här är resten av intervjun..
The wave tour is a different matter in my mind. I envision that the freestyle discipline and formula racing are the reality aspects of our professional sport. They are the disciplines that bring windsurfing back to where the majority of our windsurfing population windsurf, and are also disciplines that a windsurfer can become good at regardless of their location.
Wave sailing on the other hand should be the dream aspect of professional windsurfing, the absolute pinnacle and the most radical face of our sport. It should take place in the most radical and exotic locations. Freestyle and formula take care of the reality, social, and public aspect, while wave sailing should provide the dream for all windsurfers to aspire to.
Unfortunately our present PWA Wave Tour does not offer any REAL down the line wave sailing location.
For this reason I have decided that the best thing I can do for the sport and myself, besides pushing the limits of Freestyle further, is to start promoting the most radical aspects of wave sailing again. I have decided it’s time to get back to my roots, which lie deeply in surfing and beautiful waves. I miss adventure and I too dream of that epic, empty wave spot with perfect conditions, just waiting to be ripped apart! Instead of competing on the wave tour next year, I am going with my good friend Brian Talma on an experience around the world looking for the perfect wave, killer adventures, and good times. The IMPORTANT things in life! We will be taking a film crew with us every where we go, with the hope that eventually we can get enough media to interest sponsors back into down the line wave sailing so that we can get the PWA Wave Tour back to real wave sailing destinations. Then I will gladly compete on the tour again.
The ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) went through a very similar problem as the PWA in the late 80’s early 90’s. They were competing in unbelievably shitty locations and 1 foot surf sometimes. Of course the surfers hated it and the media basically ignored it. Eventually the surf clothing industry decided that it was too much. They started making invitational events in the most radical surfing locations in the world such as G-land and Tavarua. The response from the media was phenomenal, and eventually huge sponsors started to pour into the surfing world, and now almost ALL of the major events at the highest level are in super radical locations, with tons of support and interest. This is what needs to happen to save professional windsurfing. The DREAM must come back.
How? I can only think that the best way for this to happen is that the leading images in our sport get out there and start promoting what they love to do most!!! WINDSURFING IN BIG DOWN THE LINE CONDITIONS!!!
That’s what I am going to do next year along with going after the freestyle title, so to all those people who sent emails I want to say MAHALO (Thanks in Hawaiian), and no worries. Next year is going to ROCK!
Rip it up & Mahalo,
Josh
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