Vivian's Question and Answer:
What was your first exposure to surfing?
Freshman year of high school I went over to a party thrown by some senior from the track team and we ended up watching Endless Summer II. After that I always wanted to make it over to Hawaii and surf like Wingnut.
What made you decide to try it?
Ever since I saw Endless Summer II I always wanted to try surfing.
What was your first surfing experience like? How much salt water did you swallow?
My friend Angie and I decided to take a surf lesson in Haleiwa at Puawena Point in November of 1999. On the first wave I stood up on I saw all the coral underneath me because the water was clear. I knew at that point that I'd be surfing forever.
Anyone else in your family surf? Does Mom shoot the curls?
No one else in my family surfs.
Would you consider dating a guy who doesn't surf?
It depends.
What else do you like besides surfing?
Skating, snowboarding, swimming, canoeing.
What are the most common misconceptions about surfers?
The biggest misconception about surfers is that we're all beach bums, stoned all the time with no job. Granted, there are surfers like that, but not as much as the stereotype calls for. It's a lifestyle not just some hobby you pick up.
What do you like best about surfing?
There are a lot of things I love about surfing. It keeps you in shape while getting a tan at the same time. It's something you can do alone as an escape from everyday living but then again it's something you can share with your friends and the people that you love. It's also a great way to be in tune with Mother Nature and really appreciate it for what it has to offer. And also that I've met most of my friends through surfing.
Explain the difference between a "soul surfer" and a "competitive surfer." Which are you?
A Soul Surfer just surfs for the love of the sport itself. A competitive surfer wants a little bit more out of surfing. You can look at it in a bunch of different ways. You can compete to either challenge yourself or to challenge others. Or you can compete to put your name out there if you want to pursue it as a profession.
What do you want to get out of this competition? What is your ultimate goal?
Out of this whole trip I wanted it to force me out of my slump. I got to a point where my surfing wasn't getting any better. I needed that push so I could surf in conditions that I normally wouldn't surf in and just charge bigger waves.
Who do you listen to before you go surfing to pump you up? What's in your CD player now?
I listen to Mason Jennings, The Avalanches, or 311 before I get in the water. Right now in my CD player I have the Avalanches.
What was your worst bail ever? What happened?
My worst bail ever was at Salani Rights in Samoa. It was the first longboard heat and 18 minutes into the 20-minute heat I still hadn't caught a wave. A set wave came and I figured it's now or never, so I paddled as hard as I could, and just as I made it into this sick drop, the wave just instantly bowed into this huge barrel (at least12 foot face). Since I had never taken off on a wave that hollow I didn't know what to do, and later I realized that I was too far back on the tail of my board. So, no matter how hard I tried to pump the board for speed, I wasn't really going anywhere. But I was going soooo fast at that point, anyway, that I flew off the front of my board. After I fell I was suspended for about a second. I just sucked over the falls and next thing I knew I was slammed to the bottom straight on my back. I couldn't open my eyes because of my contacts, so I started kicking to find out which way was down. I kicked reef and started swimming up before I ran out of air. Finally, I came up and was fine, plus my board was still in one piece. After that I didn't even care about the heat, I just started to paddle straight to the boat. Definitely paid my dues on that one.
What would the surf movie based on your life be called?
Don't know??
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