This week’s Kustom Airstrike launch of the week is Mitch Coleborn’s trippy-flippy rodeo thingy that he stuck a while ago in the Mentawais. Mitch is currently criss-crossing the globe chasing footage for Kai Neville’s new flick but we managed to track him down in San Diego between trips.
SURFING: SO WHERE ARE YOU AT THE MOMENT?
MITCH COLEBORN: I actually just got back to the U.S from Mexico today. I’m in San Diego right now with Dion Agius and Kai Neville.
WHAT HAVE THE WAVES BEEN LIKE DOWN THERE?
It’s been sick, ay. Really fun. Dusty Payne came with us too; we were just filming with Kai for the new movie he’s doing (The Modern Collective) and it was fucken sick.
WERE YOU GUYS IN MAINLAND OR IN BAJA?
In Baja, down the bottom near Cabo.
DID YOU GET YOUR PARTY ON IN CABO?
Nah, we were only there for three or four days so we were just surfing all day then passing out at night then getting up and doing the same again the next day.
DID YOU THROW DOWN SOME PUNTS WHILE YOU WERE THERE?
We were surfing this left called Cerritos that is so good. Every wave has the biggest ramp. I landed a couple of sickies. It was pretty fun.
YOU LAUNCHED THAT BIG RODEO IN THE MENTAWAIS RIGHT?
DO YOU THINK THAT PARTICULAR WAVE LENDS ITSELF MORE TO FLIPS AND ROTATIONS OR DID YOU JUST FLUKE IT?
The waves were pumping, but it wasn’t like I rocked up and thought, “fuck, the waves look sick for flips” or anything like that. I was just surfing and mucking around. If I see a good section these days I’ll usually try one just to throw it out there. If I’m going to fall off doing a backhand turn, I may as well fall off doing a flip. You just gotta give ’em a go; it can’t hurt.
WAS THAT ONE YOUR ONLY BIG AIR FROM THE SESSION OR DID YOU PULL A COUPLE MORE?
It was kinda just that one wave. I was actually having a bit of a shocker. I was getting pretty pissed off and was almost on the way in – just sitting on the inside, trying to get a good one in. I’d been sitting up the point trying to get barrelled all day but it was pretty crowded and hard to get barrelled on your backhand because you can’t really race when you’re grabbin’ rail. So I paddled to the inside and was just fucking around in there then got that one wave and just tried it. So yeah, I didn’t really get any other good waves that session.
DO YOU THINK YOU’LL HAVE TO GO BIGGER TO WIN THE FIFTY LARGE OR YOU RECKON YOU’VE GOT IT IN THE BAG ALREADY?
I don’t know.... Everyone keeps saying they think I’m going to win, but I think they’re just jinxing me. The more people say to me that I’m going to win, the more I think I’m not going to.
WELL I TOLD JAY I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO WIN THE OTHER DAY, SO MAYBE I JINXED HIM FOR YOU.
Yeah, I don’t know. There are still a couple of months to go so someone can still do something bigger and better. I’m not getting my hopes up too much otherwise — I’ll just be disappointed. Whatever happens, happens I suppose.
IS IT A GOAL TO WIN THE AIRSTRIKE COMPETITION OR DO YOU NOT REALLY THINK ABOUT IT?
Umm, I don’t really think too much. Just try to cruise; I don’t want to be thinking about it too much otherwise I’d just do my head in.
WITHOUT TRYING TO THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH, WHAT WOULD YOU SPEND YOUR WINNINGS ON IF YOU CLAIMED THE PRIZE? BY TODAY’S MARKETS IT’S MORE THAN $75,000 AUSSIE
I’d have to do something pretty wild I suppose. I haven’t really been thinking about it, but if I did win, I’d say at least five grand would have to go on one big night on the Goldie or something. Just fucken shout everyone a bunch of piss and hire out some hotel or something.
HAVE YOU HEARD RUMOURS ABOUT ANYONE STICKING SOMETHING LIKELY TO TAKE THE 50K LATELY? ANY SLY CLIPS PEOPLE ARE HOLDING ONTO?
I’ve heard a few things and I’ve seen a clip of Craikey’s that’s pretty sick, a bit of a loop on his forehand. Kind of like the one Taj does in Stranger Than Fiction. But he hasn’t put it in yet, and it’s weird because in the rules it says that you’ve got to submit your clip within, like, two weeks or a month of doing the trick. So I don’t know what’s going to happen if everyone’s holding on to their clips until the last minute.
IT’D BE CRAZY IF IT CAME DOWN TO A TECHNICALITY
Fuck, if it came down to that I’d be going straight to the lawyers. [Laughs] People should just submit their stuff anyway, it’d make it more interesting for everyone watching and would make everyone go bigger and harder too.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THIS YEAR? SLUGGING IT OUT ON THE ’QS OR PHOTO-SLUT GLORY?
I’m filming The Modern Collective with Kai Neville and that’s going to take up a fair bit of the first half of the year, so I’m going to try and get as many good clips in as I can. There’s a couple of really good guys in the movie and I don’t really want to look like a fucken kook next to Dane and Jordy, so I’m going to try and pull my finger out and get some good clips before I start to think about trying to get points on the ’QS.
Yeah, it’s gonna be banging. We just did our first trip to Mex and we’re going to Morocco in the next couple of days. But the footage I’ve seen of Dane from the first trip to France is so nuts already. It’s going to be the sickest movie ever.