I've known this cool little fucker for ten years; my gal, though she has long since come around to her senses, once regarded him as the ultimate piece of man poontang. My not-always-platonic love for the midget maniac swelled last year when he invited me, most expenses paid, to hang out in Barbados for two weeks - just after he signed up with Reef as their global athlete manager. Motivated, upbeat, always working his contacts, professional to the point of obsessiveness, as a surf mag editor you couldn't ignore Heath Walker. He mightn't have been the next KS, but if he was in town he was on the phone, in the office, talking you and him up, and all but forcing himself onto surf trips. The kid was a sponsor's dream and generated more editorial for himself than surfers paid five times as much.
For 10 years, and through three eras of surfing, Heath Walker haunted the WQS tour. It started easy for the kid. In 1995, the 19-year-old, third-year apprentice chef took three weeks off to have a crack at the pro juniors and the big WQS in France. He made the quarters of the pro juniors; he won the WQS, beating Shane Dorian and Shea Lopez. He made six weeks' salary in a few weekends.
Then it got tough. Heath knew he could match the best in small beachbreaks, but admits he couldn't backside tuberide, was a bit weak on reefs, and didn't even bother with Hawaii. At his peak, he was earning 90 to a 100 gees a year and pouring it straight back into surfing every event he could get into. In his final three years, Heath finished 42, 45 and 48. Close, but not really threatening the WCT cut. In 2003, Heath, then 28, moved full-time to the USA, looking for more green, looking at ways to vamp up his surfing. Before long, he'd signed a fat deal with Reef. A few months after the ink on the contract was dry, however, Heath came unstuck at Backdoor, ripped open his skull and blew his speakers. He was out of the water for three months, started getting fat, and started thinking about his future. He told Reef that if anything came up, y'know, let me know...
Two months later, he got the call from Reef. His pro surfer contract was torn up (he used the money from the balance of his contract to sign fellow struggling Aussies Leigh Sedley and Damon Nicholls to Reef) and he dived into the other side of the industry. His success and his sudden rise has been dramatic. Kids knows what's up, knows what sort of issues his team has to deal with cause he's, like, been there, man, and his likeability and attention to detail make him an invaluable cog in the Reef sprocket. I ask him, is it difficult to give up the soaring highs and lows of competition for the flat-line of office work? Heath laughs, then gives this insight. "It's winning and losing at a different level. It's the thrill you get from a successful signing like Bobby Martinez. Or the vicarious thrill of a team rider like Ben Bourgoise homing in on a requalification for the WCT. It's still cool, it's still a rush and there's still that feeling of respect."
- Derek Rielly
HEATH'S 5 TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Always take advice. But know good advice from bad advice. And know when it's time to follow your gut instincts.Don't be afraid of risk. If you're confident about something, give it a go. Even if you fail, you'll learn. The only way you'll grow is by failing and learning from your mistakes.
Onwards and upwards. The surf industry is all about Today and it's one of the few industries where youth can educate the elders. If you're young and you're smart, you're invaluable to a big surf co. And they know it. Knock on a few doors and you'll be surprised what opens for you.
Learn to control your outbursts. Have a think before you speak and let any heavy emails percolate for at least 24 hours. Temper is related to immaturity and unpredictability - two traits no one needs in a key employee.
Rewards come to those who bust their hump. If you're dedicated, if you're motivated, the money, the sweet ride, the sweet crib, the sweet office, the sweet trips - they'll all come. Especially in the big companies like Volcom, Billabong and, of course, Reef, if you do the right thing, if your effort provides real results, you'll be treated like a prince.
