JONNY GIBBINGS / ENGLISH VERSION

Addicted to BIG waves ;)



Name: Jonny 'militia' Gibbings
Age: 40 and a half (Mental age 9)
Occupation: Designer for an Eco company
Address: Plymouth, England

Competition records:
Now, there's a question!! It's been so long since I've competed. 2nd British in 86, Won the juniors, won a couple of comps in South Africa & New Zealand in the 90's. Have to say, contests were few and far between. I'd rather slip off the reservation and score tubes and airs than points. Will be competing more for Future though.

Paddling experience:
I have been riding waveski's pretty much every day for 32 years.

Sponsors:
Future Waveski's, Spartan Wetsuits & Ainsworth Paddles

Gear:
Future Waveski's, Gath Helmets, Ainsworth paddles and Spartan Wetsuits.

Personal Website:
http://futuremayhemproject.blogspot.com


Hello Jonny. How did you get started in waveski?
Ah - that was the fault of an Australian Lifeguard in 1978. I was 8 years old, I thought he was the coolest guy on Earth and he rode a waveski. Years later I found out my Mother thought he was the coolest guy on Earth too!!. When he left he never took his ski so I had it!

And kayaksurf... do you also practice?
No, I've never been in a Kayak of any kind oddly.

I just saw an incredible photo of your summer holidays this year... tell us all about. Where were you surfing this year?
This summer has been amazing. However, the location has to remain a secret. What I will say it was off the Cook Islands. The whole area is rich with unridden perfection. You know, a lot of people want some odd things from surf trips. Bali last year, you cant help look at the night clubs, with 13 year old girls trying to sell you ephadrine outside, condoms in the street, drunks and fights. If that's your bag - have at it. What ticks my boxes is solitude, the real deal. I found an ecology island with no electricity, just a hut and a view of a reef. Locals taking you out on boats who have never seen surfers before. So, while you might get noticed in Bali and score some logo time for sponsors - at the place we found, your there for the surfing, the soul. Pure aloha, nothing but honest, not for glory, surfing. There was this one guy there from Holland, found the place 5 years ago, built a tree house and has never left. You just surf, eat and sleep. Thats the good thing about my deal with Future, they don't mind me slipping off the radar, scoring big waves.

Future Waveski's and myself have been working towards riding the biggest waves ever ridden on a waveski or kayak. We tracked a huge swell, 30 + foot at 18 seconds, giving 40 foot plus waves. The original plan was to tow-in the biggest wave ever. I towed into some big waves, and it doesn't work on a ski. You can't turn, can't use your paddle, you just skip out of control and hope you don't to die! It was amazing and terifying all at the same time. I had some big names with me like Ross Clarke Jones to help with technique but it did not work. We all agreed, the only way it would work would to paddle in. Nothing prepares you for having to paddle in on 40+ foot waves - if I could have jumped on a plane and flown home right the I would, I'm not going to lie, I was freak out scared.

I've surfed some big waves here in England, Ireland and in France, but the power and raw speed of giant waves out there was incredible. They move so fast, you cant take off on the shoulder and keep out of danger. The only way to do it was to get right under the peak, paddle as fast as I could, take the late vertical drop into the bottom of a giant pit. Not making it was not an option, this was situation critical, death was a real possibility. The wait for a set was insane. I timed one lull at just short of 9 minutes! Now, that might not seem an issue, but I'm sat in the slot. No waves, just waiting. Your mind starts to play tricks with you - have you drifted over the reef too far so that you are too deep and will get obliterated by the waves when they come? Have you drifted out too far and noway near the take off spot? Twice I paddled out of the way, only to see a huge set detonate right where I'd been only moments before. I remember hyperventilating from fear a few times.

Dropping in felt like I was getting sucked up into space, then, as if dropping off the side of a cliff - you tear down for ever into a giant bowl. The speed was insane, my ski left the water, airborne for a second, and the wave was throwing out over me, I couldn't risk it hitting the back of my ski, you had to make it, turn off the bottom and scream for the shoulder. It felt like I was going 100mph. I kept forgetting to breathe out too, I was so freaked out. The good thing about the wave was the reef stopped into deep water, so no danger of being caught inside like Pipe or Teahupoo. As long as you made the drop. In near 2 hours I had only 6 waves. The boat with the stand-up surfers, so I hear, was quiet as I paddled into the wave, as I disappeared into the belly of the beast - everyone held their breath. As I appeared, the boat erupted, I could hear screams and the boys jumping up and down. When it gets critical.

When you mutually take risks and define not only yourself but your sport, it doesn't matter what you ride. I know it sounds stupid - we went out surfers of differing craft and came away brothers. All in all was a fantastic trip. I think we achieved our aim. We pushed the limits of design, and what could be done. What I love about this sport is we have already shared the big wave designs with competitors in Australia, it's family, no other sport does rival companies share what they discover. The aim is for Teahupoo or Backdoor Pipeline next.

And about the Mayhem Project... present us this idea...

Well, it's - or I hope it becomes a place where all teams, makers and riders can have a laugh and tell stories. Where we can push sites like Kayaksurf.net and brands like Watertech, and keep the hard-core 'us' thing. Paddle-sufers have an odd sense of humor. We love to laugh at each others Fails. Like Pete Copp, the photographer. So excited about his new Ski, only days from South Africa to England - got barreled on a dry reef and ripped the fin boxes out on the first wave. He could hear us laughing from the cliff! So - it's just a fun site, for all of us.

Did you knew kayaksurf.net?
Yeah love the site. The only place to read what others are doing. Who else lets you know guys are surfing the Black Sea in Bulgaria!

Your favourite breaks to surf…
Monsters Slab & Challaborough in the UK, Ericeira in Portugal... and a very secret place in the Pacific

Your favourite surf websites…
Has to be Magic Seaweed, the US and NZ waveski forums and your Kayaksurf

How do you see the evolution of kayaksurf & waveski?
It's beginning to pick up again. You see more Kayak surfers that rip now, and in France, lots of young talent. Now the Yak and waveski groups are working together, it can only help. I love what KS are doing too. The performance is pushing the design now. Before the designs limited the performance.

Do you know Portugal?
Do I know portugal?? Snapped my first waveski at supertubos, rolled my first car there, Got arrested there and it was all down to my friend Paulo, from Setúbal. Love Portugal. Surfed up and down the coast for years. You Porto's are crazy. Paulo would party till 4am, chill out for a bit, then go surfing - without sleeping! What I love about Portugal is there is no bullshit, they let you know if they like you or not, and if they like you - they love you.

Last words…
I guess it would be to pack you bags, grab a tent and your surf stuff and go. Too many chase the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, go chase waves instead. Even a weekend finding new beaches at home - you come back different. Comps have their place, but nothing beets a group of paddlers surfing all day and laughing till the small hours around a camp fire. You don't need the Cook Islands to find that Aloha spirit - it's right at your home break. Go surf. Go challenge yourself - you never know what your capable of.

PHOTOS HERE:
http://www.kayaksurf.net/JonnyGibbings.html

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