Jordan Lawler talks titles and Tasmania

Soundwave Australian Junior Titles

Top seed Jordan Lawler  prepares for the Junior Titles in Tasmania

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 23 November, 2012 : - - Sydney - Some of Australia’s best junior surfers will be fighting it out when the Soundwave Australian Junior Titles kicks off at Nubeena, Tasmania on the 2nd of December. After finishing second in 2011, Narrabeen's Jordan Lawler is eager to go one spot higher when he enters the 2012 titles as top-seed. Surfing NSW caught up with the powerful goofy-footer to see how he’s preparing for the event and what he’s expecting in Tasmania.

Are you looking forward to the Aussie Titles?
Yeah, definitely. It’s one of the biggest comps of the year and it’s a massive stepping-stone for everyone’s careers. I’ve been training really hard to try and go a bit better than the second place I got last year. We’ll see how I go.

Do you look back on last year and try and pinpoint where you could’ve changed things?
Yeah, there’s always room for improvement, but I did my best. Eli Steele (2011 Australian under-18 champion) was ripping in the final. I guess I could have changed things in the lead-up to the event, but probably not in the final. I think I surfed the best I could in that heat.

Who do you think would be your main rival going into this event at Tassie?
This is the Aussie Titles, so everyone is a really good surfer. I actually haven’t thought about it too much. I look at everyone as a rival as they’re all good surfers. I’m just going to take it heat by heat.

Will this be your first trip to Tassie?
It’ll be my second. I went over there for a Rip Curl GromSearch event a few years ago. It was super cold.

So are you looking forward to the drop in temperature?
Yeah, it’s definitely different down there. It’s good to see how everyone one adapts to it. Obviously, you need thicker wetsuits. I’ve been to Victoria a lot, so I’m pretty sweet with it. I feel confident.

Do you enjoy travelling with a team as it’s something surfers don’t get to do too often?
Yeah it’s awesome. I love being a part of Team NSW. Everyone has such a good vibe about them, they’re all amping you up and watching you surf. It gives you the confidence you need to go into a heat. Personally, it makes me surf better.

What guys are you impressed with from Team NSW?
Definitely Matt King. He’s got such a complete style and he links his turns together perfectly. He’s a standout. I’ve seen a few younger guys as well, like Jared Hickle - he’s improved a lot over the last year. Then there are guys like Max McGuigan and Connor Gale in the younger divisions. Connor rides for Volcom as well, so I’ve seen him surf a fair bit.

A week or so ago, you went on a NSW High Performance Camp on the north coast, how was that?
It was good just to spend time with the whole team and try to develop a bit of comfort in that environment. We filmed a lot of our surfing and after doing that I can see some things in my surfing where I can definitely improve. So yeah, it was great to chill with everyone, learn a few things and just enjoy the vibe.
 
About the Soundwave Australian Junior Titles
The Soundwave Australian Junior Surfing Titles 2012 will be running at Nubeena, Tasmania on the 2nd December 2012 - 8th December 2012. All heat draws can be found here.

NSW participants in the Soundwave Australian Junior Titles include: Jordon Lawler, Louis Gillick, Matt King, Teague Robinson, Pama Davies, Connor Gale, Tommy Boucaut, Stephanie Single, Kirsten Ogden, Coco Beeby, Cali McDonagh, Sophia Bernard, Kalani Ball, Chris Zaffis, Sheldon Simkus, Monty Tait, Jared Hickle, Jackson Baker, Jake Snellgrove, Holly Wawn, Tess Mawson, Paris Whittaker, Mitch Raymond, Darcy Crump, Kyuss King, Max McGuigan, Ben Hucker, Kobie Enright, Alysse Cooper and Alyssa Lock. 

Source: SNSW

Author: Ethan Smith

Tags: Jordan Lawler, Soundwave Australian Junior Titles,

Juniors: Surfersvillage