Boost Mobile Pro of Surf Online Press Conference

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.