WS – How did you feel once you were back in the boat safe and sound after the mission?
AM – As I came off the last wave, I was just lying in the water so stoked that it worked out. Jumping back on the boat was cool, everyone was feeling as relieved as I was. Everyone was making calls, putting the word out that it was a success; a lot of family were freaking out back on land waiting to know what had happened.
WS – Did you feel an element of pressure that you had to do it with all the cameras and film crews being on hand to capture the action?
AM – For sure there was pressure, this whole documentary project was hinging on that day. There was a lot of people’s time and money at stake, so when the wind did not play ball and died off mid morning I could not believe it. The forecasts all looked like 20-25 knots and it was more like 12 knots. I honestly thought the wind was going to be the most reliable element for the day.
WS – Do you feel comfortable in massive surf?
AM – I like big waves, but I don’t get to ride them that often. When it is big around home I’ll spend time hunting it down. This year I was barely getting any windsurfing time between work and uni, especially with my foot injury. I wasn’t feeling 100% confident, especially for waves like Pedra. I spent a lot of time working on cardio and breath holding. I knew I could hold my breath for a long time if I had to but I did not know what to expect on a wipeout out there. Just that it would be really, really bad.