Victoria breeds a proud, resilient type of surfer and Jan Juc’s Nic Muscroft fits that mould perfectly. “Mushy” is one of just four Viccos to have qualified for the elite ASP World Tour in the modern era, earning his full-time spot in 2009 with a final placing of 8th on the 2008 World Qualifying Series (WQS). His grounded, no-nonsense approach is the product of the type of waves typical of the rugged stretches of coast on which he was raised – his home breaks, Winki Pop and Bells, are open to long-banded groundswells and the best days there can make haggling on friendlier, more populated beaches seem a little trivial by comparison. No surprises then that Mushy’s competitive highlights include wins in commanding locations such as the Canary Islands, where he has stormed the victory dais twice – first in the 4-Star WQS in 2007 at Gran Canaria, then again a year later in 2008 at a prime 6-star rated event held on Lanzarote. In Hawaii, semi-finals showings at man-sized Sunset and Haleiwa when it mattered most, at the pointy end of the season, have helped bolster Mushy’s rep as a fella comfortable in the ocean when it throws up a bit of chunk. Mushy’s early career saw him clean up on the local scene with multiple wins in the Victorian State Titles, and a second to Bede Durbidge in the Rusty Gromfest. Two victories in the Bells Beach Pro trials helped him gain early, valuable experience on the world stage and in 2008 he was awarded the injury wildcard into six ASP elite tour events after finishing highest on the cut on the WQS. No bio would be complete of course, without a quick mention of Mushy’s favourite Aussie Rules Football team, the Geelong Cats and the club’s two greatest icons, Gary Ablett Jnr and Snr “because they are the best AFL footy players I’ve ever seen” he says. Mushy’s worst wipeout and biggest wave have both been at Sunset Beach in Hawaii. “My biggest wave ever was probably 15 feet,” he says. “And my worst wipeout was probably at Sunset … I free-fell to the bottom, the water felt like concrete. I took the rest of the set on the head and ended up on the beach.”