The following quotes were recorded directly after he claimed his crown.
His immediate reaction:
“I’m feeling pretty good. I’ve just been through a complete emotional roller coaster from being really sad thinking of my dad [who passed away in 2002] to being really happy after talking to my family and just thinking about the whole big thing. I really need a little time alone just to sit and dwell on everything I think. I’m just super relieved it’s over. It was an amazing year. Andy didn’t really get in gear until the end of the year and I knew at some point he was going to make a rush and really didn’t expect him to go out early here. I thought he was going to win. I’m feeling for Andy at the moment.”
On returning to compete on the Foster’s ASP Men’s World Tour in 2006:
“I probably won’t make that decision until Bells in April next year. I will definitely surf the first event of the year on the Gold Coast no matter what. As to whether I continue and surf all the events… If I surf Bells, if I go to Tahiti and Fiji it is very likely that I will continue as I love those events and won last year. I just don’t know at this point. I will see when I get there. I’m not too worried about that now.”
On his feelings after his defeat to Travis Logie in the Nova Schin Festival Brazil:
“I was going to leave the beach. We were packing the car and my friends were putting the boards on the roof. Then CJ Hobgood looked at me and said, ‘You know what? It is better that this is happening, this should go to Hawaii. It is better for surfing. It’s better for everyone to see it come down to the last event – it just makes sense.’ I instantly relaxed about it. I thought to myself that I should stick around to watch Nathan and Andy’s heat and if I win today I should be at the beach. It was the right thing. I had a really good feeling. Then Nathan Hedge looked at me and said, ‘I am going to win this heat, it’s going to end today.’ I thought to myself, there’s a man with confidence, and I was pumped up and totally relaxed at the same time. Then he went out and did his thing and beat Andy. Hedgey and I need to sit down and have a talk. [laughs] He thought I was hating him these past four months and he goes to me, ‘We’re friends again now aren’t we?’”
On his head space:
“I have to sit back and dwell on it all for a while. It’s all hit me right now. I need to assess how I feel as a person as opposed to just winning. Prior to today I wasn’t just thinking about the next contest, I was thinking about the rest of my life and where I can improve in other parts of it. It all has me pumped up and humbled all at the same time. In some ways I just want to build a house, surf a lot, play golf, travel, play music and have more time for my personal life. That may happen, that might be my next year.”
On him smashing records:
“I don’t know about the records just yet. Again I need time to sit back and think about things. I would love to win Pipe and finish off on a win after having such a great year. Potentially I can still catch Tom Curren’s record for event victories next year if that is the case. I didn’t win a whole event during last year and this year I came up and won four. I could easily go next year and not win one again or I could win a few so we will see how my mind is and how determined I am on tour next year.”
On the anxiety he felt at the end of the Irons/Hedge heat that resulted in his zipping up his jacket and hiding:
“I was pretending I was playing poker and I didn’t want anyone to see my poker face. I was hiding! Trying to contain the excitement, the nervousness… the anxiety!”
On 2005 being the best year of his life:
“In a lot of ways I feel like my life is getting better and this just really capped off the back half of my career in a great way.”
