Stab Magazine | Scooters n' bed-warmth

Live Now — Episode 3 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

292 Views

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

news // Feb 22, 2016
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 3 minutes

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

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Correction: J-Bay All Foreplay, No Climax

Slim pickings on Day 1 of the Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025.

Jul 11, 2025

What Do Hollywood, Surf Lessons, Michael Jackson And Traction Pads Have In Common?

A Stab Interview with Teva Dexter, the man behind surfing's hardest new hardware brand —…

Jul 10, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

"The tribe has spoken," Dane Reynolds pronounced, and a surfer's torch was snuffed.

Jul 10, 2025

How Josh Ku Nearly Died Trying To Cross From Ulus to G Land by Hydrofoil

“If someone finds me dead at least they can find my phone and know what…

Jul 10, 2025

Expect No Kiss, All Climax At The “World’s Most Perfect Pointbreak”

A Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025 preview.

Jul 9, 2025

SEOTY: Liam O’Brien stars in ‘Friction of Perception’

"Hopefully I don’t come across like too much of a peanut."

Jul 8, 2025

10 Shapers To Watch In The Next 10 Years — Part One

“It’s like a drug empire, man. Cut the head off the snakes, and more will…

Jul 7, 2025

Mason Ho Joins Ritual Vision, Releases Remix Of Greatest Hits

Dion Agius riffs on the eyewear brand’s U.S. expansion, Ritualistic Tendencies, and the new stars…

Jul 7, 2025

Is It Time For A New Judging Format?

We have a modest proposal — a WSL head judge disagrees.

Jul 7, 2025

Luke Thompson Turns Last Year’s Priority Disaster Into Ballito Gold

+ earns himself a wildcard into Jbay.

Jul 7, 2025

Fiji Has Its First Professional Surfer, And He’s Unbelievable

16-year-old James Kusitino’s incomprehensible tube lounging leads to a deal with Former.

Jul 6, 2025

Laird Hamilton on The Limitations of Being a Purist, Invention vs. Ownership + Why He Never Had a Sticker Deal 

Untold stories from his How Surfers Get Paid interview.

Jul 4, 2025

When Surfer’s Eye Is Actually Cancer

Erin Campbell's brutal journey from surf camp dreams to chemo drops, cryotherapy, and surgical horror.

Jul 3, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q2 Report

An assessment of surfing's vital signs throughout the second quarter of 2025.

Jul 2, 2025

What Actually Happened to Occy’s Mad Max Plunger Pool In Yeppoon?

Surf Lakes’ brass talks: internet hecklers, the unplugging of the plunger, and the Tom Curren…

Jul 2, 2025

Poor Goofy Foots 

Data shows that the world is stacked against goofs — they even make 15% less money than…

Jul 1, 2025

Britain’s First Wavepool Has Closed — What Really Happened?

Bankruptcy, social media hackings, debts unpaid — and yet, reopening looms.

Jul 1, 2025

Watch: Was Matt Meola’s Air Actually Better Than Hughie’s?

Watch the full Swatch Nines highlight reel and decide.

Jun 30, 2025
Advertisement