Beyond the Break

CHAPTER 9SPAIN AND PORTUGAL: Done is better than perfect

The biggest of the French events was held at Hossegor beach, in big surf with strong currents. I was coming off a high from previous events, had a stash of US dollars from prize money in a sock in my travel bag (and more money on the way from Billabong), which validated me and my potential. The general euphoria of being in France felt good.

The sandbanks at Hossegor were split so waves were breaking a long way out as well as closer to shore, with a deep channel in between. So, I had to decide where to position myself before each round. I watched the waves closely each morning, trying to get an idea of where they were breaking most consistently. My planning paid off, with a good run of heats as I progressed steadily through the event over the week.

Of course, each day, the shape of the sandbanks changed and big tides moved the waves to different sections of the sandbanks. This meant the wave quality and pattern of the waves changed too, making planning tricky. One day, I misjudged a wave and had a massive wipe-out, hitting a sandbank under the water, hard. I was left sporting a large bruise across one thigh and scratches all over my leg.

Three-time world surfing champion Tom Curren (winning in 1985, 1986 and 1990) was also competing in this event. He was smooth as silk when he glided along each wave and somehow looked like he never aged. So innate was his talent that it seemed like he saw the waves differently to everyone ...