Alan Stokes interview
More like this...
The British surfing champion is taking training to a new level for the 2009 WQS.
HUCK: You learned to surf in the cold waters of the UK, does this breed a different type of surfer?
Alan Stokes: I'd like to think so. I'd like to say we are a bit more rugged - it sounds good! (Laughs) But in all fairness, UK surfers probably are. The conditions we get here are pretty mad. It can be freezing cold with rubbish waves but there's always people out there surfing. But in the summer we get lovely California days where it's sunny, no wind and glassy waves. That makes for an interesting surfer but does just go to show how addictive surfing is. The weather puts some people off though, they don't like the cold but we get the best waves in the winter. It's good because I can go anywhere in Cornwall and there's no one there. In Australia, you get up and go down to the beach before dawn and there's already ten guys in the line up.
What have you been up to recently?
I've been competing on the UK Pro Surf British Tour . We just finished that in Newquay and now I'm heading off for training in warmer waters. It becomes quite difficult to train here in the UK in the cold. If you are doing it as a profession, injuries happen very easily in the cold and you can afford that.
Where are you heading off to?
I'm heading to Central America. I'm not going to say where though because it's still relatively quiet there and I don't want anyone to know! It's a secret spot! It's quite a strange thing though; I don't think many tennis players would have a secret court!
But do such things create elitism and localism?
Well, people are just attracted to good waves. Most secret spots don't have localism because if it's secret, it's not going to be too busy. Hopefully, the people who do turn up will have a bit of respect. Localism pops up when places are over-crowded. Take Pipeline in Hawaii, there's 200 people out there and it's everyman for himself and really dangerous. Someone needs to take control of the situation a little bit even though it can get a bit ugly.
You've become an ambassador for Maximuscle sports nutrition, haven't you?
Yeah. Last year, I have a bad ankle injury and was out of the water for four months. I was going a bit crazy so started training a lot to get back in the water. A specialist told me I needed to protect my ankle with muscle so I needed to get bigger and stronger. Maximuscle sorted me out with loads of products like Pro Max protein bars and Viper rehydration drinks, and they have really supported me.
Is this a sign that surfers are now considered serious athletes?
Over the last few years, surfing has definitely got to the point where it is now very serious. Surfers used to just surf all day and party at night. But now with both contests and freesurfing, to perform your best, you have to look at your diet and your training. But this has helped the sport progress massively. There's been a shift to training to become a good surfer than simply surfing and naturally becoming a good surfer.
Does that conflict with the fundamental nature of surf culture?
I think they can go hand-in-hand. Surfers have always been healthy people. We may party a bit but we still make sure we eat good, fresh food. Training can always fit with the lifestyle. But I'd like to see surfing head towards an Olympic status. It's a cool spectator sport and promotes a good lifestyle. It will be good to see it get bigger but then it will mean the line ups are more crowded - and the world just isn't big enough!
Finally, what are your thoughts on stand up paddle boarding?!
The people who have a go at it, haven't done it! I think it's cool. It's an amazing experience when there's no waves. It's almost like an ancient thing, standing up on the water and watching the fish swimming by you. There's nothing better!
Subscribe to HUCK for six issues
Only £20 (UK) / £43 (EU) / £58 (Rest of the World).
Alan Stokes interview (text) by Ed Andrews is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Add Your Comment...
Please note: Your comment may be held in moderation for approval by an administrator to prevent spamming. This usually doesn't take long, please be patient.