WHO IS TIM BOAL? An Interview With WQS #3

After winning the recent 5 star Rip Curl Pro in Zarautz, Biarritz based surfer Tim Boal has rocketed to number three in the WQS rankings and looks a certainty for the top 45 in 2009. After the conclusion of the Europe leg, in which Tim scored no worse than a 5th placing in any event, redbullsurfing.com talks to the natural footer on what it feels like to crack the big-time.

So how does it feel to win a big five star?

Well, yeah, it feels pretty good. After the final in Huntington at the US Open, when I was quite nervous and fell on that wave that probably would have won it for me, I was so determined in this one not to make the same mistakes. I was way more confident.

The results over the last few months would have helped with that?

For sure, as I said I was way more confident paddling out for this final. And I knew it was Joan’s first final, so I thought maybe he was going to feel the pressure way more.

You dominated the final from the start.

Well, yeah as it turned out, I had two good waves in the first five minutes and had some big scores and was pretty comfortable. He needed a combination of scores, so yeah it was a good win.

Joan is a good friend of yours and you also surfed against Michel Bourez in the semifinal, your good mate and traveling partner, how was that?

Well, it was pretty fun actually. We kinda talked at the start, but then it got a little serious towards the end. We are both being supported on the Red Bull Rising program and have shared rooms all year, so we are pretty close. But Michel was the one needing the score, so he was probably a little more desperate than me. It actually would have been better to meet in the final, but you just have to surf your best in that situation, and not worry about who it is. I’m just stoked that we both had good results and it’s a good way to finish the Europe leg.

Speaking of the Europe leg, it’s been a pretty amazing run for you.

Well yeah, I’ve made the man-on-man finals in every event I’ve surfed, so just having that consistency has been a huge thing. And to finish it off here, in the Basque country, my favourite part of the world, is pretty special.

And it’s a pretty much a lock for your qualification for the WCT for 2009?

Well, yeah it looks pretty good, but I can’t think about that too much, I mean what will I do, just give up for the rest of the year? I’m just going to regroup and rest up and then look at the next events in Brazil and Hawaii and push on. There is no way I am finished yet.

And what’s the immediate plans now?

Well right now I am going to go home and rest. It’s been nine events back to back, so I’m really burnt out. I haven’t been sleeping that well, with the travel and the early starts and waiting around, so yeah sleeping in my own bed is a high priority. I’ve a week at home, so after I celebrate with all my friends and family, I’ll try and get a few waves, hang with my girlfriend and have fun. I think I have a start in the trials for the Quiksilver Pro, so I’ll just focus on that for now and see what happens. Then it will just back to focusing on the rest of the year, as I said, its nowhere near finished yet.