Joel Parkinson

MOVING ON

Fins.

Okay, second at Surfer Poll.

Well, I got fourth last year, so it was a step in the right direction. I hadn’t given it any thought until a few days before. I thought I might be lucky to scrape into the top five, so getting a second was a surprise. I was the first non-American, the first non-Kelly. He seems to win it most years. The guy is so huge over here in the States it’s no surprise he keeps winning it. But I was almost happier about Still Filthy winning Movie of the Year than me finishing second, because I worked really hard on that. I got the last section so I felt like a big part of the movie. That was a win in itself. That was pretty rewarding.

What were your thoughts paddling out against Machado yesterday?

I fully thought, the way Trestles breaks, that in a half hour heat it always throws up a bomb wave at some time, and whoever has priority when it comes through usually wins. Well a bomb did come through and Rob got it, but luckily for me he didn’t really connect with it so well. It wasn’t even in his top two. When he stood up on that wave I went, “Okay, I’m in trouble,” but luckily for me he only tagged a five or something out of if. I was behind, but all the way through I was thinking I’d get my shot at pegging him back. Then when that last second wave came through I thought really had a chance. And when I took off on that wave on the hooter I thought, okay, this is it. I was only chasing a 5.77 or something. I got up, heard the hooter with a second to spare, and fully thought I’d got it. But with the delay between the hooter and the lineup, a two second delay or something, I was a second too late I suppose. I fully thought I’d got it in the water, but got to the beach and found out I hadn’t. Lucky I didn’t claim it, hey?

Five seconds after discovering defeat has been snatched from the jaws of victory.

What was your initial reaction?

I was walking up the beach when I heard the last wave didn’t count. I was blowing up, going, “That’s bullshit!” But I just didn’t allow for the two-second delay. They reckon they’re going to look at the situation. It’s happened before with Kelly at Bells before. And if you thought I blew up, you shoulda seen him!

The winning wave that wasn't.

It’s just about the only close call that’s gone against you all year. Were you waiting for it to happen?

I’ve had enough of those things in my career; it’s just like water off a duck’s back. It’s sport. I’ve had so many close calls go my way this year, had a few get out of jail cards this year, it was due. At the Quikky with Davo, stuff like that, you’ve got to give and take, and it was a close call and I’m totally fine with it. I’d just rather channel my energy somewhere better than being bitter about that.

You seemed okay later on.

When I got home I was really angry. When I left the beach it was probably the angriest I’ve ever been after losing a heat. It took me a couple of hours but I rang a mate at home who put a bit of light on the subject, and I hung up laughing. It put it all in a better light. I thought of all the good calls I’ve had.

The plan for the rest of the week?

Yeah I’m staying here in California for a few days before flying to France. I might train this afternoon. I gave my ankle two days after the contest without surfing or training on it, but it’s feeling really good. I think I’m probably a week away from full steam running on it. I could beach run now, I reckon, I might go this arvo. Surfing on it has been fine, it’s just time to get it a little tougher. I’m happy with the progress I made on it over here for sure.

France.

It’s all about France now. I can’t wait. I always seem to get really surf-excited in France cause I love the waves over there and I always get pumped on surfing them. You can have three long surfs a day. Coming here to California I don’t get quite as pumped about going freesurfing. Apart from surfing Lowers around the comp I don’t get quite as excited about the other waves nearby, whereas in France there’s always a little wedgey something down the beach.

Do you attribute the fact you’ve gone out early here to the fact you haven’t surfed much lately, between the ankle and the lack of surf at home?

For sure. I need to build some surf momentum. That’s why I’m looking forward to surfing three times a day in France and doing some half-hour heat drills with Louie, getting that real high wave count up. That’s what’s going to happen in France. They’ve had some really good waves there this year; I’m just hoping the swell doesn’t run out of steam. And I always to seem to do really well at places I feel comfortable, and France is one of them.

Are you going to watch the final day at Trestles?

Depends on the waves. There’s supposed to be a nice south swell hitting, so I’d much rather be out surfing it than watching it. If the waves aren’t that great I might go down and have a look for sure.

What’s the plan for today?

Off to Laguna for lunch with the tribe. There’s no waves today, and there’s a big kids park up there. We’re gonna get ‘em out and burn some energy off. Apart from that I’m taking it easy today cause I’m gonna be up at two tomorrow morning watching the Titans’ semi-final.

Are you missing finals fever at home?

It’s killing me. Especially when the Titans have got a realistic chance at winning the competition.

They do?

They do… you idiot. It’s going to be a real bummer missing all that. I’ve got my jersey ready to go, I’m going to bed in it. Ahhhh s@#, Macy! [Joel’s 2-year-old daughter has just smashed him in the elbow with a large steel pole]. You are the devil, child!

Evie, Joel and Macy frocking up for tonight's Titans game.

A HANDFUL OF UPPERS

Joel @ Upper Trestles from Joel Parkinson on Vimeo.

KAI PARKINSON

"So Joel, cats always land on their feet, toast always falls butter side down. Does a buttered cat land on it's feet?"

After such a big break – six weeks or so – it was tough to get back in the groove today. Surfed a tough first heat this morning against Kai Otton and Kai Barger… Kai Otton, Kai Barger, Kai Parkinson. The surf at Trestles wasn’t that great in the morning, the lefts were the better waves but they had a lot of wind on them and it was hard to find clean face that didn’t section off cause the tide was so low. It was also tough having to balance nursing the ankle a bit and exploding out of turns. It’s always takes a few heats to re-establish confidence in an injury. Otto ripped and got the heat, but I was happy that I got a couple of keepers and surfed with a bit of rhythm. I lost the heat but still felt pretty good with how I’d done.

When I found out they were going to run my second round heat late in the afternoon I wasn’t so sure at first. I haven’t surfed twice in a day since my final day at J-Bay, but the waves had got a lot better on the incoming tide so I was cool with it. I knew it was going to be a tough heat – Kai Barger’s the world junior champion and the guy rips. The lefts were still running a bit longer than the rights which would favour Kai, so I knew I’d have to surf a smart heat. It turned out to be a slow heat with not a lot of waves, and I was able to use priority and get a couple of clean ones. I only got sixes for them, but scores were pretty hard to find out there and they turned out to be enough.

And the best part about surfing my heat this afternoon was the fact I’ve got a day off tomorrow. Not sure what I’m gonna do yet. Louie’s coming round in the morning and we’re going for a freesurf up the beach from the contest, just to stay loose. Surfer Poll the day after, so I’m not going to run out of things to do in a hurry.

A TRESTLES TRYST

Team Parko planning an assault on Trestles... and an assault on several local burger chains. //Breeza

Your feelings being back in California?

I just feel like it’s the start of a huge leg, the start of something big. Like, the end of the four-event leg in Portugal is only five weeks down the track, but it seems so far away. The travelling part of the next few weeks I’m not looking to so much, but the contests themselves I’m excited about. Actually surfing heats and the chance to get good waves and compete, that’s what I get excited about. It’s time to work. But we always have a really good time with the kids and the family on this leg. I had my first In And Out burger yesterday, which is always my Californian highlight. Got my fix. I like California. It’s really easy to live here, everything’s available. It’s the freedom man.

So the Parkinson tribe is travelling you for the rest of the year?

One in, all in now, mate. I did so much time away at the start of the year that from now on it will be one Parkinson in, all in.

How’s the past three weeks at home been?

The waves have been flat at home so I haven’t surfed too much, and I didn’t want to travel and chase waves cause I’m going to be doing enough travelling in the next couple of months. I just got my ankle right and had a big recharge. The way I see it I get home from Portugal then we have two weeks then it’s straight into Hawaii, so I see it as all one long haul and I wanted to be ready for it. I’ve been doing a lot of gym time… oh, and Wes taught me how to swim. Believe it or not at 28 years of age I was doing swimming lessons. This time last year Wes taught me how to run long distances –  how to break them down to small goals. And then he always said he was going to teach me how to swim. I’ve always been able to get myself out of the impact zone at 10 foot Sunset, but I thrash like a tiger shark. My stroke is terrible. My strokes still terrible, but it’s a hundred percent better than it was. I don’t breathe like a guppy now and I don’t thrash and I have a lot better stroke now. I can’t wait to get home and do more. It’s a pretty boring sport. It’s ridiculously boring, but you do feel amazing after a pool session, your lungs and your whole body just buzz.

During contests you’re really conscious of how your energy ebbs and flows between heats, between days. Do you have try and manage your energy in bigger blocks, like weeks? Do you give yourself slow weeks when you’re at home?

Physically, not really. I’m almost the opposite. Emotionally, yes. I’m recharging. I try and avoid doing things that are too draining on me and my time, I just try and do the stuff I like doing. Those three weeks were all about family, surfing and training and that’s about it. Emotionally, what’s coming up is going to be pretty draining, so I want to make sure I don’t feel drained before it even starts. Physically, whatever happens in the next few weeks will be nowhere near as hard as what I’ve done over the past few weeks. I’d rather do the hard work away from the event.

You’re one of the few high profile guys who hasn’t said anything publicly about the proposed Champions Tour. Nothing turn up in the mail?

I’m just worrying about the tour I’m on right now. I don’t know anything about it. I don’t know the guys who are trying to do it and they’ve had no contact with me. I’m just worrying about the tour I’m on right now, not next year’s. But I actually think the ASP is doing a pretty good job. In every sport there are things you can work on, but I think it’s moving forward, I just think the wheels have been moving a little slowly over the past few years and that’s probably what has fired up the idea for a new tour. But I think the wheels are starting to move a little faster with the ASP as a result. It’s hard to bring in a new tour when the current one goes to all the best locations in the prime windows. I’m not sure how that could be matched in a six month tour. I think you need all four seasons in surfing and you need the northern and southern hemispheres to get a full year and get the right waves. In theory it’d be unreal to surf for six months then have six months off, but it’s not going to happen. You’d sacrifice so many good waves.

A hundred grand first prize for Lowers.

A hundred grand for Lowers, eh? I didn’t know. That’d be nice. How many In And Out burgers could you buy with that? I’d take the points over the money at the moment though.

Your thoughts on Trestles, the wave?

It’s a good wave. When it’s proper good and glassy it’s a really high performance wave. It’s a really easy wave to surf; its soft and easy to destroy. Its not like a French beachbreak or a Bells where you’re hanging on by your toes to get through turns and anything can happen with a wobble or backwash. Trestles is mechanical, it’s like a skate park. It’s an easy wave to throw your fins out the back. The swell looks like it might be pretty small though, with maybe something at the end of the waiting period. I’ve done well here in the past, won here in 2004, and if you’ve had success in an event you’ve always got it in the back of your mind that you’re a chance to do well there again.

Looked at a ratings sheet?

Nup. I haven’t looked at one, haven’t looked at one scenario. I’ve had two people tell me this and that, and I wish they’d never said it. I wished they’d left it alone. They told me I need this and that and it’s done, but for me the world title is all the way to Pipe. Till the fat lady sings. Anything’s possible, and that’s the way I’m thinking.

Anyone in particular you’re keeping an eye on?

For sure, and he’s already won one this year and he’s won here before. Everyone knows who he is. But Trestles can be a pretty open event and throw up a winner from leftfield, especially if it stays small, so there’ll be no easy heats.

SURFING BURGERS

In California it's all about obeying the signs. Joel at San Clemente.

The little redheaded kid with the Children Of The Corn stare is standing at the glass door again. He first showed up out the front of the Parkinson’s rented San Clemente pad yesterday afternoon, clutching a piece of paper and saying not much. Joel whistled him in. The kid didn’t say a word, just held out the paper and Parko knew what to do from there. The kids’s back today for his third round of autographs using his usual modus operandi – standing at the glass front door and staring in until someone lets him in. You’ll be watching TV, suddenly be overcome by a sensation that you’re being watched, and sure enough there he is. You don’t know how long he’s been there for; an hour, maybe two, but you’re pretty sure why he’s here. He’s not alone though. There’s been a steady flow of neighbourhood grommets coming in and out of the place since the Parkos moved in two days back, scoring autographs, talking surfing, frothing on the fact the world number one has moved into the street.

After bumping in two days ago, it’s been small waves and chasing the kids around the house for training. In town for Trestles, the entire Parko clan arrived a week early for the Still Filthy premiere, which is down in San Diego tonight.

The week so far has been low key to say the least, the highlight for Joel being his ritual trip to In And Out Burger up the road. He says it’s part of his Californian training regime. Joel trained again yesterday with a round of Bombay chicken melts. He and I walked up the main street yesterday to procure them, Joel ordering $80 worth of food for the tribe then turning to me and going, “I forgot my wallet. You got money?” It’s a trick mastered by a certain childhood friend of his who’ll be surfing next week in the contest. It was no wonder when Joel paddled out yesterday he was trailing a grease slick behind him.

Joel’s no-surf curse – which extends back three waveless weeks at home on the Goldy – has followed him here, and the best he’s had is a two-foot hit and giggle at San Clemente pier yesterday. With no serious swell materialising on the charts, it looks like it might turn out to be a good warm up for the contest. We’re hearing a little bump on Monday – day one of the waiting period – and a bit of swell right at the end.

Tomorrow on joelparko.com… the Still Filthy premiere.