Dropping in on: Shaun Joubert Vignette

Shaun Joubert is one of our surfers who deserve to be on the World Tour. He is a consummate professional, a total charger, and someone who has the rare combination of raw talent and competitive savvy. A string of titles behind him, SJ wants one thing – to get onto The Tour. To get onto the tour these days is a tricky thing. One day there are 45 berths; next day there are 32. One day there is a mid-year rotation, next day this is also looking very doubtful. It’s a tough game, and it’s getting tougher. On top of this there is the wide array of conditions that WQS professional surfers have to deal with. From tiny waves in Europe, to maxed out and wild Sunset Beach in Hawaii. While Jordy and Travis both used their experience of the wide Sunset lineup, Mossel Bay’s SJ had a different sort of experience at Sunset. We caught up with him after the contest.   

ZZ. Well surfed out there at Sunset. Just the very fact that you were out there and catching waves means that you did well. So, the unenviable, macho-ridden question of the day: how big do you think it was out there.
SJ: The sets were about 10-foot Hawaiian. I don't know how big that is, but it's not lekker to get caught inside by even a 1-foot Hawaiian wave. I know that.

ZZ: From all accounts the surfers were getting cleaned up, caught inside, stuck between the north and west peaks, braking boards, losing their nerves and other sorts of miscellaneous drama. Did you have any really scary experiences out there?
SJ:I didn’t fare too badly. I went over the falls about ten times on one wave, which was pretty bad but that’s still kind of minor for Sunset. I just gunned for the channel as soon as I saw something coming.

ZZ: What happened to you in the heat? (Shaun scored a heat total of 6.4)
SJ: I just struggled a bit with my equipment. I was a bit unsure about it, and that made my surfing unsure. I had opportunities, but I just didn't take them. Having said that, I really enjoy Hawaiian waves, and I feel like I learnt a lot for the 2012 season.

ZZ: Who is looking like the man in Hawaii this year? Is it Jordy? Dane?
SJ: It's hard to say at this stage. It's really anyone's game. Everyone can surf, it's all about who is on the bombs. Dane has been ripping, and so has John John. And Jordy of course. That's a hard call though, I can’t really answer it.

ZZ: Well, you just did answer it. Thanks for that. What is SJ's plan for the rest of the year out, and 2012?
SJ: My plans are to just improve my surfing and spend some time with loved ones in the holidays. I really just want to surf all day everyday, improving my performances until I get to World Tour levels. I want to get on that tour so bad!

ZZ: Good luck for the rest of the year and for next year. Before you know it we’ll be saying ‘well done on qualifying.’
SJ: Shot.