Talking Rip Curl Finals With Dooma

We jumped on a call with 2x World Champion Damien Hardman – who has 19 Tour wins under his belt including 2 Rip Curl Pro titles (1988 & 1993) – to chat about the upcoming Rip Curl WSL Finals and his perspective on the new format, the location and of course, who is looking good for a World Title.

How about the format. What’s the positives and negatives you can see from a surfers perspective?

"Straight up, I am not a fan of the format. I believe the world champion should be the best surfer over a series of events in a variety of conditions, as has been the case since the inception of competitive surfing. The positives of this format are that it will make great entertainment for the day, with 5 surfers all having a shot at being world champ. The negatives are that the two best competitors this year in Carissa Moore and Gabriel Medina might not be crowned the world champ."

The #1 ranked surfer waits for their opponent in the last match-up, what are you telling yourself throughout the day if you’re in this position?

“Bring it on”, I deserve this as reward for all the hard work that I have put in to get to this point. Stay calm and enjoy the moment.

What about the venue, what do you like about Trestles as the location to decide the World Title?

"I think in the current environment, Trestles is a great location, it suits all athletes. Trestles is like a “skate park”, it’s a great performance wave suited to traditional power surfing and the new school air game."

Let’s talk about the participants. You saw a lot of surfing through the Aussie Quad earlier in the year, which finalists most impressed you?

• "Men’s: Gabriel Medina and Italo
• Women’s Carissa Moore and Steph"

 What’s the best surfing you’ve witnessed this year?

"I got to see a lot of free surfing and competitive surfing this year, particularly at the Narrabeen event, Gabriel and Carissa were the form surfers around the event."

If you were giving Morgs advice as the fifth ranked athlete for the Finals, what would you tell him?

"You have nothing to lose, this could be your only chance to ever be in this position, so give it 110%, but at the same time enjoy the moment."

What about the venue, what do you like about Trestles as the location to decide the World Title?

"I think in the current environment, Trestles is a great location, it suits all athletes. Trestles is like a “skate park”, it’s a great performance wave suited to traditional power surfing and the new school air game."

What about Gabby’s mindset? You were in a similar show-down for the title with Gary Elkerton in the last event of the 1987 tour year at Manly.

"The 1987 world title came down to a semi final heat in the last event of the year between Gary Elkerton and myself. Your mindset has to be “I am not losing, I am focused and unbeatable”."

Tags: RipCurlWSLFinals

What mentality do you need on a winner-takes-all finals day?

You need to be 110% focused on winning, there must be no other distractions, you need to have tunnel vision, you only have one task and that’s to win

So who are you choosing to win the Rip Curl WSL Finals and why?

"Men: Gabriel Medina – he is the complete package with no competitive weakness, and he’s been the best surfer this year. I also believe he is the best competitor the sport has ever seen, which is a huge advantage in this high stakes format.

Women: My heart would like Steph Gilmore or Sally Fitz to win the women’s event, but my head is telling me Carissa Moore deserves to win the women’s title. Carissa has been the best surfer this year and I think her rail game will be too strong at Trestles."

You’ve got two world title trophies of your own Dooma, give us a bit of insight into what that means to you now.

"I am really proud of my competitive career and the two world title trophies I won. I think as you get older you realise how special a time it was to be able to compete, travel and live a lifestyle around surfing. There was certainly a lot of hard work that went into winning the titles, but I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity."

What sticks in your mind about the first world title you won in 1987?

"I was only 21 and in my 3rd year on tour, it seemed to happen so quick, it was a blur. I remember that after the win the added expectation and pressure was much more intense. At the time I didn’t enjoy that added responsibility."

And the second title, how was that different for you?

"I enjoyed the second world title more than the first, I was a little more mature and knew what I was in for."

If we get a new world champ, what would you tell them that you wish someone had told you?

"Enjoy the moment, because with the added responsibility it seems to go so quick, and surround yourself with good people who have your best interests at heart."

Every surfer has support from home, can you give us some insight into what it was like for you to bring a WSL world title home. What can these athletes expect when they get home?

"Part of the thrill in winning a world title is seeing the thrill and enjoyment it brings to your family, friends and supporters, it actually feels like your surfing for them as much as for yourself. When you get home you can expect a lot more friends, haha, and long lost third and fourth cousins!"

Final question, can you tell us where you’re two World title trophies are right now?

"My trophies hold pride of place in my lounge room, with the Bells trophy and some others that have special meaning to me."

Thanks very much for your time, Dooma.

To catch all the live action of the Rip Curl WSL Finals, head to WorldSurfLeague.com

Source: WSL WSL