Twiggy didn't’ have the best result in Mexico for the Puerto Escondido Challenge, but there were some things that we wanted to chat to him about. Did the competitiveness seem a little benign? Was no one hussling for sets? Had the big wave brotherhood become too buddy-buddy? What is going on in the world of big wave surfers? Dive in!
Hello Mr Baker. Not the best result for the world champion at the first event of the year. Do you attribute luck, or lack thereof, for a poor result in a big wave event? There does seem to be larger luck variables when it’s 20-foot.
I believe you make you own luck, and that we have some control of how a heat goes. In the end, when looking back on that particular heat, I had chances to get on peoples insides and into better positions, but I didn’t take them and that cost me the heat.
When that wave came through for Trevor (Carlson), was it clearly his, or was there a chance to hustle for it? What was the group dynamic around the wave? It seemed quite composed and relaxed out there.
Yes for sure I could have hassled Trevor for that wave but he had been waiting all heat and it was clearly his turn so I moved down the beach and hoped that the peak would come my way. Both Billy and Nathan could have gone on that wave and that would have left me in third but they both somehow left it for Trevor, and he surfed it amazingly to get the score and eliminate me from that particular heat.
You have years of experience at Puerto and were defending champ. It’s a helluva venue for a big wave event. Do you agree?
Look, on that day the waves where pumping and there where 10 point rides available all day if you could have got in a rhythm. As with any beach break there are plenty of closeouts and unnmakable waves, but the secret with big waves on the whole is to take your time and find the diamonds in the rough.
That’s great intel. Using that event as a backdrop, but including the free surfing you have been witness to this year, who are the new kids on the block who could make this thing called Big Wave Surfing a reality in their lives?
Tom Lowe surfed great all day, as did Billy Kemper, and Kai Lenny. Those are the guys to watch going forward. They all have the necessary ingredients.
With the pared down tour, do you think that three events is still a fair shake? It does seem quite tight – one poor event and you’re possibly in the hole with very little chance of climbing out.
No it’s not a fair shake, and this has been discussed in detail. We need eight events on the calendar with a guaranteed minimum four events running each year. This is a fair way to crown a World Champ, for the surfers to have a fair chance at re-qualification, and to nurture new talent around the world.
It does seem that the Big Wave Tour is in good hands though, with a kinda of changing of the guard. There are British surfers, Portuguese surfers, Mexicans and others coming through, not to mention three Hawaiians in the final.
Yes it is in good hands right now. The World Surf League has done a great job so far and has done everything to promote and develop the sport that we can ask for. Everywhere there is an event there’s new talent being developed and now its time to take it to the next step and expand this further. South Africa, Australia, South America and Asia also need events.
What board do you use for Puerto in comparison to the board you use at Nazaré?
At Puerto I try to go as small as possible to give me maneuverability in the barrel, so I was on a 9’0 x 21” x 3 1/2” for the event. At Nazaré I won’t use anything less then an 11’0 x 22” x 4 this season, as it is just a wave-catching mission.
What are you going to do this year about the Nazaré jet-ski situation? Last year we spoke about the harrowing ride out on the back of the ski with your board. You were talking about leaving boards outside on a boat for the heat, and not having to do the white water bounce with your board with you? Is there a solution?
That’s the plan, to have four 11’0’s on the boat, so if you get pushed inside you leave that board, jump up on the ski and get a new board from the boat. It is easier said then done however, and unfortunately with the Pukas factory burning down this season I lost all my boards I had been collecting over the years.
What’s the best thing about surfing right now?
Filipe Toledo, John John Florence and Kai Lenny. These are young guys who are totally changing the game, right when I thought it was getting a little stagnant. The whole world of surfing never ceases to amaze me. Things are always changing.
The Big Wave Tour kicks in again from Oct 15 – Dec 31 as a waiting period for the Nazaré Challenge and the Pe’ahi Challenge.
See highlights of last year’s Peahi Challenge here and highlights of last year’s Nazaré Challenge here.
