QS: Eight years ago we were sitting in this exact apartment talking about your first event on the World Tour. Woah – I feel old!
Ha! I feel old too.
Jeremy Flores chatting with us between rounds at Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast
QS: A lot of things have changed in your life lately. I read an interview in Stab a few weeks ago and thought you’ve opened up a bit. You’re not trying to be Mr Perfect – you’re just being you.
Well, this is my eighth year on the World Tour. I qualified when I was young, I was 17 and every tour I had new goals. On the world tour I felt like I had to prove a lot and go to the top 10. After many years on tour I was starting to get a little bit over it even though I know I’m so lucky with the life I have. I’ve been having so much fun in the last two years – I haven’t been wanting it as much as I used to. I think you need a couple of years like that to come back to earth and to really remind you why you love surfing so much.
So now 2014 is a big new year, it’s fresh, a lot of things have changed. I have a new crew around me and I’m still really close with my friends and family. I’ve been really working on a lot of things – my combos, trying to mix my rail turns, carve turns and my air game with a lot of tricks. My boards have been doing good too. I’ve been changing my boards, they have always been 5’11” but now I only ride 5’9”. They’re a lot wider and a lot thicker so it’s big news for me.
It’s a new year. Now I’m in the same location but in a different state of mind.
Everyone on tour kinda knows me now and has seen my ups and downs, so I have nothing else to prove or to show. I’m just having fun, I have a pretty good life and I’m happy how everything is going. Gold Coast, Australia, the first three events – we’ll see what’s up.
Stay tuned for part 2..
