Jacko "JACKO" Baker

Hey everybody welcome to the quiver cast. You go left, I'm all right, man this river out of sight, go surfing, go surfing, go and surfing with friends.

Alright everyone, welcome back to the quiver cast. Today we have Jackson Baker, how are you Jackson?

I'm good, thanks for having me. Yeah I'm good, I'm back home, I was up on the Goldie for a few days chasing some waves and back home to reality but got a big event starting here next week last one of the year so yeah, exciting times.

Big event in front of your hometown, literally.

Yeah I mean I would love, in all honesty I'd love to be in a qualifying position I think there's a very minuscule chance.

Yeah I mean the pressure is completely off just do my best to try win at home again. I've won it here as a 6,000 as a regional QS so yeah that was super special and that was the best day of my life so if I could go one better and win the Challenger series and hopefully within that I can see some of my mates qualify.

I think we've got about six and I think there's five in the top 10 and then I think there's three or four that could definitely take those spots too.

Yeah it's super exciting and I mean now we've all grown up together and I want to achieve big things but I want to see my friends and good fellow competitors also achieve big things too so it's super exciting.

Jacko and Newcastle with your name you're kind of known in the area is it harder to surf in front of your hometown? Is there more pressure or less pressure?

When I was younger I would have definitely 100% said more pressure but I'm getting a bit older now I've been luckily enough there's been surfaced.

Local fellow Warren Smith's been running this event for as long as I can remember I think this is the 40th year so I'm only 29 so I've been a part of it for as long as I've ever known and growing up watching it and seeing how that pressure affected people I guess it affected me in the early days I never really achieved until that one you were.

I think it might have been 2022 or 21 I can't remember off the top of my head but I won that year and that year I just took a different approach and I was like I just want to do good for my family and friends rather than I mean I live super close to our local supermarket calls.

Sandbars first shot one of my sponsors down there usually walked down there and I was like hey good luck this week or good luck this weekend.

It's cool and when I was younger I'd like go far out I don't want to go here I'd separate myself from what I go shop elsewhere but now it's like I don't know kind of like a little bit of a power up like I kind of like yeah see like everyone's behind me this is cool so yeah I'm excited to I mean I didn't do great in the first one

I'm here last year when it was a job I guess the mentality was different then first the end of the year want to start with a bang get close to qualifying and then now I'm at the end of the year not the end of the season let's remember that there was a new year but yeah to be able to just come be at home I mean stay in my own house I have my partner here my family yeah I just want to do them proud and the more heats I make the better I'm going to feel and I've still got to make some heats to make that top 20 so if you make between 10

and 20 you don't have to go back to the regional so I guess that's my goal but don't want to think about that too much or emphasize on it I just want to do the best I can and hopefully yeah not I mean if I have to ruin a few dreams in the process for me to win I mean it's a selfish sport but I hope it's not my mates but I mean yeah push comes to shove I mean I want to do this it's my career tell you make money and we love it so yeah hopefully do good on home turf.

Tell us a little bit more about like it from being a local a mere weather how is being a surfer from there yeah I mean we're kind of I mean you get the I don't know I read into the comments on social media and things like that and because I'm I'm passionate about where I'm from and I remember people going what the hell they go back to Newcastle for twice I'm going well we can put an event on I mean Warren Smith he knows how to run an event he knows how to get funding Kim Burton he's one of my sponsors he owns it

a couple card dealerships and he supported this event for as long as I can remember as well so without those guys we're at Kim Burton and the Burton Automotive Family and Warren Smith this doesn't run so people don't they can yeah win about the ways but I mean at the end of the day it's always consistent and if you look at the consistency of professional athletes that have come out of this area you've got Mark Richards, Matt Hoey, Luke Egan, Ryan Kalanon, Morgan, Cyblic, Jake Sylvester, Travis Lee

there's name I could go on all day about I mean we're not a goal coast we don't have pump and points break but I mean I just went up there today I only got back from the Goldies today and there's waves there's always waves no matter that if it's North South East Lake there's always something on the stretch here so we're very blessed with that it's consistent might not be the sunshine on Lollipops we did get a day I think it was the Friday of the comp last year of the challenger it was pumping so it shows people that we get good waves and this time of year is pretty

tricky if I hammer it down to this it's it's going to be quite like it's a summer summer time so if I'm facing the ocean now you've got North East that kind of push the sand to Maryweather which I was up there just before it it's quite sanded up which is probably a good thing for the event because we will surf out the back to the North which is kind of like you always see the camera angle go that way

Maryweather's very dominant in a south swell which in summer I mean so hot it's not really it's kind of like a southerly groundswell will come from wind weather rain I did see more short periods there yeah but I did see there's coming on the long on the long forecast there is a southerly on like the Thursday Friday within the event period so if that can stay there that's exciting I mean an adult clear that sand again

for the weekend it could be really really good so I mean what are we a week out from a start yeah I just got to embrace it I mean I always get so emotional about how the waves are going to be and people coming to my hometown and I want it to be good but I've got to remember that I've just got to practice and compete and I surfed in a spot I'd probably never surf this morning just to kind of challenge myself make it hard because I know every house along the whole beach I know the line ups of everywhere so I kind of got to try challenge myself to get out of that comfortable zone being there.

Because I'm comfortable everywhere here you know if that makes sense total makes sense there's everyone surf there I guess that's the question or is that majority of people surf this face is like a zoo we'd like a like a poor man's poor man snapper rocks without the without the point breaks man this face is it's sick the surfing community here man got two massive surf shop sand bar surf and slimes they just kill it in board part of things wet suits Julian's bringing up his new company review here like it's a big

surf town it's and it always has been I mean we've always been renowned you guys probably don't know in the States our NRL our football you call some nice like they won over in Vegas yesterday

oh yeah so it's pretty sick they do like a specialty thing round one four teams go to Vegas but like we've been very renowned for our football but surfing is kind of like with

surfers this event everyone serves even the boys that play footy surf okay cool bigger group of people that are into it kind of yeah yeah I mean I've got mates that even just play local league football

any sports and everyone's up the beach like I think everyone that lives in Newcastle has something of their life involves the beach it may not be surfing but it's still being around it and coming up and watch like

hopefully we get good weather for the weekend because I mean you've got like this boardwalk on the front of Maryweather and that just blocks out like it's pretty sick

so like the year I want like you look up and just like oh my god I got everyone up there anyone's got let's go have a beer like everyone just loves beers footy surfing the three so is it one of the bigger audiences on the tour on the CS tour

I reckon for sure I mean it's hard to go past um you are so then US opens pretty clutch when it comes the weekends Brazil is pretty sure Brazil's like that places saccharame is like like no other but I reckon you castle holds its own I mean everywhere I mean once it gets to finals

every event is pretty chocolate like pipe was packed yes US opens pack I mean yeah I mean I think everywhere if you're gonna say one would stand out it would probably be

Brazil for okay passion for the passion so I didn't and I mean even like just say you're against a Brazilian they're very

Brazilian base but then if you're doing well they'll still support you so it's pretty special but I mean yeah every event like I don't

think it's been a final day where you wouldn't be gone all wow this is pretty sick so was it hard coming up in that

community or were they welcoming to a young grown yeah I guess yeah what I'm on that 29 I guess yeah

2025 yeah grombas are over yeah grombas are over I guess I'm the one asserting dominance and gromba

abuses coming from me but now we're pretty yeah growing up I mean we had some real tough locals and yeah I mean

that's just the part of growing up I feel like that's what we're missing now yeah I guess I wish there's

still a little bit more localism there is on good days but on small days it's not quite there and it's

kind of like I'm in the position where I can't really enforce it too high because I have a bit of an image

stop hold yes you got a name for yourself yeah you got a name you can't really be going around blowing up

a people whatever so you got to buy you tongue and otherwise I'll just go around town about that jacket

back there he's a wake up like it's a small town she gets her as normally yeah he's just a turkey like

alright but what people don't remember is like at the end of the day I mean especially like these

comps and stuff like when we're out there that's essentially our office for that time of the day and I

don't come into a cafe and try and make someone's coffee or sit on someone's desk and try and use

their computer you know I mean it doesn't sound right but to us like that's our time to train and

that's essentially what we're getting paid to do and how we get paid to get better essentially so

yeah it's hard that it's a hobby for freaking nearly everyone in the world that we know of but

now yeah they grow up here it was amazing I mean I know beautiful upbringing Mary with a

border artist such a strong border artist I mean it's pretty cool to see it looks like Hawaii's

been getting on and the States have been getting on to the border artist sides of things yeah super

special because that's all we've ever known is growing up and even if you don't compete properly

like that's your weekend like a Sunday we do a border artist comp and brings the grums down and

everyone's down and then we got the teams events and it's just a big association with like family

and community and I think that's what we're renowned for here as much as there might have been a tough

upbringing and things like that especially for myself and Ryan and Morgan we're a bit younger

and the times are different but now yeah it's a beautiful place to grow up and yeah I mean you

we've got some good kids coming up through here so it just shows like we've got consistent waves

and people to model yourselves off and yeah it's just kind of it'll keep following on will be

a really big strong surf town being in the board riders you're also getting the younger generations

is interacting with the older generation so they get become friends or yeah yeah exactly I mean

that's kind of where it all comes from is we'll go away on like those team strips and I mean for me

when I was growing up I guess I looked up to someone like Ryan Callan and and Jake Sylvester

Craig Anderson those guys and just being out of rub shoulders those events and and then that

becomes a friendship too like I mean that's for sure everyone's fighting for ways when you're surfing

but when you go to those team orientated things it's one in all and we're all together so

that builds that camaraderie and yeah I mean as soon as like even me looking back at the young kids

now I'm a bit older I'll still paddle out and look at him and go no way you get in a wave

but at least they're giving it a crack and I mean that's the same as what I was so no it's

cool and I know the kids are out in here too when this comp comes to town and the bigger events come

they're little mungrels but they love it like they love just I mean they want to push

themselves and they want to be out there with some of the best in the world so it's it's pretty

special is the boardwriters club showing up for your heats when you're surfing at home?

yeah we've bought our mario the border as puts a tent up on the beach and like the slime

poszy and got a shade for the grimes and the family and yeah like once it comes down to like

finals time everyone that you know in pretty much mario the like I mean Ryan got third last year

good friend of my Jacob Wilcox got one the comp and he's not even he's not from Newcastle but he's

a West Aussie he's an Australian and once it came down to that everyone just went well Ryan's out sick

we're so proud of him and then let's just support Jacob like I think I love just Aussie surfing like

if push comes to shove they're going to take out our side but I mean we're just so Aussie's

achieving they they're proffing like no one leaves the beach be just watching it it's pretty sick

was it a good time of growing up the purity you growing up in surfing and me or other like a good time

for just you had people to look up to but was it a good time like for you personally was it hard

I guess is the question competitively was it easier than the earlier generation probably easier than

the earlier generation mean on that competitive side and just but I mean yeah it was still a lot

harder than now so it's just like that kind of transition yeah if you go back to the side of

just even I know catching waves on good days you you know you're pecking order and you be way way

way way down especially when the boys are out there I mean we've got some people here that

people around the world may not even know of right that we're like they're just ripping

if you were to come here for the comp and see me out you probably go oh it's who's this guy like

doesn't look like a surfer and he just blows the back out of it so that's a special part but I mean

you grow on up we are I mean there's some tough times got run over by a few old boys and a couple

of words a couple of sprains the old crumb cartlet but nah I feel like that stuff you can't really

do now you probably get done for I know assault or something even else not too they're not super

null enough that was super bad but I mean yeah everything's kind of changed now you've kind of just

the only way you can assert dominance in the lineup is just by I know paddling and showing intent

I feel like you kind of really say words anymore because people could take a fence or you just

don't know so but back there it was definitely I think it shaped me to who I am and now that I'm in a

bit bit higher position on the pecking order it's quite nice I know where I'm at so your form

of surfing a pretty powerful surfer how'd you come up with that style of surfing was it intentional

think it's just my body type a bit more a bit more keg they are no yeah think just growing up I

I'm only five nine tall so not super tall yeah just I'm not going to say too much about my genetics

but I mean my dad's a pretty stocky kind of guy pretty strong and funny enough his name's guy

but he's a stocky guy and I guess I've just got that that body type I mean I can train super hard

and I can slim down but I lose that power so I kind of try to have the balance of like

train hard keep it very strength-based and then speed-based so you've got that good balance

but then yeah like not being too strict to my eating or drinking beers because that's kind

of my image too so I want to kind of keep that that's what people know me for so I'm kind of lucky

in the balance of that and I can still grubble small waves which is pretty cool um we had a

little QS up at Burley last weekend and I got good I don't even know I was awesome it was

going no liggy at the point just all-boying it but it was really fun like I guess that's when

you can just believe in your ability but I mean I would love to be able to like find the balance

a bit more with like the strength and more speed I feel like when you kind of got like me it's

harder to do airs like I can't throw myself in the flat so to say like the younger lad but then

I wouldn't trade my power to do a big layback and to be able to do that and I think that would

dad dad trade me for that too so yeah I love that that's just my strength and I can still do airs

on when I need to but they're not the craziest ones but I mean if you look at the guys I've looked

up to here Luke Egan that boy even MR I was great on the rail Ryan Cullen and probably his front

side is one of the best front side cars so I had some good role models even in my career I've

worked with the likes of Mitchell Ross who was charisma's coach for however long and I ended up

working with him on tour and and he's we have a very I don't know if we've got a similar but we've

both a very power base so it was really easy to work with someone like that he was just like

there'd be heats come around you'd be like mate stick to your strengths don't change who you are

and that just seemed to work like guys would be trying to airs and you'd stick to the rail no

matter what and made some heat so yeah keep coming back to this place it's a great surfing

community everyone that kind of grows up here never kind of leaves everyone's still pretty much

here so it shows how great a place it is and how good it is to I know grow up as a surfer and

and like raise a family as well awesome so you've been on the CT Jaco by the way can I call you Jaco

or only certain guys again no Jaco all right if I get caught you prefer that if I get caught Jackson

I'm in trouble okay my Mrs or my mum before she passed away my dad or if I got Jackson or if I

got my full name I'd be up yeah oh you're just creep you're running okay so Jaco you've been on

the CT and you know you're on the challenger series I mean obviously for the money and everything the

CTs where you want to be but is it fun to on the challenger it seems more fun to me yeah I guess

it's hard because the CT is like it's the top echelon of the sport 100% the challenges is

super close but I guess there's such a minority on the on the two I guess what there's 30 30 guys

32 guys there could be yeah I don't know eight or nine Australian and then you've got guys like

Jacrobo Ethan those guys are just so lucky and then I kind of just went up there and I try to

enjoy and I did like I kind of felt like I was more of like the fun guy I was kind of trying to be

like Al Cleelon the other year yeah the speaker in Abu Dhabi like that's kind of my that's my

thing that's who I want to be and I know that I can be fun and and I'm and still compete well

but yeah I don't know my mentality might have changed if I was in a well title position but yeah

I think the yeah the challenges I mean there's just a lot more camaraderie especially between

us Australians I mean yeah like you said the money is a big difference so yeah you go to a well

tour event you usually traveling with your coach and maybe one other athlete and maybe a partner

or whoever it is but then on the challenger my partner doesn't get the common I'm sharing a

two bedroom house with eight of the boys right so it's just like yeah it's a bit different like

you kind of think the CT's a lot more selfish and you have the finances to be able to do that

and then on the challenges you kind of just I mean we're so lucky but we're just bootstrapping

saving cash and yeah four blocks to a car with eight board bags on the roof I will do anything to

do what we do and I think it's being kind of after that Brazilian storm kind of thing the Aussies

have really like kind of gone now like this is us too like we want to do well and rather than being

jealous of our comrades doing well why don't we just lock in sheer heart and when it comes to

my turn they'll cheer the shit out of it and when it's there to and we'll cheer the shit out of

them so yeah I mean that was probably from the COVID year we all traveled those the four events

it was actually the year I qualified but we're all away from our families for about three three

and a half months and I think that's kind of when that kind of implemented everyone was just like go

we're on our own here let's let's just be everything forever on we've got to help each other out

it can be tough times with results or being away from family and everyone just got around each

other and they've probably come from the older boys at that point it was like waycar marker

Cooper Chapman Conor Illieri and now it's that boys just get the out of for everyone's heat if

you can and then now that's just kind of become the normal I mean if it doesn't matter like if you

have a lady and the girls don't get down there and the support the girls they'll do the same for you

just say my heat was heat nine and someone's heat's heat seven I'll be down there so that's great

but if I they were heat seven and I'm heat 15 there's no expectation everyone knows that like

your your own priority but I mean if if you're out of the event or whatever and you're not doing

and they go down cheer on and support and support the boys and get as many people on the beaches

you can like we've been doing that it's been really cool it's so cool to come into your mates when

you're achieving and and everyone's kind of been able to share that same feeling everyone's been

succeeding in all different ways in a different event so I think that's been a big push for us

and that's probably why there's six guys in that or five or six guys in that top 10 right now and

but yeah challenges is definitely the more more fun to her because there's um yeah a lot more

people and a lot of the boys are yeah just trying to have fun what about four man heats in the early

rounds what's your thoughts on that um I don't mind and they're they're from an entertainment

what's our friend no exactly what you're going to say the entertainment side is it's phenomenal there's

there's not even a like a spare moment I mean I mean personally it's good too because I mean

50% go through so you only got to beat like two guys but then when you're in a man or man if some

guy's smoking you know you got no choice like you don't there you go but um no I call love

actually like that barely can't like you said we had four man heats to the final 20 minutes

well I was baffled I made a few heats and I made a few heats in the last three minutes I was

just going I sat there sat there like doodland looking out the space and I went and they go six

half minutes to go jacko you haven't caught away I'm going oh shit because usually if I sit for

14 there's 16 ago you're like playing A playing B but there was a lot different there yeah like

for the entertainment side in the 30s four man I mean you see so much good surf and go down

and then I guess the privilege of making the quarters or the round of 16 you get those two man

heats and they're a lot easier to surf because you're only trying to beat one guy if you get a great

star just I know put pressure on and if they're don't adapt well to pressure then you're probably

pretty good or they try to do it to you but I mean you're going to have chances to come back there's

going to be like a north wave so I find that I like the balance of the four man and then you

earn your chances to get into the two man and the four man usually like decimate the draw you'll see

like a round of 32 heat will be like I think I had one in Brazil the other is myself Mateus

Jacob Wilcox and Jake Marshall and I was going we should all be in the finals like this is ridiculous

like it was it's a final yeah and I think we all had like 15 points like everyone had 15

plus points it was amazing but I mean we're just like decimating each other in that round and then

you might not that there's any easy or hard draws but I mean you might get someone in around a

16 we like I just had Mateus Jacob and Jake Marshall like nothing can really compare to that

and I've got a man or man eat with someone else so yeah it's cool and I mean it keeps I feel like

a lot of people I chat to as well that's outside of surfing or haven't not not competing anymore

they love the challenges they love what I love watching it yeah I feel like it's better watching

them the CT I love watching the CT like it's that's the top echelon but it's pretty cool to see the

challenges and how hard these guys push and we push and the levels not pretty I mean if you

look at the top 30 you're probably going those guys are all deserved to be on the CT but there's

not 100 points and there's probably do look further down so yeah yeah it's yeah it's just a it's

the way the sport goes but I think yeah now they've done at these two split tours I mean it is tricky

but I feel like it really opens up that viewership for for both events what about boards and bringing

boards around the world are you preparing like are you working with Channel Island or how does that

work yeah so I've been with Channel On since I was on 29 I think I saw him with him when I was 11

I was pretty young you're super young super young so I kind of yeah it was a pretty good little

young sir forgot we sent Channel On through Sandbar surf shop here in Newcastle and yeah just

the relationships built from there so even super close with the with the Australian guys that's

where the majority of my boards come from and then the international team manager Brent Power who

originally was the Australian team manager he lives over in the States now in Santa Barbara yeah

so the international TM and he's close with Brut so I've had plenty of boards from Brut

Mikey Walters Mike Andrews like I mean I'm so lucky I can get boards from anywhere in the world so

I'm very very lucky but yeah you've still got a plan I mean I I mean for an event like the US Open

I'll probably bring four of my own from Australia and then I'll usually get yeah something from Brut

or all those lads over there and because I'm here there I know very good in that location

and everywhere in the world I mean that's a hard thing though like I've got to find what I like

and and stay with it because I mean if you're getting boards from Ours and America you're kind of

getting a bit I mean it's a good problem to have but I mean yeah I've got a kind of my Aussie

ones have been super great and I mean I'm in Oz at the moment so I'm just getting Aussie ones

the guy Hayden Lewis does them down in Sydney and he's been shaping my boards since I was 11 so

we've got a good relationship and I mean I'm so lucky I mean I look at other people's boards and

I have a bit of a like oh that looks nice but I mean I've never had an issue with night I've never

had to try anything different I'm just kind of stuck with it they look good under your feet yeah

they feel great I mean and the more pink I put on them the better they get so that's kind of

right right I mean you could bring that up I mean most people probably knows because you're a mother

way you you rock the pink so yeah so a lot yeah pretty much quicker if you lost mom to breast cancer

in 2016 yeah sorry it's it's shaped me to who I am it that's out I I trade everything

every act relating to get it back but I mean yeah I mean without probably that hardship but

a lot of learning I probably wouldn't be as the person I'm today an athlete that I am I mean it's

it's taught it's taught me a lot um good tough times but yeah every time I put a good bit of pink on

my board or anything pink related I know why I'm doing it and I like I've said it in a few interviews

before I had to kind of slowly realized I'm I'm not doing it like for her I'm doing it for

myself in memory of her I feel like when you're trying to do it for someone else you get too

emotional and it doesn't work so when I split that switch it it really helped and then every time

I run down I have a chat to a pre-heat or even if I'm just dawdling around I'll just kind of

talk him own head and and I'm have a chat with it so it's it's super special that's a cool cool

side that I've got I know an extra part I've done two charity golf days now yeah it's all that

it's a network Australia so I think we raised about 6,000 the first year and then the second year

we did 33,000 so yeah the trajectory's going big so I guess we've got to go about 66 plus or

something this year but nah everyone is so generous and they love mom and yeah it's easy when it

um is like a cause so close to people's heart I mean people just dig deep and it's super special

and good excuse to go and lose a few balls and get on the piece so I'll keep running them even

after myself and curious so yeah I mean but nah that's where the pink comes from and yeah I'd

definitely not be stopping the pink boards I'll probably 80 and on a pink long board just chill

and hopefully if I can still surf then so you said you're doing a little bit of coaching how's that

so um or just with just so not I'm not coaching anyone um I've coached kids over the time um

I met it just for me to just uh got Mitchell Ross um and then when I was up on the gold

he ate a few mates and stuff I go just just kind of like I haven't really because Mitchell Ross is

into his real estate side now so he just helped me out around you I'll just call him and go hey

let's go trussing boards I just want your opinion uh yeah I actually want to chat to him this

week if he's free enough to help us next week I mean I haven't locked anything down if I was

in a much better position to qualify I would say I would have planned it's months ahead

but yeah I've kind of like in Hawaii I use Kekalbakal so I've known him forever he just helped

me with lineups and things like that so just those little things in here it's just with Russy

just with boards I've got a bunch of fresh sea eyes I've got a few epoxes and a few

peos that I just want to kind of hammer down before it gets busy here and then when I do go

surf I can put the good ones aside and and and I'll be worried about it so and then up on the

goldium work with Mick Kane Timmy Mick Donalds so I've got just a great crew of just kind of friends

that kind of want to help me out as well it's not super anything super formal it's pretty cool

so it's just getting a second opinion kind of there yeah pretty much I mean I could even

worst case scenario I could even get my dad down there for this board stuff but I feel like we

we would we would butt heads but um I love it but we've been on there so God shut up I'm the

surfer but now I just we've Rossy um yeah and like anything with that there's also two I mean don't

want to change too much pre of that but if there's anything technical probably more so if the

ways are small like how to generate more speed or there I mean that's the stuff we don't necessarily

see so sometimes even just I mean this session I'll probably just go tris and boards and then even

sending the clips as well so we can kind of look at them together and things like that but

don't get go get too deep too early um and then I guess pre-comp and just be more so tactical stuff

by the time we know the banks and where we're going to be surfing and things like that so yeah

just keep it pretty relaxed but also kind of go to work as well so to say with all the legends

in your hometown do you have a favorite server either one of them or outside of your realm when

you're a kid my favorite surfer from around here I guess someone that I've kind of sent me

modeled my surfing off would have to be Matt Hoy just someone that I kind of just love these no

holds bar attack I mean that's something that I've always tried to implement into my surfing

now I guess you can't go I've just got a few I mean you kind of model yourself off everyone I mean

that's true like you've got the fun side with Matt Hoy and you knew how to compete as well I guess

I've got that similar thing you got Emma who was just the nicest bloke on land but then

he was just the biggest asshole in the water and we'll do anything to win and that people you

wouldn't even see that from the guy like he's he talks about it and people talk about it like he

was shown early in the water but he's just the nicest guy on land I guess it's like I just

having that balance so I guess just like taking a few of few I know minor things off those guys

and kind of modeling that into myself and then someone like more recently someone probably more

so like Ryan Cowan and we're probably a bit more closer in age I think Ryan's three or four years

older than me so he was always paving the way of like pro juniors the QS as the CTs like kind of

of what to do and I know that he's a goofy footer I mean it's hard to kind of model too much of

that but I think just more so I kind of resonate with him with what he's been through as well

and losing his parents and his dad and my mum were in the same year so we kind of are going through

a similar thing at a similar time and yeah I kind of just seen how strong he was as a person and

how he yeah push through all those things I felt like I kind of would kind of model myself

off him and he inspires me every day like a pretty special guy and he's still surfing super

good and well we're good mates it's weird to say that you're good mates here like a like a

role model or someone you model yourself off but I mean he's hard not to he's one of the nicest

scars on the planet I went deep into your Instagram do you remember your one of your first photos

or I guess what the one I saw is the first time you were in Hawaii yeah you have a wave I think

that's pretty that was your first wave you dropped into yeah I think it's I'm in a spring suit like

a really old orange onion big board yeah yeah so that was um so long story short good friend of mine

we are unfortunately lost a couple years ago um Kalani David um I stayed with him and his

family for for years um he come here for a skate comp and yeah finally enough he's just like come

to Hawaii and my mum and dad thought I was joking and within 24 hours I was on a plane with him

and he's dad David to Hawaii so um and that was pretty much we got off the plane and oh it's

probably 14 or 15 at the time I'm gonna gather probably 14 and we've had it at the bay I

in my head at that point I thought it was bombing bay but it was probably more pinvolts it was

really solid but yeah someone that aged and that was like one of my first waves over there

was a really special moment and still got that photo saved on my phone I love it like just

reminding myself every time I go back to Hawaii that I've been coming here for yeah 15 years 10

15 years twice a season so yeah as a super special wave and I come in safe and I think that was

back then it was probably I think the photo when the photo was taken was probably before Instagram

was even a thing that's how long it all was like I think it was on Facebook and that's how I

communicated back with my mum and dad and yeah so and then I think I must have posted it later just

as like a little post like look at this me on a big wave and I'm not a big wave guy but I don't

know what what got into me that day I must have just had something to prove do you remember your

thoughts of paddling out like what were you thinking I have slight uh probably more so just like I guess

I'm here Kalani's paddling out I'm not like I'm going to just go with him and he was not going to

really just go don't calm he was just like calm calm like for him must have been chill like he'd

been doing it forever I mean only 14 or 15 at the time as well but that to him was kind of second

nature to me it was kind of like home wall like and then I think yeah I think the moment just came

and I was like just swinging and it was kind of I think it must have been a bit of an inside one

and I was kind of just like I probably if I missed it I probably would have wore a solid one on

the head so I was probably risking it but it was kind of cool to have a photo where it's just me

because I mean usually at the bay you kind of got ten dudes around you right it's kind of cool to

have one where I'm kind of dropping in and it's just me like no one else in the frame it's pretty

cool and shows it like yeah it's a rad photo yeah it's really cool right on jacko thank you so

much for coming on the quiver cast of course I totally appreciate it I mean your your stories I'm

sure there's a lot more so maybe one day we can get back into it again for sure but hopefully if

I we didn't do it I'll jump straight back on and we'll talk about straight back on I didn't want

to I didn't want to say I don't know how some competitors how they feel about saying things

like that but best of luck you're at home relax have fun I hope all as well I'll be watching the

comp I love to watch the Challenger series yeah big fan of your surfing even though I'm a goofy

foot but I love the way you surf so I appreciate it thank you very much appreciate you having me

all right everybody this is Mike and jacko baker and we are out of here you go left I go right man

you're going to surf and go and surf and with friends I don't care if it's wrong or right

I'm gonna do it all day I'm gonna do it all night I'm gonna surf and go and surf and with friends

It's a beautiful day, I'm going surfing, I'm going surfing, I'm going surfing with friends.