The Champs Interview: Sunny Garcia

See if you can describe for me the competitive impulse.

For me, the competitive impulse, shit it’s always there. I mean getting up in the morning and being the first to get food. It’s just there. I don’t think it’s something I can really control. You would think that having retired officially, that coming on this trip would be a fun thing. But you get in the water and CJ will get a wave or Andy will get a wave and fuck, I wanna get one better. I think that’s what makes us … not that I don’t think there’s other guys out there who don’t have that, but there’s something that we’re willing to go that extra mile to get it. I’ve had events where I’m tired, flushed, the body’s saying you’ve had enough, and the mind says fuck you, you’re gonna paddle just that little bit more, that little bit harder and faster, just got get that wave and win. I’ve won so many finals in the last 30 seconds. It’s that willingness to push a little more that sets us apart. I’ve been fortunate enough to surf against guys like MR and against guys like Andy Irons and I see that same thing, that little more. I’ve been fortunate enough also to surf against guys who I think could be world champions who weren’t willing to push that little more. There’s a fine line between being able to become a champion and wanting to be a champion, it’s just what side of the line do you wanna be on, and some guys just don’t have that, to push it just a little bit more. So. I’m happy to be on this trip. It would have been nice to have had Kelly here, because it would’ve been really really competitive. But, if you print this, I say I’m glad that Kelly didn’t come. Because it became a fun trip and it’s not so filled with testosterone. Because I think that fine line would’ve been Kelly. I love Kelly and wish he was here but having him and Andy together here, it would’ve been fun to watch but it would’ve been stressful too.

Was the world championship always something you wanted to achieve?

The world championship was definitely a goal I had from the day I started surfing. I can consciously say that. Since the day I started surfing I wanted to be better than the next guy. By the time I was 10 years old I was already watching videos saying I could be better than that guy. By the time I was 14, I distinctly remember watching Pottz and Occy in a heat in Japan, and I think Pottz beat Occy, barely, and I remember saying I could fuckin’ beat those guys. I KNEW I could beat those guys, not just think, I knew I could beat those guys. That was pretty much my mindset. I couldn’t wait for the day I could go on tour and surf against those guys. I remember getting my chance in 1986 against Occy, at the Stubbies. I was so nervous, and so just eager to surf against him I couldn’t sleep, so I went to a nightclub in Surfers and listened to music all night. Didn’t sleep the whole fuckin’ night. I remember running back to Ralph Pullinger’s house on Chevron Island and waking him up to drive me down to Burleigh. I was amping and he’s saying “You’re surfing against Occy,” and I’m going “I’ll kick his fuckin’ ass!” and he’s all “But you’re surfing against OCCY!” and I said “You watch, mark my words, I’m gonna kick his ass”. And I went out and KILLED Occy. I mean it was small, but, still, he was Mark Occhilupo, and I was 16 years old. I was on the biggest high ever.

Dane Kealoha was my favorite surfer but at the time Mark Occhilupo and Tom Curren were big influences. I’d watch every single video. I even ordered Rusty boards that were just like Occy’s. I ordered boards from Al Merrick that were just like Tom Curren’s or I would get Curren’s trade-ins. So for me surfing against those guys was a big thing. Occy was a god to me back then and to surf against him and beat him was incredible.

 

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