DARREN BASON IN AUSTRALIA / ENGLISH VERSION

DARREN TELL US ALL THE STORY ABOUT HIS MOVING TO AUSTRALIA

Hi Darren! Tell us... why did you move to Australia?
Mainly because of the weather and the outdoor living its pretty much always over 20 degrees even in the winter and the water never drops below 21.The kids love it and i also get a chance of pioneering my sport.

What kind of projects are you involved?
I have started to organizing some comps to boost the interest in surf kayaking over here and i am currently talking to various people and organizations about hosting the next worlds over here.

Where are you living right now?
I’m living on the sunshine coast in a place called Mooloolaba its got loads of surf options within 5km including a 6 piont breaks an off shore island with 2 reef breaks on it pretty damn good oh yeah and the water is 28 degrees and as the name says its almost always sunny and I only live 20mins from Noosa which is pure paradise.

And about Mega... how do you manage your contribution for the Flying Squad?
Not sure you would have to ask Malcom that one all I know is that I’m pushing the sport of surf kayaking in places that its never been seen before.

How is kayaksurf in Australia (where you live right now)?
I get alot of positive comments as most people have never seen a surf kayak before and I always get stopped after a session with questions about the kayak. I have just got a friend who was a surf ski shaper into surfing one of the plastic neutrons and he is already ripping and i have 2 others waiting to get a kayak to surf as well.

Did you have any contacts with Jervis Bay Kayak?
Yes I have spoke to Ross down at Jarvis Bay and I hope to meet them soon, I am off to enter a wave ski comp in may down in NSW which is a 7 hour drive away so hopefully meet up then, they have done a lot for surf kayaking over here so far.

International kayaksurf competitions... do you plan to i participate?
I’m still settling in here and trying to get some more work I work part time in a kayak shop at the moment but i need to get some more work, hopefully selling kayaks, this time next year I plan to get over to Santa Cruz and maybe the Europeans it all depends on finances, its so nice here travelling seems to be harder than when i lived in Cornwall.

And about the Worlds this year in Portugal... do you come?
I hope to, I would like to come over and be a chief judge for the team events and enter the individuals as a competitor I think that having someone like me as a chief judge would benefit the competition (lol).

I know you made some contacts with portuguese surfkayak brands... what were your objectives with this strategy?
Over in OZ the biggest selling kayak are the sit-on-top and as I want to push surf kayaking I thought that it would be good to bridge the gap from sit on big kayaks to our hp style sit in, so the RPF and Wavyak seem to be a good idea but as the dollar is so low they are very expensive to import so I will have to wait awhile maybe.

Your life project in Australia is...
To continue pushing the sport of surf kayaking over here and hopefully getting the worlds over here in 2011 I think you would like it here. Also to shape some new kayaks that’s what I have been trying to do for a while so, fingers crossed. I am also planning to enter a couple of surf ski comps over here and to enter the worlds in September which is in Coffs Harbour NSW, my plan is to enter and also demo new surf kayaks at the events hopefully getting some new paddlers from the ski side.

Your message to all of us that miss your presence in our competitions (England, Basque Country, Portugal, ...)
Hope to see you all at the worlds and kick your asses .lol if anyone wants some info or to come over here to oz feel free to contact me i have a big place and its only 50mins from Brisbane come get some sunny waves!!!!!!

Thanks Darren and all the best for you and family!

ALL THE PHOTOS HERE:

http://www.kayaksurf.net/Darren%20Bason%20OZ.html

luis pedro abreu

http://www.kayaksurf.net/