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The Ultimate Party Invite
It hurts when you’re a visible big-wave surfer and you don’t get an invite to the Eddie. Last December, Mark Mathews sat in the upstairs room at the Billabong house at Backdoor and watched the speech of Eddie winner Greg Long streamed live to TV. Mathews, Andy Irons and Parko spoke of the moment and how nothing could top the day as the best in Long’s life. More than anything in the world, Mathews wants a chance to chase down this, the ultimate big game.
Stab: You’ve done so much in the big-wave world but it must be really difficult to work out how you get on the radar for the Eddie. It looked like a real pain to watch that event roll out without you being in it. Mark Mathews: I can watch any surf contest or world tour event and not feel like I’m missing out but fuck, that’s one event I’d just love to be in.
How important is the Eddie to you? It is the pinnacle of big-wave surfing. Nothing’s more prestigious than that.
Okay, if you could lift a Bells trophy, an Eddie Trophy or a Pipe Masters trophy which would it be? An Eddie one, just over the Pipe one. Just. The Pipe one’s mental.
You’ve surfed Waimea quite a lot over the years. This year, in particular, tell us about the biggest day. Was it the afternoon before the Eddie? That morning was the first time I’ve properly surfed it big. Like, that morning was proper 20 foot. When it starts closing out the Bay you realise it’s a different game.
How has the vibe changed from those first days out there to now? From the time I paddled from the beach to when I got out there I was like, “Fuck, this is isn’t as scary as I’d thought it’d be”. I’ve always been scared of paddling into open ocean swells because it’s something we never get to do in Sydney. We’re always chasing hollow waves on a ski.
Anyone giving
you any feedback out there? Kala (Alexander)
is the one who took me out there and gave me a board. He’s been egging me on
and he’s been stoked on how I’ve been going out there.
Who’s the
best out there? One of the best
is a goofyfooter who surfed in the Eddie called Col Christenson. He’s always
out there. Dorian, f’sure, too and after watching Slater out there, I’d have to
say Slater’s probably the best. Maybe not on a ginormous day, that’s when
Dorian might outshine him but on days like the Eddie last year, he’s a freak.
Was the
biggest one you got the one with Dorian? Probably the
biggest but I wasn’t under the ledge on that. There’s a massive difference at
Waimea if you either take off under the ledge or you take off just wide of it.
It’s night and day. That was one of the bigger waves I caught but the one that
I got smashed on was way heavier. I had a couple other ones that morning that I
made.
What would you sacrifice for a start in the Eddie? Financially, you’d ride for Quikkie for way less cash if they said, “We’ll give you a spot in the Eddie.” I’d be more proud to earn me way into it, though.
What’s your goals for when you get in? I just hope to get on the alternates list for next year.
Koby’s been on that list the past few years. He’s also banned from the US at the moment, maybe they could slide it across to his pal from the same suburb? He’s trying to appeal that ban right now and I think he’ll be in next year. Mate, if he got out of the alternates (and into the main draw), I guarantee he’d win it. He’s seriously one of the most skilled big-wave surfers I’ve ever surfed with. If he got fit, he’d fucken smash it.
What was it like to live through that wipeout (pictured here)? One of the highlights of my career. My whole life I’ve wondered what it was like if you can handle getting smashed by a proper 20-foot wave. The first one of the set was huge and I was out there with Col Christenson. I probably could’ve swung and gone it, too. I was kinda off myself because I didn’t go so I was gonna go whatever came through next. And then it was a real double-up. I was really deep and I was trying to paddle sideways to get away from the ledge where it wasn’t so steep and I thought I’d already done that. When it started jacking up, I was like, “Oh. God. Here. We. Go.”
And then the lip hit you? I was getting into it pretty good. It was like a take off at Ours, just a bigger wave. I air dropped a little bit halfway down the face, landed that sweet and I was like, “Get fucked! I’m gonna make it!” Then, I couldn’t get an edge on the board to bottom turn and just as I was trying to get my toes in I felt the lip coming down on the back of my head. I didn’t try to ride through it, I just let it push me off so it didn’t break me in half.
Describe what it feels like to wear a 20-foot double up on the head. It fucken rag-dolls you. I punched myself in the head that hard, with my forearm. I came up with a black eye and my whole arm was black for a week. I didn’t get washed in that far. I was under saying to myself, “Stay conscious, stay conscious.” Then, I knew I was in the vicinity of the bottom and pushed off. It took me three or four strokes to reach the top. Fuck, it felt good to come up. I full-on claimed it. Kala and that were out the back just laughing at me. – Sam McIntosh.
Posts: 9
Reply #9 on : Thu February 04, 2010, 12:10:40