What Wade Goodall Thinks About…

From Stab issue 70: What I Think About, with Wade Goodall, 27, Moffat Beach, Queensland.

Interview by Derek Rielly | Photos by Matt O’Brien

Big Teahupoo: Teahupoo when it’s big is a siren of sorts. It lures you in. It must be a woman. When you see it, you want it but it scares you. She will either give you the ride of your life or kick you in the nuts. My favourite wave in the world for sure.

Big wave hold-downs: I haven’t had it too bad so far. I can’t hold my breath for very long at all so I’d be in a bit of trouble if I had to spend some time at the bottom of the sea. I’m a catch-and-release fisherman 80% of the time so if it did seem like I was staying down for good I would just relax and wait for those fish to repay the favour and return me. What goes around comes around.

The tour: The Tour de France is boring. I don’t like cycling. I get nervous when I have to pass a cyclist. One time I was walking home after a night of leisure and a flock of about 100 cyclists came riding down the road towards me. The leader hit a rock and flipped. Then it was just stacks on. Or would it be spokes on. Whatever, not into it.

Women: Amazing creatures. Seeing my girl make a baby human has been unbelievable. What their body goes through in the process is just incredible. I can’t imagine having to do all that. The makers of life. You go, girls.

The brevity of fame: Fame is something I don’t think about. Unless I see someone famous and I feel nervous and do something awkward even when I really don’t care that they were in some movie I cant remember. That feeling of thinking you know this person but in fact you have never met is strange. I don’t know why it happens. If fame is brief then I bet some people are stoked. Finally, some guy isn’t coming up to them in the street pointing and saying eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy (insert catchphrase from that show they did here).

Cigarettes: When it comes down to it, cigarettes are bad. But every now and then I have one. With coffee or wine. After a few drink, sure. But I don’t like them. I find the action of smoking is what allures me. I just like blowing smoke out.

Drugs: Bad shit. Changes people. Drugs can make you like, and your body respond to, electro music. Ain’t nothing good about that. Drugs that are beneficial in a medicinal way are good. Drugs may cure cancer. Drugs as a whole are both helpful and devastating to the human race. Please use responsibly.

Broken legs: The shittiest. I don’t know why I have broken both my legs in the last two years on the same beach, surfing with the same crew, driven to the hospital by the same ambo and operated on and cared for by the same doctors and nurses. Maybe I have gotten away with a lot of things in my life and my luck is running out or maybe I was Hitler or a termite in a past life and I’m getting what I deserve. But it’s not terminal. Time heals and I’ll be surfing again.

How the world looks on the other side of 25: It looks fine to me. I feel I can embrace change a lot better. I’m more comfortable in myself and am learning to back myself in new things. Having a go instead of not trying because I’m shit at it due to my non experience. I don’t feel like I am in some mature club now though. I’m definitely not getting one of those OK over 25 stickers for my car like those youth-hating lemons. I will try to stay young at heart forever.

A slob, frontside and relatively straight. We talk about the air, not the man

Social media addiction: I don’t mind the Instagram, especially when I’m injured. I like to see my friends doing cool things and I follow artists I like. I have been hitting it pretty hard while I’ve been laid up. It’s been nice to live through my friends. I like photography more then rants or sentences stating current moods so that’s why I use Instagram and think Twitter and Facebook are dumb.

Ageing: Inevitable. Doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Actually, going bald is a bit scary. I know it’s in my future. Let’s just say my Dad isn’t rocking an afro. But he’s a legend so I don’t care and I love hats.

Being a young dad: Is an exciting prospect. I was nervous at first but as the weeks have gone past I’ve gotten more and more eager to meet the little baby and am ready as I’ll ever be for his/her arrival. I think it will be so cool to surf or skate with your my own little kid so I really like the idea of being a young dad. Just as long as my metal legs hold up we should be sessioning a mini-ramp in the back yard in three years.

Staying relevant outside The Tour: Who cares? I don’t give a shit about staying relevant. I surf because I love it. If your main concern is staying relevant then you’re on the cow’s tit and milking it hard. I don’t want to do that. Even though more milk would be good for my bone strength.

Web clips: Good and bad. It’s a bummer the true quality films that come out on the web are forgotten extremely fast because of the constant uploading of fresh content. It’s cool, though, to see things not long after you heard they went down. Web photos as well as print photos and web clips all come out simultaneously, which is cool. But I like the idea of having a hard copy of something. I loved watching Dad’s Mad Wax and Rad Movez VHS tapes everyday when I was little. An MP3 download doesn’t have the same appeal to me.

Life after pro surfing: Will be a learning curve. I don’t think I’m better then anyone for being a sponsored dude or feel I’m above working. When it comes time to move on and get a normal job I’ll do what I have to do to support my little family. The world will be my oyster, really. Fresh starts aren’t a bad thing.