We’ve been saying it for years: when is Joel Parkinson – the smoothest surfer on tour – going to win a world title? He certainly has the talent. Has had monster heats, like his perfect 20 at this year’s Billabong Pipeline Masters. But does he have the killer instinct, the long-term commitment, the single-minded focus, to stitch together a convincing world title campaign? Just ask nine-time champ Kelly Slater, who says Parko’s the biggest threat to his tenth in ’09. Or you can ask Joel himself, who by all indications is already gearing up for late February, the start of the 2009 ASP World Tour. In a recent interview with SURFING, Parko elaborates on this and a few other things:
ON HIS VANS TRIPLE CROWN TITLE:
“I definitely had my eyes on the Triple Crown title. I stayed home and trained and all I wanted to do was go for the Triple Crown. I wasn’t thinking about anything else – Kelly already sealing it, all that stuff was irrelevant to me at that point. All I wanted to do was end the year on a strong note.”
ON KELLY’S BOARD CHOICE AT THE BILLABONG PIPELINE MASTERS:
“So good. I reckon it’s so good. I reckon he’s changing it. He’s got me thinking, that’s for sure. I’m all over it. You know, he’s got no pressure and he can experiment in heavy situations. He’ll definitely change board design if anyone will.”
ON HIS PREPARATION FOR THE ’09 ASP WORLD TOUR:
“Starting this Monday [Jan. 5], I’m straight back in the gym five days a week. Staying home, no vacations, I just want to set a goal and go as hard as I can. I’m getting older now and I realize that I don’t want to get to the end of it and ask, ‘Why didn’t I ever put in the hardest year of my life and just go for it?’ I think this is the year I’m going to try that.”
[Stay tuned to the April issue of SURFING Magazine for the full interview with the 2008 Vans Triple Crown champ.]
CHECK OUT FOOTAGE OF PARKO'S PERFECT 20 HEAT AT THE 2008 BILLABONG PIPELINE MASTERS BELOW: