SMALL TASK
1. why don't you simply establish a sport that virtually nobody knows?
2. then push the whole thing forward in a sporting manner with the most radical performances and sensational tricks.
3. develop new materials for your sports equipment along the way and over the years you'll have won around 27 world championships. Well, and
4. You should love being constantly on the move anyway. Are you suddenly a little tense? It doesn't have to be. There's another way, namely damn casual and relaxed.
It's all a question of personality. Or do you really not know Robby Naish? Aloha, Sunnyboy!
The sharks and you?
I've had several encounters, some closer than others (to within a metre of me) but none of them have been threatening in any way. I am always wary of what is going on around me and have really seen a lot of sharks in my life. However, I'm sure there have been many close encounters that I've never noticed. They live where I play. I have great respect for them, but am still always cautious.
What can managers learn from surfers?
I think that depends on what you want to learn. Generally speaking, you could say that you could learn a certain degree of flexibility in dealing with different things and the ability to adapt quickly to challenges and changes. "Reading the wind and waves" so to speak. Being self-confident is also a key to success.
Your very first trip?
My first trip away from home was to Berkely, California in the summer of 1976 when I was 13 years old. A few months later I travelled to Nassau in the Bahamas for my first World Championships. It was an amazing experience for me. My first big event, my first time out of the country, travelling alone without my parents, and my first world title. It was really cool.
What type of traveller are you?
I am an easy traveller. I can sleep on the plane without any problems. I enjoy the quiet time alone. I'm kind of an "easy going" traveller, I dress comfortably and tend to be relaxed.
Your impressions of travelling today and over the years?
Travelling is no longer as easy as it used to be and in some ways easier than it used to be. Security measures at the airport are more time-consuming than ever and are now more of a nuisance, but many other things make travelling easier. The world has become very small with the internet. Every piece of information is just a click away, from the weather forecast at your destination to instant reservations ... In the old days, you got on a plane and had no idea what the weather would be like. Wind, waves, cold - no idea. You were completely cut off from the outside world while travelling. No emails and no mobile phone. Things are almost too easy these days. It takes the adventure out of the adventure.
And where are you going on holiday?
I haven't been on holiday much in the past. I was just happy to be able to surf every day... but a few days snowboarding a year makes it perfect! With a family it's hard to grow old selfishly, now I take the occasional holiday, always short. Our favourite places include Kailua (my wife and I grew up there, but now live on Maui. I know it's only twenty minutes by plane, but it's still a holiday for us). Fiji ... Oregon (Katie's family lives there, plus there's the Columbia River for windsurfing and kiteboarding, the Oregon Coast, and Mount Hood and Mount Bachelor for snowboarding). New York is also a really amazing place, something really different.
Where do you really want to go?
South Africa (and Mauritius, Réunion, Cabo Verde, Chile ... all places where there are great waves that I've never surfed).
The best surf spots?
Definitely Hawaii. Not just the island, although Maui always has consistently good wind. For me, the best places are also the "hard core wave spots" like Tahiti and the Fiji Islands. Also, for normal windsurfers, the Canary Islands, Brazil, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, South Africa in December and January, Tenerife, the south of France, Sardinia and the North Sea coast for the tough guys (and girls). There are many good places in the world!
What do you love about Maui, your home?
I love the wind and the waves and the international culture that has developed here in North Shore over the years through the international surfers. The climate is amazing, it's predictable, with all the modern conveniences, but still with a lot of beautiful openness.
Restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges - your tips?
I don't go out much when I'm at home in Maui. We live in the countryside, about half an hour from the nearest town. So we rarely go out at night. Oahu is known for its nightlife, restaurants and clubs, in Maui the offer is rather limited. We have Paia Town, a small western town with a European-South African hippie flair. Mama's Fish House in North Shore is one of the best restaurants in the world. Expensive, but with a surprising menu and atmosphere, it is certainly a "must have" for anyone coming to Maui. At the other end of the pay-scale, Paia Fish Market Restaurant is pretty much in the centre of town and serves great food at reasonable prices. Milagros Food Company, Cafe Des Amis are also great restaurants in Paia. For breakfast there is Charlie's and Anthony's Coffee. For nightlife and all sorts of other restaurants and bars you have to go to Wailea, Kihei or Lahaina (on the other side of Maui to the hotels and tourists). There are beautiful beaches, great restaurants and much more that you won't find on our "quiet" side of Maui.
Which books?
To be honest, I never read books. And I rarely did at school either. I read magazines, news, surfing and car magazines. I also think a lot and daydream ... I've always told people that I'd rather make up my own mind than listen to other people's, so that's probably why I don't read much. I think that works quite well.
How do you stay in shape when you're out and about and there's no water in sight?
Push-ups, sit-ups, some arm curls with a chair (because I rarely go to the gym), pull-ups, jogging (only when I'm away from the water and otherwise can't stand on a board) and skateboarding. But luckily I can always get back to the water quickly enough, so that's never been an issue.
Music before surfing?
Not really. I've seen a lot of athletes using their iPods before or during surfing or snowboarding these days, but for me it's rather annoying. I get in the mood easily. Sometimes I want something loud and heavy to wake me up, but I can get going without it. Fortunately, I'm almost always in a good mood! I don't have a favourite song or band, although lately I've been listening to some thoughtful and mellow music like David Gray and Ray LaMontagne - I really like his stuff.
If you were a travel philosopher, what thesis would you put forward?
Travel with a lot of interest, open eyes, pricked ears and without many words. Get off the beaten track if you can, but behave as respectfully and invisibly as possible.
Robby Naish profile
- Born in 1963 in La Jolla, San Diego.
- Grew up in Kailua, Hawaii.
- Winning the first world championship (at 13!) in the Bahamas
- Robby Naish, probably the most famous and successful windsurfer of all time, visited the most beautiful beaches in the world until he discovered his own personal paradise on Maui. But he is far from taking a break, even today he still chases the most dangerous waves around the globe and can't stay at home for a fortnight. After 16 years and 27 world championship titles, he was inducted into the Professional Windsurfers Association Hall of Fame on 5 November 2002.
Published with the kind permission of GAPZ Magazine, interview published in GAPZ Magazine No.2