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Former world champ CJ Hobgood recently won a six star prime WQS event in Brazil and is Tracksmag.com first HIGH NOON guest. |
Note: HIGH NOON is a new feature here at Tracksmag.com were we talk to surfers of note and interest. From top level professionals to industry insiders, feral legends and vital grommets.
Our first guest is former world champ CJ Hobgood who recently won a six star prime WQS event in Brazil. Ceej (as he is effectionatley known), is from Melbourne in Florida. He’s been on the world tour for 11 years, never finished outside the top 20 and has been a top ten finisher four times. How do you pick him and brother Damo apart? Well, Ceej is leaner and sports a slightly bent hooter.
Winning a WQS 6 star prime at the start of the year was…
A start… really, win or loose, I wanted to come check out FERNANDO DE NOROHNA, because I heard the place was sick – and they scored waves last year. We didn’t totally score to their standards, but I’m glad I went. The place was amazing, best in Brazil for sure. I want to encourage other WT [world tour] dudes to check it out as think if we’re gonna have a wt event in Brazil this is the best spot.
In my semi final Alejo Muniz left me alone on the left…
He moved down the beach with maybe 5 min left… the waves were different everyday, first few days it was like a four-foot Gravier (French) beach break – then when it got smaller we moved into the corner. In this semi with Alejo, (this dude had major confidence after getting 2nd in the comp before and he’d just taken out who I thought was the in surfer of the event in Brett Simpson in the quarters), the game plan was to let this dude have whatever waves he wanted –except the bombs. That’s how he took out Simpson. I figured he couldn’t put me in too deep of a hole with only inside waves and I would crawl out of that hole later in the heat. I got two sets, pretty quick seven’s and that put him in a big hole. Because I had priority it was then he ended up going down the beach with five minutes left looking for a hail Mary. Not sure about a dream scenario but it was nice to have a game plan, execute it, and have it work out.
In the final the waves were three feet wedging lefts… And I had a blast, but the waves were really different the first few days of the comp and the tides did affect the wave considerably.
The catalyst for my re-invigoration for 2010 was… Just having fun really, and enjoying myself. That and maybe 30 being the new prime?
It’s good to go into Snapper with a winning stink on… But snapper is a whole different beast entirely, but yeah it’s some motivation for sure.
The rebel tour talk last year helped ASP world tour surfers… Competition is always a good thing, in every aspect of life. Did it help? Yes.
I had no idea Perry Hatchett was to lose his position as head judge? These judges are gone all year long. Away from their families and getting paid peanuts, so in a way I’m sure it will be a blessing for Perry. However, I think the whole structure that ASP has had for getting judges and paying them needs to be looked at.
World title or not, I have to prove myself… People don’t care if you’ve won 10 world titles or zero, you always have to fight and prove yourself no matter what you do.
Was the financial pressure in America the reason my brother Damian and I closed our surfshop ‘the goods’?… America? Isn’t the whole world experiencing the effects of this financial crunch? Things expand and contract – that’s just the way it works.
My yellow-railed boards have worked well for me… Especially in the last two years. But, it’s always good to mix it up. Change is good, and you’ve always gotta tweak things, so we’ll see.
I’ve won events like Sunset on my backside before… Is Snapper a wave I feel I can win on my backhand too? Yes.
If I had 500 to put on a winner at the Quikky Pro… I’d say safe money would be with Parko [Joel Parkinson], but I doubt he’s paying out that much. For Risky Money, with a big return, I’d look at Brett Simpson.
