INTERVIEW: OWEN WRIGHT Picking the brain of world number two after three-straight Slater finals By Mike Cianciulli

Published: September 28, 2011

September 28, 2011 Views: 5,930







INTERVIEW: OWEN WRIGHT INTERVIEW: OWEN WRIGHT -- Picking the brain of world number two after three-straight Slater finals.





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Related After three-consecutive finals against Kelly Slater, Owen Wright is the closest threat to the Champ, trailing by just over 5000 points. Photo: Jeremiah Klein

Owen, nailing a no-grab alley-oop during one of his few freesurfs in his second year on tour. Photo: Brooks/A-Frame

"I'd seen it [Teahupoo] big before and I was like, 'Yeah, I want a piece of that,'" Wright recalls of his breakthrough showing at the Billabong Pro. Photo: ASP/Robertson

"I've learned that you've really got to beat him," Wright explains of going head-to-head with KS. "He's just so good that he knows what to do at all the right moments. He seems to have figured out what he needs to do, and I'm figuring out what I need to do." Photo: ASP/Kirstin

A week after Tahiti, Owen used his small-wave mastery to dismantle Slater's in their second-straight final. "I think to get my first world tour win and to have Kelly in there makes it all the more sweeter," Wright notes. "I was pretty happy not to lose to him twice in a row. But now we've had three finals and it's 2-1, so another one would be great because I'd love to even it up." Photo: ASP/Kirstin

"I mean, I'm back in round one the next week, so you get over it real quick," Wright admits of his first tour victory in New York. "It was short-lived, but I definitely enjoyed the moment." Photo: ASP/Rowland

On to Trestles, where Kelly nipped him during the final exchange in their third-straight final. Photo: ASP/Kirstin

Look familiar? "When we're out in the surf, he doesn't give me an inch and I don't give him an inch. We're both trying our best," Owen reveals. "I've always wanted to win a world title and be in this position. I've got a chance and I'm gonna take it." Photo: ASP/Kirstin

Wright, perfecting his slob grab during the filming of Lost Atlas . "I'm not going to do it because I want to get points -- I actually like the feeling of going up and grabbing that rail," Owen says of his go-to punt of late. "It feels like a really smooth air when you do it straight. But sometimes they [judges] like it, and sometimes they don't." Photo: Respondek/A-Frame

"I'm pretty confident because I'm rapt to make three finals and to be in this position," Owen states, before heading off to the tour's European leg in second place. "I'm pretty excited about the competitions coming up and I don't really have much doubt about myself." Photo: Jeremiah Klein



Just when it was beginning to seem like no one was fit to challenge Kelly Slater's run for 11 in '11,





Surfline caught up with Owen last week in San Clemente, a few days after his runner-up finish at the Hurley Pro to find out where exactly this 6'3" title threat's head was at.



WHAT DID YOUR FIRST TOUR WIN FEEL LIKE? WAS IT EVERYTHING YOU EXPECTED?

When I was a grom, my perception of a world tour win was a little bit twisted. Not twisted, but it was so big that you were still gonna be killing it the next day. But once I actually got into a final at Teahupoo and then getting the win in New York, it wasn't the be all and end all for me. I mean, I'm back in round one the next week, so you get over it real quick. It was short-lived, but I definitely enjoyed the moment. When I was out there in the final in New York, I had a warm feeling inside and I felt my family's presence there and how happy they would be. I don't really know how to explain it, I just felt like they were there and having as much fun as I was.



YOUR FIRST FOUR EVENTS SAW SOME 13THS ALONG WITH A FEW QUARTERS. NOW YOU'VE MADE THREE FINALS IN A ROW. WHAT DO YOU THINK CLICKED FOR YOU?

At the end of last year I had a few results and then had a bit of time off -- a few injuries, a few ups and downs. I just put myself into some good places. Went to Indo and hung out with my mates -- that really brought me back down to earth with what surfing was all about and how much fun it is just to go surfing. I was a little bit too concentrated on competing so I decided to enjoy every aspect of surfing. Then I came to Teahupoo and I was really enjoying competing, and it stayed like that since then. I guess one of the things that clicked was that it's not my first year on tour anymore. It's time to start giving it a crack.



YOUR DAD TRAVELED WITH YOU DURING YOUR ROOKIE YEAR. WHO IS TRAVELING WITH YOU THIS YEAR?

This year I've been traveling with Ryan Fletcher, the team manager from Rip Curl, a lot. And also my coach, Dean Davies. I met him about two years ago and I've been talking to him ever since. He has some great ideas and helped me out a lot with a few things. And my family's a big family and dad's got his hands pretty full, so I thought, 'Why not? I'm twenty-one now. Take it on myself.' And I've got my own little team going -- my coach, myself and Fletch.



My coach does everything from nutrition to physical health. He's a downhill mountain bike racer and he's got no history in surfing whatsoever. So it's actually really refreshing to have a different point of view on everything. And what I really like is that he's not brainwashed by surfing. He's also a world champion himself, so he knows what it takes to compete at the highest level and put in the work for something.



TALK ABOUT YOUR INJURY IN INDONESIA.

It was a bit of a turning point for me. It all started before Jeffrey's Bay -- I didn't surf for six weeks before I went to Jeffrey's. I fractured my ankle, so I hadn't surfed. After that event finished, I left the next day to go to Indo. I was so fired up to go surfing that I just went with a few mates from home. We had a ball and worked through some boards. But by the time we got to the end of two weeks, I was just pushing it a lot. I got all comfortable and cocky. And then all of the sudden...bang. Head first into the reef.



I went to some place to get stitched up and there was blood on the bed. And my friend looked at the needle and there was blood on the needle, and I was like, 'No, I'm out of here.' So I went to another joint and got it stitched up. But it didn't get cleaned properly. So I stayed there overnight and the next day my face blew up all infected because the stitches sealed the infection in. And I had to get a ferry back to Bali and go to a hospital. They undid all the stitches and let it out. They sent me home because they thought I was gonna be in big trouble. Luckily enough I got home and had strong enough antibiotics that I could get over it. Eight days at home and then I went to Tahiti.



WERE YOU NERVOUS SEEING THE FORECAST FOR TEAHUPOO?

I was pretty excited, actually. I was a bit nervous about how big that day was going to be. I'd seen it big before and I was like, 'Yeah, I want a piece of that.' But I hadn't seen it like what actually came. That was monstrous. But the next day it was so good. All the guys had such a big dig out there. They all charged so hard and there were sets coming through that were big and making the guys think twice, but they always went. So it was good to see. I think everyone had a good crack.



WHAT WAS IT LIKE TRANSITIONING FROM GIANT TEAHUPOO TO NEW YORK AND LOWERS?

That was the hardest. Teahupo'o was just so amazing, and then we get to New York. I walk up, look at the beach and it was flat. So I went into the city for three days instead. At the start of the event it was still really small for my first round heat. It's hard to get motivation -- especially after coming off Tahiti -- to surf those small waves.



Then we come to Trestles. And Trestles actually has a bit of power and push to the wave because it's so perfect. But it was pretty small that first day. And then it got to that waist- to shoulder-high zone where it's good and you can actually rip. But it's just always better if it's bigger.



IS THE WORLD TITLE ON YOUR MIND?

Definitely. I've always wanted to win a world title and be in this position, but I didn't expect myself to be in this position this year. But I'm up for the challenge, and it's something that I've always wanted to go for. I've got a chance and I'm gonna take it. I'm pretty excited about it actually -- to be sitting in second and I've had a few finals. I've had three finals against Kelly, which has been great to learn from because he's been in about seventy finals. [Laughs.] So he knows how to surf them.



IN 10 MEETINGS, YOU'VE BEAT KELLY FOUR TIMES. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED BY COMPETING AGAINST KELLY?

That you've really got to beat him. He's just so good that he knows what to do at all the right moments. He seems to have figured out what he needs to do, and I'm figuring out what I need to do. So it's good competing against him.



YOU'VE FACED KELLY A FEW TIMES AS A WILDCARD WITH NOTHING TO LOSE. IS IT DIFFERENT NOW THAT YOU'RE IN A TITLE RACE AGAINST HIM?

Yeah, it's different. I've got more to drive for. I'm not going in there with nothing to lose, I'm going in there with a fair bit to lose. So it's definitely more motivation to win. I don't see it as a bad thing. It's good to have more motivation.



HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A FINAL AGAINST KELLY?

The last three finals...well, I guess the only finals I've had in world tour events have been against Kelly. So I don't really know how to prepare any different, so I just prepare how I think I should prepare for a final. One time it paid off and the other two it didn't. But I feel like I've been close the other two times. I just put my headphones on, listen to some music, get in the zone and just get out there. Once the heat starts, everything's goes into motion. You just got to ride the waves that come to you and it's done. I think that's what happened at Trestles. I got my waves, he got his, and he came out on top.



DO YOU OR KELLY CONSIDER THIS A RIVALRY?

I think it's a competitive rivalry out in the surf. But on land, we're friends, we talk -- it's not weird at all. But when we're out in the surf, he doesn't give me an inch and I don't give him an inch. We're both trying our best. So I guess, to me, that's what a rivalry is. It's a competitive thing where we're really competitive in the water. On land, a lot of people say he's got all these mind tactics and things like that, but I don't really see him playing many out on me.



HAVE YOU GOTTEN COMMENTS FROM OTHER GUYS ON TOUR ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO GIVE KELLY A RUN?

Yeah, there's been a few guys that have been pretty psyched for me to get one up on him. Definitely in New York, all the Aussie guys were pretty stoked. Everyone was pretty rapt for us. I think to get my first world tour win and to have Kelly in there makes it all the more sweeter. And especially having him in the final the week before. I was pretty happy not to lose to him twice in a row. But now we've had three finals and it's 2-1, so another one would be great because I'd love to even it up.



YOU USED THE SLOB GRAB A LOT THIS YEAR AND WERE SCORED WELL IN NEW YORK AND AT LOWERS BUT NOT SO MUCH IN BRAZIL. HOW DO YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE SCORED?

I think the slob grab is one of the harder ones. You don't see that many guys using it and I've used it quite a bit. But I feel like I could do an indy or a double-grab and it might get the same score. In Brazil, it definitely got over-looked as an everyday air. You see guys go for slobs and sometimes it just doesn't work out for them. I just like it. It feels good. I'm not going to it because I want to get points -- I actually like the feeling of going up and grabbing that rail. It feels like a really smooth air when you do it straight. And same when you do it into an air reverse. It's a smooth option. But sometimes they [judges] like it, and sometimes they don't.



HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?

I'd have to say I'm pretty confident because I'm rapt to make three finals and to be in this position. I'm pretty excited about the competitions coming up and I don't really have much doubt about myself.



DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR HEIGHT AN ADVANTAGE OR A DISADVANTAGE?

It's a complete disadvantage in one-foot surf. [Laughs.] We've seen that in round one in New York -- I lost straight away. And then at Lowers, I was lucky to get through my first round heat. When the waves pick up a bit, I've learned how to use my height to an advantage when it is bigger. I can wind up into some turns and, because I've got a little more length there, I can start projecting where I want to go a little bit earlier. But sometimes too much body, too many arms, too many legs going everywhere can look really bad. So it's in the middle there -- it's not an advantage or a disadvantage.

"I think you need to beat Kelly to become a world champion because it seems like he's always the world champion if no one can beat him." -- Owen Wright



DO YOU FEEL LIKE ANYTHING IS LACKING IN YOUR SURFING RIGHT NOW? IF SO, WHAT?

There's always an aspect of surfing you got to work on. I find the skating tricks, like what Chippa Wilson is doing, are insane. And Kerrzy, he's definitely another innovator. That side of my game, not that it's lacking, but there's room for improvement. I've tried some varials, but I haven't really had much time to freesurf this year. So I'm actually looking forward to going to France a week before the comp starts and get into some beachies and try to do some massive airs, a few flips and some varial things because they change the scores. You could do one big varial to make a heat -- they seem to be loving them at the moment.



HOW DO YOU PLAN ON KEEPING YOUR HOT STREAK RUNNING THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR?

After New York I had to reevaluate things. Coming off a win, it's not always the easiest to back it straight up with another result. But I think what is gonna keep it going is the motivation to go for that world title. And you see that in Kelly with his results. He missed one contest and got so pissed off about missing it that he decided to be in the finals for the next however many comps. And I think that's definitely how I can keep my streak running.



WHAT DO YOU THINK IT TAKES TO BECOME WORLD CHAMPION?

I think you need to beat Kelly to become a world champion because it seems like he's always the world champion if no one can beat him. I think it's gonna take some concentration. I don't know...I'm just gonna try to roll with it and do everything I can to win. There's always an aspect of surfing you got to work on. I find the skating tricks, like what Chippa Wilson is doing, are insane. And Kerrzy, he's definitely another innovator. That side of my game, not that it's lacking, but there's room for improvement. I've tried some varials, but I haven't really had much time to freesurf this year. So I'm actually looking forward to going to France a week before the comp starts and get into some beachies and try to do some massive airs, a few flips and some varial things because they change the scores. You could do one big varial to make a heat -- they seem to be loving them at the moment.After New York I had to reevaluate things. Coming off a win, it's not always the easiest to back it straight up with another result. But I think what is gonna keep it going is the motivation to go for that world title. And you see that in Kelly with his results. He missed one contest and got so pissed off about missing it that he decided to be in the finals for the next however many comps. And I think that's definitely how I can keep my streak running.I think you need to beat Kelly to become a world champion because it seems like he's always the world champion if no one can beat him. I think it's gonna take some concentration. I don't know...I'm just gonna try to roll with it and do everything I can to win.

a lanky Aussie 19 years younger stepped up in a huge way. At huge Teahupoo, no less.Owen Wright (not to be confused with Owen Wilson, as a few tongue-tied commentators goofed) matched up with the Champ in three finals in a row, marking an ASP first. And although Kelly's won two of the encounters, the tour sophomore took the biggest check -- $300,000 in New York. But more importantly, Wright's suddenly plopped himself in the thick of a World Title race for the first time in his young career.