<p>Joel’s last taste of J-Bay two years ago was a good one. //Shorty</p>

Joel’s last taste of J-Bay two years ago was a good one. //Shorty

Joel’s J-Bay Interview

July 14 2011 | Posted in Interviews,  Surfers, 

Talk to me about the contrast between how you feel today, getting on a plane to J-Bay, and how you were feeling 12 months ago sitting on your lounge with a few dozen stitches in your foot?

My mind is pretty much the same – I think I dealt with the disappointment of the injury pretty well – but at least I’ve got a foot that’s not in two pieces. I’m so excited to go to J-Bay. I’ve wrapped myself in cotton wool this week and made sure I didn’t do a repeat of last year and got on that plane healthy.

Does it seem like 12 months ago since the injury?

Not really. I mean everything still feels kinda fresh for me, but so much has happened since then. It doesn’t feel like that long ago, but when you look back and realise what’s gone down since, there’s a bit in there.

How has your seven-week holiday from pro surfing treated you?

Awesome. I went to Bali for a Billabong boardshort shoot and got some amazing waves at Deserts, and I’ve just had an amazing week in Fiji. I had really nice Cloudbreak two days of epic waves, then the rest of the time just cruising and relaxing and enjoying island life with the family before I got stuck into 10 days of training at home getting ready for J-Bay and the rest of the year.

So your backhand tuberiding is probably going okay after Fiji, how are you going on your forehand?

I’ve gone right enough in my life for that to always be there. My backhand tuberiding is the one I love working on.

What’s the one thing you’re most looking forward to at J-Bay?

Everything. After two years everything about J-Bay excites me, but the one that’s in the forefront of my mind is that wave. I’m so excited about getting there and surfing that wave again after two years away. So excited, just the sensation of going so fast. My first wave when I get there I’ll probably just fly along it without doing a turn and just soak it all up. I‘m really excited about going back to J-Bay, but feeling really relaxed about going there at the same time, if that makes sense. Once you get there the whole vibe of J-Bay will take the edge off it and relax me.

Is surfing J-Bay instinct for you now after doing it for so long?

I guess so. The more you can rely on instinct out there and let the natural stuff take over, the better it is for your surfing. Better for me anyway. Trying to force something for me doesn’t work out there. It takes a little bit more time at J-Bay to assess the day – the direction of swell, the break between sets, which waves are hitting the reef just right – all those little things. But once you know in your head, which waves are the better ones, when you find the wave you want you can just go with it. Where you do your turns is the most crucial thing with J-Bay. Too early and the wave will take off without you. You just really need to be in a rhythm with that wave to surf it well.

Read the full interview at joelparko.com

 

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