Interview With Josh Stone

Q: How has 2002 been for you so far?

 

JS: 2002 has been a great year for our tour. The freestyle has had tons of energy and big events added to the schedule. We have seen a much needed influx of youth to our tour, and it has been a really exciting year. Competitively I've had to struggle with a minor injury, but in freestyle that can be extremely costly.

Q: How has 2002 been for you so far?



JS: 2002 has been a great year for our tour. The freestyle has had tons of energy and big events added to the schedule. We have seen a much needed influx of youth to our tour, and it has been a really exciting year. Competitively I've had to struggle with a minor injury, but in freestyle that can be extremely costly. The highlight of my year has been the last 2 months on Maui. Ho'okipa has had the best season I can remember, and Jaws and Outer Sprecks has been going off non-stop! That's heaven for me!!!



Q: What was your high point?


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JS: Sailing wise, the last two months in Maui for sure!



Q: What was the low point?



JS: My lowest point of the year was in Gran Canaria when I just couldn't put my routine together. It sucks getting your ass kicked left and right, and I had not finished out of the top 5 in freestyle EVER before, so I wasn't stoked.



Q: Seems like you found your form at the last event in Canada...did the conditions suite you?



JS: I would have to say I got a bit lucky in Canada. The conditions fell right in line with what I had been sailing in Maui. Once there are some waves, then I really turn on, and Canada came through for me on the last day. In the really flat water, the kids own it, so I was stoked to be able to give them a little revenge once some good conditions came through.



Q: What about the likes of Ricardo Campello and Kauli Seadi...Have they pushed PWA freestyle competitions into a new level of difficulty?



JS: Ricardo and Kauli are the new up and comers, and they will always be pushing the limits. We haven't seen that since Francisco and I jumped into the tour 8 years ago, so it is very refreshing, and they are only the beginning. There is TONS of young new talent that will continue to bring energy on the freestyle side.


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Q: Is the tension going to be running high in Bonaire?



JS: The title is fully up for grabs, and it's SUPER close between Ricardo, Matt and Nick, and I am sure we will see the Bonaire boys come through with some serious upsets, so it will be tension city!!!



Q: What are your goals in windsurfing?



JS: My goals in windsurfing now are to push my sailing to the extremist levels, which means back to waves and big wave sailing. I keep having dreams about that aerial in Fiji, and I think I can go bigger! That's my new challenge, to see how radical I can really go.



Q: What new moves have you been working on?



JS: I have been wave sailing a lot lately, so I have super cool new stuff where I integrate freestyle moves with down the line wave sailing. The coolest one is the flaka off the lip. It's funny because the flaka came from the taka off the lip in flat water, and now it's back in wave sailing. The coolest difference between the taka off the lip and the flaka off the lip is that with the flaka, you can be carving on the shoulder and still make it, so it is super consistent. Also, I have been working really hard on the YOYO, the push loop into forward loop combination. Almost got it.


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Q: How difficult is it to maintain your windsurf career alongside your family life?



JS: It is very difficult to be on the tour now that Harley is 4 years old. I told myself I would never leave Amy and Harley for really long periods of time, but now they can't really travel with me often because Harley has school. So it is a challenge, but no question, my family comes first.



Q: Words to live by?



JS: You only go around once, so go hard!



Q: Three words to describe yourself?



JS: Happy, energetic, fun loving!