What is the best thing about freesurfing as opposed to comps?
“The freedom you get when you’re not thinking about scores. All the best surfs of my life have been freesurfing. Competitions can really hinder your ability to be able to jump and swap between boards. Too much time and importance is placed on ripping a high-performance shorty. Any board’s fun as long as you’ve got the right waves.”

How will your Black Knight video submission separate itself from the other guys clips?
“I think I might have a bit more power behind my turns, I still rate a drawn-out, on rail-carve up there with the best finners and airs.. All the other boys flare, a lot of them are really good at the airs and tricks. That’s a part of my surfing I really want to improve. We’ve been to few cool spots to film as well so hopefully that will separate the clip.”

What’s one of the main goals you have in the freesurfing realm?
“I basically just want to surf as good as I can. I don’t have any ambitions to have my own movie or anything huge like that. I just want to work on my surfing everyday and get as good as I can.”

Are there any destinations you want to tick off your list to get some diversity in your footage?
“I’d love to travel to some really different locations like the west coast of Africa and the deep south of South America, but juggling contests and freesurfing a swell as a lack of funds makes it hard to go where ever you want.”

Which freesurfers do you find inspiring?
I think Rasta’s incredible on all varieties of surf craft and isn’t afraid to stand up for what he believes in. Dane is incredible and what he’s done with his blog is pretty epic. My brother Sage is amazing on all types of board as well and I love watching him surf. I also love watching Wade Goodall surf.”

What’s more important to you: good photos and videos or a few comp victories?
“I think both are important. I want to make the WCT so comp victories are crucial for qualification, but I also want to be getting good shots and footage.”

Do you think the gap between freesurfing and comps has narrowed due to the antics of people like Jordy and Dane?
Definitely. Both Jordy and Dane as well as Owen Wright and Matt Wilkinson are making the comps so much more exciting. Watching the heats on demand can be like watching Taylor Steele’s hidden vault footage. They’re producing their best when they’re under pressure in their heats.”

How do you think freesurfing will remain fresh and current?
“There are so many different ways to approach waves on so many different boards it’s ridiculous. I’m stoked I’ve got a lifetime ahead of me to experiment with all of it. That’s the key to keeping things fresh.”