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Rossy lead the WQS ratings most of the year and finished in style – and he did it all while holding down a fulltime coaching gig. We caught up with Rossy to find out how the mai tai hangover was coming along… |
Hasn’t it been a bonzer year for Aussie surfers? Qantas may have to chart a special flight to cart all the big shiny trophies back from Oahu this week. Amid all the excitement about World Titles, Pipe Masters and Triple Crowns, let’s not forget about Yamba’s Dan Ross taking out The Grind. Rossy lead the WQS ratings most of the year and finished in style with a solid showing at massive Sunset Beach. And he did it all while holding down a fulltime coaching gig. We caught up with Rossy to find out how the mai tai hangover was coming along…
Guy coming in things he has the heat in the bag – Wrong! Rossy outside with his patent frontside money hack.
First in the WQS! Amazing effort. How did you celebrate?
I was driving into in to Honolulu the night Sunset finished to get on a flight to Maui (to do some coaching work for Red Bull). It was only when I arrived at the airport that I thought – “what the fuck am I doing – I just won the WQS and I’m not even celebrating!!” So I rang Sam Carrier who was picking a mate up from the airport. Turns out he was two cars behind me. I said, “lets drive straight back to Turtle Bay and see how many tequila mai tais we can drink”. We arrived just as a team of the boys walked into the sport’s bar. I hadn’t drunk for months so you could imagine what it was like.
When we were talking at the start of the year you’d just got a job at Red Bull. What was your plan for the year at that stage?
At that stage my main focus was settling into my job, learning my role and about how the surf program worked. We had just finished a Red Bull Rising Junior Camp for the groms and I was so pumped to be a part of it. A really rewarding feeling right from the start. I knew that I was heading in the right direction working with guys like Andy King, Andy Walshe, Ant Macdonald and Dog Marsh. Red Bull agreed that I could still compete as well as coach so it worked out great.
A warm water version of Rossy’s trademark move.
Did having a back up career take the pressure off?
Definitely. There is so much on the line each and every heat you surf – weather you realize it or not. Subconsciously there is a lot of pressure to win. My job this year definitely alleviated most of that pressure. I was still putting everything into winning heats but I was having a lot more fun with it in the process and I guess it showed in my surfing. I was really enjoying helping others and competing as well.
What did you learn from that first year on tour?
I learnt a lot of things – like not to give Taj a wave in the last minute of a heat at Bells! I learnt what it was like travelling and competing with surfers that I had idolized as a grommet. I learnt that surfing Pipe/Backdoor with one other guy was an amazing feeling. And I can’t wait to get back out there and do it again.
So have you still be able to fulfil your job at Red Bull while killing the WQS?
They have complimented each other. My main focus was to learn how to be a good coach and establish a good relationship with the RB athletes and crew. From there everything started to flow and fall into place. On top of my surfing knowledge, I was putting into practice what I was learning/teaching. The athletes respected my results on the WQS and that gave more depth to my coaching advice.
When did you feel like you had enough points to qualify?
After the Mr Price event in Sth Africa I think I was on 12300 and I was saying to my Mum that I had qualified. I didn’t think that the cut-off would past that. But it did! And then after I won at Newquay, it was definite.
Rossy had two big memorable bookend wins, one early in the year at Margaret’s, and one late in the year in Europe.
What will you do differently next year on tour?
Nothing different. I will have the same approach as I did at the start of 2008. With another two years experience on top of that. I have a feeling it will be a really fun year.
Get em tiger.
– Kirk Owers
