Images: Ben Whitmore
So you guys are spending a bit of time together these days?
Jay: I’ve seen Mitch progress to the person he is today, but he’s also one guy I love to go surfing with because he absolutely lifts my game.
Mitch: Yeah it’s fun hanging out at contests like the Straddie Assault or Snapper club rounds. He pushes me because I’ve always looked up to the way he surfs; smooth, old-school carves and he’ll still throw it in the air too, so he’s unbelievable to watch and I’ve grown up watching it so it’s been sick.
Jay gives Mitch a little competition insight before a heat at the Burleigh Classic.
Mitch, you grew up watching Jay and your cousin Joel, what do you take from their generation?
Mitch: Geez, I’ve taken heaps from those guys.
Jay: I think I can kinda explain that one. He’s really gelled into his carve game lately and he’s really become a complete surfer in my opinion, where his carves are definitely on par with my generation and his air game is at a whole new level.
Jay’s style has made a huge impact on a new generation.
Jay you’ve been watching these kids come through the ranks on the Gold Coast for a long time now. What do you see with the new generation coming through?
Jay: I think attitude goes a long way; having the right attitude towards the sport. Surfing is evolving in every different way and I think guys like Mitch are evolving with it. They’ve got new and different boards under their feet and they’ve come through the club ranks so they’re well versed in competition. I see the level of competitiveness coming out of Mitch and I think he wants to be the best. Everyone his age is off in Nicaragua right now doing the ISA games, but I think this is a better option for Mitch. He’s at home right now competing in the QCC (Queensland Championship Circuit) and he’s on top of his game in that field and it’s great training in the lead up to the next Junior event in Coffs Harbour.
Mitch: I think my approach is a little bit different than most guys my age; I’ve been working a lot with my coach, Richo (Mark Richardson) and surfing with Jay a lot and I’ve also been training a lot with Wes Berg. I feel like having my own program makes me feel more solid and more confident.
Mitch with coach Mark Richardson.
We spoke a couple of weeks ago and you were thinking about heading over to Tahiti for the recent massive swell, what else do you have on your radar?
Mitch: I really wanted to go to Tahiti for that swell and I was trying to drag Jay over there with me. It was a pretty evil swell and I saw some footage that made me cringe because I’d made a late decision not to go; I guess I really had to focus on the events that I was doing, but I love chasing waves and getting barrelled, but I also love winning, so I have to keep a happy medium.
Mitch’s surfing is the prefect blend of new and old schools.
And Jay you’re still involved with Snapper Rocks Surfriders and you have a new coaching gig at the Hurley HPC?
Jay: Yeah it’s really good, it’s a state of the art facility with great trainers and coaches, so being part of that will hopefully contribute to my longevity. When everyone comes to the Gold Coast, they think of Snapper Rocks Surfriders. We’ve had a great record in the past and when you see Steph Gilmore and Joel Parkinson become world champions, they are such great ambassadors for the club, so I really enjoy being a part of that club and I’m really enjoying doing a bit of training myself lately too. I’m a couple of years away from 40, so I want to wind back the clock a little bit by doing something like that and hopefully stay around for long enough to see kids like Mitch take it to the next level.
