With regards to your training, can you isolate the most important element?
I would say the most important training that I do that gives me my best chance to perform and to survive a wave like Jaws is stand up paddle racing. It literally simulates everything you go through in big wave surfing. You’re constantly out of breath, your entire body is consistently being used physically, it’s all mental, and you have to be willing to push yourself far beyond what you think you’re capable of. That’s why I really enjoy the summertime race season, because I know the faster I am in the summer the better I’ll be able to perform in the winter! But supplementing it with gym training, apnoea training, and simple things like eating really healthily and having time to rest is so important. I would say have good equipment underneath your feet is as important as well, because it’s the tool you’re riding that will allow you to push that extra bit and could just help you manoeuvre past disaster.
And finally, with regards to your overall skill set, what sport do you think has been the biggest contributor to get you where you are today?
I would say my surfing is the core of what I do, because all of the water sports have either evolved or spun off from surfing. I really do feel that if you want to be exceptional at all other water sports, having a good surfing baseline is really important. Once you hone in your ability to do multiple water sports at a high level they begin to benefit one another in the same way that surfing did in your beginning. They all have helped me achieve what I have in giant waves and without them I would not have been able to ride the way I have been. I could never imagine giving one sport up, they are also close to my heart, they are who I am! SUP
