Hi Tom, to kick off, What is your definition of a ‘Storm Surfer’? A surfer who engages with nature at a level not easily understood by a greater majority of humans on the planet What traits as a person, and skills as a surfer, have helped you to be a successful ‘Storm Surfer’? A broad skill base has been developed as a result of putting myself up as a Storm Surfer. The intention comes through experiencing 41yrs of direct daily engagement with as many different ocean, weather and wave states as possible with or without a surfboard and or Jetski. A dominant trait would have to be a love for feeling fully alive in the moment with such an environment and thoroughly enjoy and stay calm under the influence of an adrenaline flood to the system. What drives you to keep searching for bigger and better waves despite the freezing conditions, potential for disappointment, high danger level…? Opening new frontiers of wave riding and putting to trial human engagement with our natural environment. What does it feel like to be pulled under the surface when 20ft waves are breaking above you? What is it like for the person on the jet-ski, waiting for the other person to surface? Both experiences are opposing. We are joined in the moment and have a job to do. Underneath at first it is usually super violent…body being ripped around like I’m nothing…a little twig in a washing machine placed on fast spin cycle…then if you’re driven deep it can become very dark and silent. That’s when I open my eyes and look for the light refracting through plumes of white water exploding downward. They are my answer to the surface and air. If it’s a shallow break…unforgiving edges of rock can be unwelcome to flesh and bone. The power is hard to describe in words. I know I feel very small. As the driver of the Jet Ski I have to be super aware of where my partner is while watching the waves and any exposed reef at the same time. It’s a relief to get Ross on the sled and in the safety zone so we can share our immediate experiences. You’ve had a few nasty injuries in the past – do you ever think about what could happen to you or do you deal with that if and when you have to? I am just coming back from dislocating my foot off the left ankle and breaking the fibula half way up the same leg whilst preparing for the Quiksilver in memory of Eddie Aikau. It was an invitational paddle in a big wave event (Ross has won before) held at Waimea Bay Hawaii. Six months rest and rehab and I am just in the water this past week and surfing at 20-30% in very marginal size waves 1-1.5m max. I have a long list of injury from surfing. But mostly during my teenage years and early twenties. Has there ever been a moment when you thought ‘uh-oh, this was a bad idea’? Yep no doubt. In Storm Surfer episode one we hit a crazy wave in Tasmania called Shipsterns on the coldest most ugly day imaginable. -11 deg wind-chill and horrendous WSW winds turning what is already a very dangerous wave with its multiple ledge drop during clean conditions into a 20’ freezing menacing guillotine…when it came time for me to decide nothing in me said go…I have to listen for that voice today. I backed down and towed Ross, who did an incredible job making it down several monster Shipterns drops with her trade mark rapid like steps bearing teeth as he dropped down the wind swept face. He did however make a sacrifice; during an horrendous wipeout he tore up ankle ligaments when his foot got caught in his strap. Like the trooper he is he swiftly had it strapped in the support boat and rode a couple more before the weather kicked us out. What’s it like having Ben to help you out with mapping the weather and finding the storms for you? I call Ben “the man with two brains.” Check his temporal lobe, there must be two in there…its size says it all. We simply could not do this project without his expertise. There is a whole production team’s safety riding on his call. We are always dealing with an unpredictable beast. It takes a person with two brains to retain historical and present real time data then offer up some insight into how Mother Nature may move. Why did you want to surf the South Island of New Zealand? It made sense. It was in the path of some of the angriest ocean we could find. Ben Matheson, our weatherman, pointed to some potential down around. Narrow areas of Fiordland and, to a larger extent, South Eastern coastlines were already pioneered by local surfers. We contacted NZ big wave pioneers Doug Young and tow-in partner Shayne “Bacci” Baxter who had the most experience in the area. Without their guidance, Ross, the production team and I would have been really left in the dark, albeit within a very, very dark place. Thanks to the boys there was some light on the path. Your first attempts in Fiordland were unsuccessful but what did you think of the experience once you were finally able to find those big waves there? The whole experience was very confronting for me. Once I had the chance to feel a board and the energy of a wave underneath my feet I started to explore from there. I would have to say it was the most exotic surfing experience of my life. What did you think of the New Zealanders you encountered while filming in Fiordland? All New Zealanders I encountered seem to exude an honest, stripped back, down to earth approach to our presence…very refreshing indeed. Why do you think people enjoy the show so much? Firstly people come up to me and wonder why we do that “crazy stuff”…and then, more often than not, secondly they ask me how Ross is after his horrendous wipeouts. For me that is an indication that we have shown the true nature of a close friendship that deals with adversity, revealing its vulnerability. There is also our magnetic humour…we easily laugh at each other and ourselves as the shit hits the fan. All this seems in contrast to our mission, which is always out of the comfort zone. What is the best destination you’ve surfed? I absolutely love Hawaii. Home in the South West of Australia also has powerful attraction. Indonesia has countless waves I enjoy riding…so many great surging destinations on this planet! Is there a destination that you’d love to surf but haven’t? Chile, down towards Patagonia and the Northern Irish coastline all look like my cup of tea…