Boal's Blog

Red Bull Rising rider Tim Boal blogs on the Rip Curl Pro

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 26 August, 2008 : - - I actually had the previous/yesterday afternoon off from surfing. The surf was pretty big, and there were a few big barrels around, but for some reason I felt a little tired and wanted to switch off. I went to the driving range with Clipper and hit a few balls.

It felt good to get away, but then again, with golf, it just gives you something else to stress and think about. But it was still fun, and then I drove back home, about half hour south from Hossegor,  back to Biarittz and had dinner with my girlfriend Elodie, and had a pretty early night. I slept pretty well, I don't tend to wake up or be too nervous.

I had to get up pretty early as I had an early heat. I watched the first heat online at home and saw Jarred Sullivan get a few tubes and some high scores and was pretty amped as I drove up. I had left my boards at the Red Bull Rising house, near the comp, all ready and primed to go and went and had a quick free surf and felt pretty good.

In my second heat though I didn't feel that great. It wasn't the pressure, I feel more confident at home and had my dad and girlfriend watching, but it was a weird heat and quite slow. The conditions had turned way worse and in the end I was waiting for low score and almost started rushing and making too-quick decisions. I forced myself to slow down and think about what was happening. I waited for the right wave and did enough to get the score, and came second.

After that, I just hung around at the event, watching my friends Matt Wilko and Michel Bourez. Michel didn't make it - he kind of got in the same situation as me, but then made some rushed decisions. He has so much energy and sometimes can't help but go 100 per cent, all the time, but his surfing is just so good.

Anyway, that was that, I went for a freesurf, just to get my boards sorted and get my confidence back, then cruised back home. We had a dinner with the Red Bull crew in Biarritz and again home for a sleep and to be ready for another early heat.  I'll be surfing tomorrow in the round of 48 and just aim to keep going, to make it to the final day, just one heat at a time.