SURFERMAG.COM ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Boost Mobile Pro of Surf Online Press Conference
by
Jake Howard
with
Surfermag.com Community Members

Starting on Wednesday, September 15th and running through Monday the 20th (with the exception of a day-off on Sunday the 19th) the masses that invade the rights and lefts of Lower Trestles on a daily basis will be temporarily displaced by the world's top 44 surfers for the sake of the $260,000 Boost Mobile Pro presented by Quiksilver. After the Quiksilver Pro in Hebara, Japan, Andy's still got a stranglehold on the lead, but C.J.'s surging, Parko's a new papa with something prove, Mr. Slater can never be counted out, and if Richie Lovett's victory last year proved anything, it's that upsets do come true at Lowers. So with that in mind, the U.S. mainland eagerly anticipates its only World Championship Tour visit and all of the drama that's sure to unfold. Stay tuned to Surfermag.com for daily updates and photo galleries.

In preparation for the Boost Mobile Pro we invited the beloved community members of SURFERmag.com to submit questions to Boost team riders. Kelly Slater, Andy Irons and Sunny Garcia hooked us up with an online press conference of sorts. And while the three were in the thick of battle during the Quiksilver Pro in Japan, they did take some time out to answer a few of your questions, enjoy:

ANDY IRONS
SURFERmag.com Community: What was your single greatest/favorite surf trip?
ANDY IRONS: Tahiti, four years ago. Best barrels of my life with a few friends.

SURFERmag.com Community: How do you feel about the recent rise in surfing mainstream popularity, TV shows, commercials, etc.? Do you feel this is having a positive or negative influence on surfing in general?
ANDY IRONS: I think a bit of both. It's positive cause of the increase in money to surfing, but it's taking away from its soul.

SURFERmag.com Community: Do you study and/or analyze surf footage of your competitors?
ANDY IRONS: Yes, I watch surf movies all the time, and usually of my favorite surfers; who are the guys I surf against.

SURFERmag.com Community: What parts of your surfing do you think you could improve upon, if any?
ANDY IRONS: Probably my consistency and my small wave surfing.

SURFERmag.com Community: How diverse is your free surfing quiver? Do you have a fish, longboards, single fins, Bonzers?
ANDY IRONS: I have a single fin and a couple of fishes at home I rarely ride.

KELLY SLATER
SURFERmag.com Community: Would you be satisfied if you walked away from competitive surfing now, or do you feel the need to beat the current crop of guys?
KELLY SLATER: I'd be fine if I walked away now, but I'm still enjoying competing.

SURFERmag.com Community: If you could be a top competitor in any other sport, what would it be?
KELLY SLATER: Golf or motocross.

SURFERmag.com Community: What's the latest maneuver you are working on? Where do you see the future of high performance surfing going?
KELLY SLATER: I'm working on is a frontside air reverse flip. I see tow surfing and some of the other sports like skateboarding and motocross influence where we are going.

SURFERmag.com Community: It seems like you are constantly challenging yourself, whether it be the pro tour, big waves, bodysurfing or even tow surfing. Do you eventually plan on fulfilling true waterman status by also becoming a longboard maestro? (Maybe challenge brother Stephen in the process?)
KELLY SLATER: I'll leave the longboarding to my brother. The approach to longboarding is a completely different approach and I don't really like to watch shortboarders longboard...

SURFERmag.com Community: Where do you see yourself in five years? What about 10?
KELLY SLATER: Five years... Pretty sure I'll be finished surfing on the pro tour, focusing most of my travel around chasing swells. 10... Probably have a couple more kids by then and be married. Hopefully have two houses in Hawaii.

SUNNY GARCIA
SURFERmag.com Community: You've been doing the tour for a number of years now, how as it changed from when you first started?
SUNNY GARCIA: There's definitely more money, more problems. There are a lot more politics in surfing now than before too.

SURFERmag.com Community: Who's your biggest rival right now?
SUNNY GARCIA: Me, because I am the hardest on myself!

SURFERmag.com Community: With the "Dream Tour" in effect over the past couple of years what's your favorite stop? What about the least favorite?
SUNNY GARCIA: Favorite: Backdoor Pipe. Least Favorite: France.

SURFERmag.com Community: Derek Ho won a world title, you've won a title, Andy's working on winning his third. Who's the next big contender you see coming out of Hawaii?
SUNNY GARCIA: None, if they don't get their act together. Anybody can be a contender for the title, it's just a matter of getting their contest game on. Two or three years ago no one thought Andy would have been a contender for a world title. Anyone on the tour could do it.