Zag: Now that the dust has settled, walk us through the 24 hours that followed your World Longboarding Title?
Steezy: Mostly overwhelmed and at the time a little faint. So after the fantastic beer shower (ie. 5 cases of beer) I washed off at the beach shower, packed the van and headed back to the house I was staying at which was just down the road a stone’s throw away from the beach. There I Cracked a beer and chatted to the crew I was staying with ( Sam Christianson, Kev Skvarna, Jack Halloran, Crystal Hulett, Alfonso Peters and 3 local Taiwanese friends) they decided to go surfing out front and after they left I was going to head straight out on a log but the house was in a bit of a mess from leaving to the contest site in the dark every morning.
The house belongs to a local friend and heroine of mine Aganas Wang, I couldn’t bear the fact it was in such tatters so I cleaned up and did the dishes last which was my favourite part, just clearing the head and letting the thoughts go wild. I had a chance to really reflect on what had just happened.. I had just accomplished my fridge dream, my goal. The thing that was number 1 on my list, I had just ticked it off. Like for reals, did that just happen??
The support was unmatchable, so overwhelming and I definitely think it played a part in my victory. During, before and after every wave the crew sounded like a war cry! I wish you all could have experienced that feeling of being cheered for during battle. I think it played part in rattling the competitors I came up against.
Game plan remains, get the best waves, relax and just be on autopilot. I’ve prepared myself for every situation out there I feel, all I’m relying on is for God to give me the opportunity. It’s a conjoined effort between the physical and spiritual world. I’ve got plans for myself but I feel they come nowhere close to gods plan, which is evident in the past week’s achievement.
I definitely think the longboard culture is going to get a good boost, you know, you can have just as much fun on a small or solid wave riding a longboard, the limits are still being tested and pushed. It has elements of style, grace, choreography, dancing, rail work and the list goes on. It’s a beautiful sport that’s yet to show itself in full force.
Your guitar or your surfboard. One of them has to go, which one is it?
There’s life after surfing as my dad’s always told me. My interpretation of that is if you’re in a wheelchair on life support your best bet for surfing is visualisation. Music, on the other hand, has no limits if you still got windpipes you can scream, if you got movable fingers even with Parkinson’s I’m sure you’d be able to strum a chord or bang on the keys. My point is, they both have their prime, for now, my physical state in strong so ill push the surfing to the end, when my prime is done my music career would have the boost it couldn’t have created without surfing.
Besides buying the lads and lasses a round when you get home, do you have any immediate plans for your winnings?
I’m back in the factory working with my pops, back into the normal swing of things, I don’t want anything to change, life great. I’m here to support my family and visa versa, I want to motivate the community to push beyond our thought of what’s possible and take on the plans God has for them. I’m going to America early Jan for my new album release. This snowball is rolling and growing.
You ‘accidentally’ drank another man’s urine, better than the traditional energade?
(laughs) In my defence it wasn’t that bad, if I had known at the time id be gulping down piss, I’d have thought differently but after the deeds done there ain’t no crying over spilt milk. I definitely WOULDN’T do it again, neither would I pull a trick on someone that involves them drinking pee. The experience was memorable and that’s good enough for me haha
Did you write yourself a Word Champ song? And if so, can you play it for us on a voice note?
