Fight till the death – Taylor Knox goes down swinging at Pipe. PIc: ASP/CestariIn the Billabong Pipeline Masters in Honour of Andy Irons today, generationally-resistant Taylor Knox said good-bye to life as a full time ASP Championship Tour surfer. In an emotional show of support for the heavy-hacker, good mates and multiple ASP World Titleholders, Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater, chaired the Californian up Ehukai Beach Park after his round one heat loss to young Hawaiian charger Billy Kemper. Although TK failed to better the tube-hungry Kemper in the challenging yet spectacular conditions at Pipeline proper – the 22 year veteren was treated to a deserving guard-of-honour-style send off, normally reserved for event champions and world title winners.
Taylor spots Tracks’ photographer Nate Smith and gives him the perfect 11 salute. Pic: natesmith.comOnce Kelly and Mick, along with Taylor’s home town buddy Mike ‘Snips’ Parsons, Rob Machado (holding up Taylor’s board), Pat O’Connell, Dylan Slater, Tom Whitaker, Shea Perkins, Matt Wilkinson, Fletch and pals finally returned their mate back to sandy earth, he turned and addressed his peers, friends and fans who had huddled around to hear one of pro surfing’s greatest give his final post heat interview (as a fulltime competitor). Beach commentator GT verbally stood-down to let the ever-smiling rail-rider say his piece. “It’s kinda hard to put into words like the emotions going through me right now – It’s like a swirl, and like a lighting bolt of pleasure and tears and hills and valleys. Having these guys not so much as my peers but being there for me as my friends – means much more that I can ever imagine. And surfing brought that to me. It’s all about love – I love surfing, I love the sport, I love the people I’ve met along the way, the fans and especially my friends and family, you know my wife and my kids… and what I’ve been able to get from all the support I’ve had and my sponsors for sticking with me, I know it’s painful to watch me surf heats some times, but I’m a better surfer than I am a compeititior…” Taylor told the crowd.
His handlebar-moustache, piercing honest eyes and deep facial scars did little to distract the respectful onlookers away from the enormity of the moment – it was big. To his credit, TK kept the tears at bay (although the same couldn’t be said for some of his closest friends).
His speech, interview, swansong, whatever you want to call it? Was on the money. He graciously acknowledged surfing, the friendships it’s given him and how much the impromptu send off moved him.
As far as living legends go, Taylor fits the bill perfectly. He’s made the stylish, power- frontside-hack his own, cashed a 50k cheque for paddling into a fifty footer in 1998 (thanks to the K2 challenge) and won over surf communities around the world, thanks to his classic Californian surf-stoked vibe.
Today we said goodbye to Taylor Knox the competitor, but fear not he’s far from done; this is merely the end of one chapter of his surfing career and the beginning of another.
Watch this space.
Cheers TK, thanks for the memories… See you in the line-up next time there’s an amazing swell somewhere in the world.
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