Matt Wilkinson: “If Micro Wasn’t Here I’d Be Golfing”

In Stab and Corona’s Beach Chair series, we strive to shine a light on the personalities behind the jerseys, logos and guarded televised responses, whilst presenting hard evidence of recent form in the water. Today we have a relaxed Matt Wilkinson seated on the back verandah of his tranquil Bells Beach share house, where we fired a few questions in his direction. 

Free from the influence of the competitive-focused exchanges you’ll see on the webcast (we’ll leave those to our pals at the WSL), we probed him on the pros and cons of owning a Byron Bay residence, whether we can expect him to pull out the fruity suits and rollerblades of yesteryear, a brief description of his signature claim and an exploration of his growing obsession with golf. Unfortunately for last year’s bell ringer, Wilko’s opportunity to back it up this year was cut short by Wiggolly Dantas. However we’re thrilled to watch his signature backhand grace our screens throughout the rest of the year. 

Did you catch our previous Bells Beach Chair episodes? If not, get at them here, here and here, for the warm-ups and here for our interview with Rip Curl Pro winner Jordy Smith.