. But, I’m really focused on myself. I need to make the Final so I’ll stay focused and try and do my best every single heat.”

2014 Billabong Pipe Master Wilson stuck to the wave face and managed to take the edge over Tomas Hermes (BRA) and replacement surfer Seth Moniz (HAW), courtesy of a four-maneuver combination at Backdoor – Pipeline’s right-handed wave – for a 5.57. Wilson backed it up with a straight turn in the Pipe lip to advance into Round 3 and distance himself slightly from Toledo.

“I’m mostly focusing on just trying to find some opportunities out there,” Wilson said. “They’re few and far between and I kind of just found a couple. I’m definitely closer this year, but still needing a really big result to get it. I feel like the three of us that are in contention are all thinking we need a big result to clinch it. We’re all in the same boat. It feels really good to get through a heat that’s so tricky like that.”

Filipe Toledo (BRA), on the other hand, suffered a potentially serious setback in his campaign after being defeated by Matt Wilkinson (AUS) in the opening round. In a barrel-starved heat, Toledo, Wilkinson and Caio Ibelli (BRA) battled mostly with traditional maneuvers, with the Australian claiming the top two scores for his backhand attack at Backdoor.

“It’s always stressful this time of year and being on the bubble is most definitely a little scarier,” Wilkinson admitted. “But I’m just taking it as it comes. Waking up here every day we hope to get big tubes, but today is about as tough as it can be. I just wanted to do two backhand re-entries and try and find a little tube to try to beat the other guys in the water.”

Toledo will have a chance to redeem himself in Round 2 when competition resumes, as he will face lethal local wildcard Brand for a spot into Round 3.

The Men’s World Title Scenarios at the Billabong Pipe Masters:

– If Gabriel Medina finishes 1st or 2nd at the Billabong Pipe Masters, he wins the World Title;
– If Gabriel Medina finishes 3rd at the Billabong Pipe Masters, Julian Wilson and Filipe Toledo will need to finish 1st;
– If Gabriel Medina finishes 5th-25th, Julian Wilson and Filipe Toledo will need a 2nd or 1st at Pipe.
Italo Ferreira (BRA) took his act to the air in Heat 3 and landed a massive forehand rotation for a last-minute win over Joan Duru (FRA) and Keanu Asing (HAW). Ferreira, the current World No. 4, has been a standout at Pipeline lately with inspiring performances, both in massive barrels and air sections. With three event wins under his belt this season (Bells Beach, Bali, Portugal), Ferreira made a clear run for the World Title but his inconsistency cost him the opportunity to fight with compatriots Medina and Toledo for the top spot.

“I’ve been having a good time here in Hawaii,” Ferreira said. “Conditions are tough. It’s difficult to surf with this strong wind, but it also makes for good ramps, so I was excited. I fell on a few waves but thankfully in the last few minutes I managed to do two good airs so I was happy with that.”

The machine-like waves that have made Pipeline so famous finally started to turn on for Heat 9 and an entertaining battle between Michel Bourez (PYF), Ezekiel Lau (HAW) and Ian Gouveia (BRA) ensued. The Hawaiian held a firm grip on the lead all the way into the last two minutes of action, but Gouveia – sitting with priority – found himself in position for one of the best waves of the day. Gouveia took a late drop and squared off the bottom turn to pull in, claiming an excellent 8.17 (out of a possible 10) to steal the lead from Lau. But in the dying moments, Bourez found a left-hand barrel of his own and rode it successfully to add a 5.93 to his scoreline and ultimately claim the heat win.

“I heard Ian (Gouveia) got an 8-something on this last one and I saw the wave, he looked really, really good,” Bourez said. “I made a mistake just before and I could have been on that one, but at the end of the day it worked out well and I got the score at the end. Every spot on tour is super important, but this one is the last one, it’s your last chance, so you give yourself like two-hundred percent to make it.”

In the following heat, defending event winner Jeremy Flores (FRA) took on Conner Coffin (USA) and rookie Jesse Mendes (BRA) as waves continued to pump. Coffin and Flores found exciting barrels both on the rights and lefts and put up a brilliant fight on back-to-back waves with the heat eventually going the Californian’s way after he found a clean, deep backhand tube for an 8.47 and the win.

“Any heat win on the world tour is a big feat these days, everyone is so good,” Coffin said. “Jeremy won here last year and he’s definitely one of the best guys on tour as far as barrels are concerned. I knew it was going to be a good battle and it’s fun that waves turned on and I’m stoked to get the win.”
2012 World Champion and former Pipe Master Joel Parkinson (AUS) enjoyed one more pulse of near-perfect Pipeline conditions at the beginning of Heat 10, locking into a great barrel for an 8.33 which eventually was enough to seal a win into Round 3 with a low backup number. Parkinson, who will retire following this event, is in a great position on the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing rankings and will shoot for an epic finish to his highly successful professional career.

“It was a tough day and I’m lucky I found a good opportunity,” Parkinson said. “I’ve been here with my family and listening to my wife and daughter speak last night [at my retirement party] was really amazing and emotional. The love and support I’ve received from everyone including the fans has been overwhelming. I can’t wait for the next chapter and let’s go out with a bang!”

Michael Rodrigues (BRA) claimed the rookie class’ best performance in today’s opening round with a couple of backdoor barrels perfectly negotiated despite the tricky chandelier sections. The Brazilian, currently ranked 14th on the CT, built a healthy 11.44 heat total to make his way into Round 3 and defeat Patrick Gudauskas (USA) and Willian Cardoso (BRA).

“I’m stoked with that heat and to finally get a couple barrels at Pipe and Backdoor,” Rodrigues said. “This year was so special to me, I just tried to do my best in every event and right now I’m thinking about the next season and I’m super excited.”

The next call for the Billabong Pipe Masters will be tomorrow, Friday, December 14, at 7:30 a.m. HST, when event organizers will reassess the conditions and decide if the competition will run.

Surfline Forecast for the Billabong Pipe Masters

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.00, Kelly Slater (USA) 11.43, Frederico Morais (PRT) 4.47
Heat 2: Yago Dora (BRA) 9.83, Owen Wright (AUS) 9.60, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 2.00
Heat 3: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.30, Joan Duru (FRA) 11.67, Keanu Asing (HAW) 5.66
Heat 4: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 6.03, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 5.04, Caio Ibelli (BRA) 4.93
Heat 5: Julian Wilson (AUS) 8.07, Tomas Hermes (BRA) 6.40, Seth Moniz (HAW) 4.57
Heat 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.16, Benji Brand (HAW) 9.97, Connor O’Leary (AUS) 9.67
Heat 7: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 7.07, Ryan Callinan (AUS) 6.77, Wade Carmichael (AUS) 4.50
Heat 8: Michael February (ZAF) 6.30, Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 6.10, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 4.03
Heat 9: Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.03, Ian Gouveia (BRA) 12.00, Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 10.90
Heat 10: Conner Coffin (USA) 15.07, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 14.00, Jesse Mendes (BRA) 9.20
Heat 11: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.23, Kolohe Andino (USA) 8.10, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 5.13
Heat 12: Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 11.44, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 7.60, Willian Cardoso (BRA) 5.04

Billabong Pipe Masters Round 2 Matchups:
Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Benji Brand (HAW)
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW)
Heat 3: Wade Carmichael (AUS) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
Heat 4: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Keanu Asing (HAW)
Heat 5: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 6: Willian Cardoso (BRA) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
Heat 7: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS)
Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Ian Gouveia (BRA)
Heat 9: Ezekiel Lau (HAW) vs. Jesse Mendes (BRA)
Heat 10: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 11: Frederico Morais (PRT) vs. Connor O’Leary (AUS)
Heat 12: Joan Duru (FRA) vs. Tomas Hermes (BRA)

The Billabong Pipe Masters will be broadcast LIVE on WSL’s Facebook page and WorldSurfLeague.com.
Photos: WSL/Cestari/Sloane

Herdy wins the 2018 World Junior Title in Taiwan

Congratulations to Mateus Herdy (17) for winning the 2018 World Junior Title in Tawain ! The Brazilian surfer from Florianópolis took out friend and Quiksilver teammate Rio Waida as well as the next best thing out of Japan Yuji Nishi en route to the Final against the aerial specialist from California, Eithane Osborne. Mateus finishes this year’s impressive QS campaign just narrowly missing WCT qualification finishing the in 18th position. The victory in Taiwan also makes Mateus the 3rd Brazillian to win the World Junior title after Adriano De Souza and Gabriel Medina.

“I was in Hawaii two weeks ago and luckily got the wildcard to come here thanks to WSL,” Herdy continued. “I have always wanted my name to be on something like my heroes Adriano (de Souza) and Gabriel (Medina). To now have it alongside them is amazing, they both inspire me so much and have helped me get to here.”

Herdy was the surfer to beat all week, there wasn’t a heat that he didn’t post an excellent score. However, he saved his best performance for the Final where he posted a two-wave total of 18.37 (out of a possible 20) to overcome Californian Eithan Osborne. It was his 9.77 for two air reverses and a number of turns on one wave that stole the show. Osborne battled hard but was left in a combination situation, needing two scores to beat Herdy.

“This has been the best few weeks of my life,” Herdy said. “I just got here to Taiwan and loved it straight away – the waves are fun, the people are so nice and it’s a beautiful place, I’m definitely coming back. I was talking to my friends before the final and knew to win I was going to have to surf better than I ever had. The conditions were great for airs so I just went for it and am just so stoked I got the win.”

Herdy, wasn’t the only Quik surfer to go deep into the event, Rio Waida (18) who lost to Herdy in the semi finals also made history. Through his final finish he achieved the highest placing of any Indonesian surfer in a WSL World Championship event.

“I really wanted to win this event but third is still an amazing result,” Waida said. “It’s really special to have the best result of an Indonesian at a World Championship event. I love coming to Taiwan and want to come back here to compete in the future — it’s such a special place to me.”

For the Quiksilver team it has been an amazing week. 13 surfers from all over the globe came to Tawaiin to represent the mountain and the wave and putting on an amazing show. With 3 riders finishing in the quarterfinal , 2 making it through to the semi finals and the World Junior Champion, one could say Taiwan has been a successful trip.

A Day In The Life: Luis DIAZ

Words and lifestyle photos: Sharpy  action photo: WSL/Masurel

Behind the scenes with Gran Canaria’s Luis Diaz when he hit Cornwall to compete at Boardmasters.

My routine for the day started super early because I was actually staying in Woolacombe! Which is like two hours away from Newquay. I was staying with my good friend Alex Baudain, who’s also from the Canaries, and our friend Hannah who lives in Woolacombe – that’s why we stayed there really. Every day I’d get up and drive the two and half hours down to Newquay. Go for a morning free surf and then spend the day at the site. As soon as I finished a heat, I tried to get away from the beach and chill.

The contest so was much better than other events. The set up is bigger than other QS 1000 events around the world. I guess it’s because of the festival. There are so many people around, it was crazy busy. But it was really cool because there were so many people watching us surf and asking for autographs and stuff on the beach.

There are so many people around, it was crazy busy. But it was really cool because there were so many people watching us surf and asking for autographs and stuff on the beach.

Apart from surf, I didn’t do much. I was actually super focussed on the event. I didn’t go to the festival or party at all. I was sticking to my goals in the event which was to do really well. I felt really good in the contest. I ended up in fifth place. The waves were pretty tricky with a couple of small days and then some bigger days with some wind. I ended up losing in the quarterfinals. I had one really good wave, but I just didn’t get the opportunity to get that second solid score. I still felt I could have gone further and won the contest. But a fifth place is ok, it’s good to have some good heats and build some confidence and take that on to the next one. Food wise I pretty much just tried to eat simple stuff around the contest. Nothing too crazy, a few pizzas and things but I just don’t like fish and chips like you English folks…

£192,000 for British surfing but many of you may be asking “What is Britsurf?” and “How will the money be used? Answers here…

So a lot of money being is about to be pumped into British surfing. But many of you may be asking “What is Britsurf?”, and “How will the money be used? We asked Britsurf spokesman Nick Hounsfield.

So first up what is British Surf and how does it work?

The Home Federations ( England, Scotland, Wales and Channel Islands) came together with the purpose of collaborating on all matters that may involve a “British” team. The federations meet generally as needed and have constant dialogue with UKSport, British Olympic Association and the International Surfing Association.

How long did it take to get the bid together?

Actually, it couldn’t take long as we had only about 10 days between the Aspiration Fund being announced and needing to submit for it. Thankfully we have experienced bid writers amongst us that could turn it around quickly.

You must be really happy given the medal hopes criteria? What is the money for and how will it be used? Obviously given the devolution and separate national governing bodes a lot of people are going to be asking how the money will be split to develop surfing in each area. Do you have any criteria for that?

Any opportunity to receive this kind of funding for the sport is extremely exciting. To be clear, this “Aspiration Fund” is geared towards supporting athletes who have Olympic qualification potential but also we needed to demonstrate how this funding can be utilised to drive clear, demonstrable social impact through Surfing. As these funds are from UKSport, there is very clear guidance on who receives funding and how it is spent to produce the greatest positive impact. It is our role now to show our ability to manage the process, manage the funding and measurement the impact it has. There is a mountain of work ahead and it is all done on a voluntary basis within the federations.

Are you going to be engaging any prominent sports scientists?

There are some really great blueprints out there of how to deliver an athlete performance programme and we do have real expertise within the federations. Support is also available from UKSport and we have access to a whole network of experts and professionals who can help and advise.

The money pumped into things like bob sleigh and rowing made a huge difference. Are you hoping for the same?

We have a great sport and we have great athletes in Britain. For too many years our talent and potential has been unfulfilled due to financial or organisational constraints.

We truly believe that with this funding comes a responsibility to start to build the sport for the future, to be able to create a progressive structure for those who want to compete at the highest level whilst inspiring the future generations to get into this sport and build a healthy surf community. This funding is a great first step towards achieving this.