Q&A

• Favorite Bands: Rap to Rock to Mellow stuff
• What move / trick are you working on? A forehand Flip
• 5 Items I can't live without Boards, computer, car, iPod and my wife.
• What is more important to you than surfing? Family/Friends
• How did you start surfing? How old were you? I first started surfing back in 1988 when I was 7 years old. My older brother surfed, so I wanted to be like him, so I started and got hooked.
• Favorite Movie: Old School and Wedding Crashers
• Favorite book: The Bible and James Patterson novels
• If you were not a pro surfer, you would be: To be honest, I'm not sure because from the age of 10, I knew that all I wanted to be was a pro surfer so that took over my world from then until now. I like to do a bit of designing now and again on the computer and I would love to learn how to skate...and play the guitar.
• What is the biggest obstacle you have faced? When I was 14, I broke my leg in 3 places doing an air and was out of the water for a long time. Since then I've had a few other injuries, one was knee surgery, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!
• What is the best advice you've heard? Do unto others as you'd want done unto yourself. I try to live my life like that.
• What is the best advice you've heard on improving your surfing? Think less, feel more and the more waves you catch, the better you get...
• Who do you travel with on tour? If I'm not traveling with my wife and daughter, I usually travel with Greg Emslie. He's another South African on the WCT and is also my team manager for Oakley in SA. Works for me...
• What has been your favorite stop on tour and why? The best event I ever went to was the Rip Curl Search WCT in Mexico a few years back. We had absolutely amazing waves, pretty much as good as waves get. I also really enjoy California. I always have a good time there, but nothing beats home back in South Africa...variety, quality and your own bed.
• At this level, what is something unique that you do in your training to improve your surfing? I have started doing a wider variety of cross training so the muscles don't get used to the same exercise program from swimming, to boxing, to gym, to mountain biking, etc. It definitely makes training more exciting and easier to do. Also working with your own trainer one on one helps. You can't cut corners.
• Do you have a travel tip from your years of traveling the world? Make sure you have an extra set of clothes in your carry on bag when flying. The amount of times my luggage has gotten lost is crazy. If you are traveling with another surfer on a trip, throw a board in his bag in case your bag doesn't show. Do your homework on what airlines are surfer friendly and which aren't and get an airline program so you can get extra luggage allowance, every extra kilogram or pound helps.