Scooters n’ bed-warmth

Owen Wright blasted through his first round heat at the Quiksilver Pro, France, scoring an 8.0 on one wave – the second highest of the day (after Fanning’s 8.3). There’s been a coupla days downtime since then, so Stab got in touch with the 20-year-old to see how he’s filling his days in the town of Hossegor and it’s surroundings.

So, how’ve you been spending your down time? I guess I had a little sleep in today. I got up and checked it earlier – it’s just windblown, whitewash everywhere. So I came back and had a little snooze. I wasn’t really keen on getting out in that, it was pretty cold. The surf’s been fun though. There’s been this left rip bowl at Estagnots – its pretty much been a goofy-footer’s dream. I’ve seen every goofy-footer on tour out there in the last few days, having a blast.

Could they run the contest there? I don’t know. Everyone’s been getting really good surfs in. At that left bank, and at the site where the contest is set up, but… I guess they just didn’t have the set-ups ready. I was talking to Micky Picon  and he was saying there was a good bank up where the main set-up is, but it’s just not really happening there right now.

From what we’ve seen, there seems to be waves. Its been the funnest beaches in the world. Everyone’s been loving it – surfing and having a hell time. The comp’s just been on call everyday, then they finally moved it up to the left bank there the day before and put the groms out, but up at Les Bourdaines it was pumping all day. So they moved it up to Les Bourdaines and put the groms out again. Everyone’s been getting sick waves though.

Has it been frustrating? Its been good to surf, but I think the guys that are running it will be getting frustrated. That’s how it is here though – you can be two hours too late for a bank. You’ve gotta time it really well. It’s not like they can just move and go, “Ok, now it’s here”, or “Now it’s there”. So they’d be frustrated that everyone’s getting good waves and they haven’t been able to run a comp.

What’s the vibe been like over there? Everyone’s pretty keen on what’s going on with the comp – when it’s going to start and everything. But if you talk to Mick and Taj and all those guys, they’ve just been loving how good the beachies have been. There was a bit of a session yesterday and I talked to Kai Otton. Kai said, “Mate, everyone out here, even Mick n’ that were doing airs”. And, Mick’s always freaking out how he can’t do airs. Apparently he was doing some big ones too.

So how else’ve you been filling your days? Just surfing, and… Wilko got a scooter, and he got me a helmet, so we’ve been cruising ’round on that a little bit. 

Tandem or taking turns? Doubling.

I’d love to see that. Yeah, it’s pretty funny. That’s just been fun in itself. We’ve been having barbecues as well. We went to see the motorbike show the other night – that was pretty good. It was near Rock Food. We were talking to a few girls and they said it was the last big night of the summer. It was packed. It’s been fun like that – there’s always stuff going on. 

So summer’s on the way out? It’s freezing in the mornings – pretty easy to go back to bed. Yesterday I went out for a surf – it was pumping – but I could’ve easily just gone back to bed for a bit.

How’s your place of rest? I’m staying at a hotel on the lake – Les Acanthes. My dad and brother came over – my little brother went in King Of The Groms. He didn’t go so well, but groms struggle with jet-lag a bit. He wasn’t feeling so well when he went out, but he still surfed really well. It’s still good just to have him here. It breaks it up a bit when you can go have some fun with your little brother. He’s frothing on surfing. Turned me into a grom again. He stays in his wettie all day, saying, “Let’s go surfing!”. – Elliot Struck