PART 2 (After the Aloha Classic)
RELIEF
JC: A lot has happened in the last two weeks, talk me through it?
LS: We had an incredible event with really ideal conditions. There was so much talent, plenty of people watching and it was a spectacular comp.
I think it was one of the better wave contests we’ve had in a long time. The two tours met up, the rankings were mixed up and we saw some fresh faces up there in the PWA event.
All the feedback seems really positive. My best heats were the quarters and the semis. I seemed to focus better when the waves were a bit bigger. They give you a better platform to work with.
When it was a little smaller, the tricks come into play more. The first day I was just zoning in. I got into the perfect state of mind. I was really enjoying the windsurfing part more than anything.
I had some tactics, but they weren’t strangling my sailing style. In the past I’ve been too stressed and not enjoyed sailing in competitions.
On the first day, in the evening, it was mast high, four guys out and everybody was just fist-pumping each other. All the riders were happy and screaming at each other from the channel. It didn’t seem like anyone was ice cold out there.
We were all stoked to be sailing Ho’okipa with only four guys out – and it was firing! I knew the final was a tight heat, because I made a mistake on the wave I could have closed the door on the rest with otherwise.
I had a couple of good ones before that and knew that it was close. I had to pull a trick out at the end, that’s what I do when my game isn’t working, I pull the trick card, a 360 – or whatever I’ve got to do.
I still think the tricks are secondary and the wave riding should come first.