Rebecca woods Date of Birth:25/10/89 Home town:Copacabana. Home break:Copa Point
What did you really wish for this Christmas? I can't say! Nar a guitar and golf clubs but the golf clubs are just a wish cos I can't hit the ball yet! Where was the last place you surfed? Pupukea in Hawaii. Best surfer of 2006? Mel Redman, Layne and Chels they all deserved to win. What's your best tip for keeping fit this winter? Don't procrastinate, do it now think later and dream of the warm bath afterwards. Who's cool in your opinion? Anyone who has an open herat and mind and is willing to learn. Are you going on a winter trip if so where? I usually head to Lennox Head around winter time because it's not as cold as Sydney. Name your top four must have items to take on a trip? Health, open mind, iPod for the screaming two year olds next to you on the plane and Blistex if you can take it on the plane in clear zip lock. What was the last thing you bought? My niece a princess tiara set, don't know if she will be a surfer or a princess?? What's the best thing that happened to you in 2006? Pulling into barrels at some of the best breaks in the world getting the best waves of my life. And your New Year's resolution is... to have more fun, and stop dying my hair.
the pro interview: Rebecca woods
Despite last year's shoulder injury and the media focus of the tour resting very much with Layne, Mel and Chelsea, Bec Woods is still way up there and quietly getting on with the business of shredding on both the WQS and WCT, where she is fourth and sixth respectively. SurfGirl grabbed a few minutes with her just after the French event.
Do you feel 100% recovered from the your injury?
Well, I'm 21 and my shoulder was my first injury and has been one of the hardest things to deal with in my life. It was nerve damage and that stopped signal to the shoulder muscles, so I would tell my arm to pick up a drink and it would just stay there. So frustrating! Nerves take 18 months to three years to come back, so although it has improved dramatically it is still healing. To have my dream of being on tour ripped away from me as I was climbing the ladder, sitting in seventh and gaining confidence, was a big wake up call. I now know to be the best in the world you must work so hard and treat your body as a temple because it is your tool to take you to the top!
What's your aim for the rest of the year on tour? I would love to be in the top 5. And I would love to make a final.
You did well in the Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle in France, did you enjoy the French comp?
I love France, the waves and the sun it's super fun. Sometimes it can be tricky competing in beach breaks where so many factors come into play but it is definitely up there with my favourite places!
Where have the waves been the best on tour this year?
Easily Fiji and Teahupoo in the finals. To surf that with only one other out is the reason most surfers dream of qualifying.
Who's been impressing you on tour this year, any up and coming girls who are really ripping?
Silvana Lima and Jessi Miley-Dyer are obvious standouts, but Mel Redman-Carr has had something in her coffee this year; she has just stepped it up and shown us young girls how hard it is!
What are your plans for winter (after the tour has finished?)
I don't think I have had a winter for the last three years, I almost miss it, almost. We don't really have much of a break, we get home from Hawaii the 20th of December and it all starts up mid-January, so for me, chilling out is important, seeing my family and spending quality time with the ones I love.
Any gossip from the tour? People love that question! Well, everyone has just been to Brazil but "What goes on tour stays on tour", and that's all I can say…
If you can't get enough of Rebecca, here's some more info we gleaned for SurfGirl 8:
Nickname: Woodsy. Home break: Copacabana, NSW Australia. Height: 5'4". Stance: Regular. Favourite Spots: Macaronis, Copa Point, Duranbah. Sponsors: Billabong, Gallaz, Odyssey 20/20 eyewear, FCS, Chilli Surfboards. What do you think your trademark manoeuvre is? I think my trademark would be my roundhouse cutback. Who were your surfing heroes when you first started surfing? Lisa Andersen, Rob Machado and Luke Egan. Favourite surfers now? Mel Bartels, Silvana Lima and Parko. What's the scariest wave you've ever surfed and how big was it? Teahupoo is the scariest wave, but not the biggest, it was probably about six feet. I’ve had some fun big waves around the ten feet mark. Do you remember your first wave? Yes, I was about six. I climbed to my knees then stood up, got dumped on the shore and ran crying to mum. Do you remember your first barrel? Definitely. I thought I was so good. I think it was a head dip but still the best feeling in the world. Would you like to compete against the blokes, and who do you think you could beat? Not really, I respect the guys surfing but I think women’s and men’s surfing is different, both are exciting in their own ways. I think I could beat my dad! Are there lots of female surfers at your local break in Oz? At first there was only two or three but now a lot of young girls are coming through having fun and its good to see. Who inspired you, from pro's to local surfers to family? My older sister and my dad, they both surf, and just my family in general. I think people generally inspire me if they give 100% and don’t give up no matter what. I hate seeing people making excuses for not being the best person they can be. Why do you think there are so many Aussie girls making it on the tour these days? Is it more coaching/support etc? I think it's a combination, we surf a variety of waves year round and have to fight for waves in crowded lineups. We have many competitions for grommets and an Australiasian junior circuit which nurtures the competitive aspect of surfing, if that’s where girls want to go, and there are coaches everywhere. But I think the rest of the world is catching up and the South Americans are the ones to watch out for. Who shapes your boards? James Cheal, Chilli Surfboards. How many boards do you have? Um, I don’t really know, about 12 to 20 maybe. What do you ask your shaper for and why? I generally leave that to him, usually not too much of a mix up from my normal shape because anything too drastic can throw you off when you’re competing. I like swallow tails on beachies and round square to pin on bigger waves, maybe a double to single concave and I like Chilli's rail shapes, not too sharp. I ride FCS usually with the new H-2 fins and Gorilla Grip Got a magic board at the moment? Yeah, it’s a little bit trashed from all the travel, it’s a 5'9” little magic stick.
