TEAHUPOO | IT'S GOING TO BE MENTAL [25.08.2010]Surfers

TEAHUPOO TACTICS: IT'S CALCULATED

Richard Bennett, pioneering Surf Psychologist and author of “The Surfer’s Mind”, has worked closely with dozens of extreme big wave riders for more than 10 years. mesurf asked Richard to comment on the mental challenges faced at Teahupo’o and how surfers can rise to the challenges of a number of scenario’s that may unfold during the 2010 Billabong Pro.

*How can small wave specialists mentally prepare for tackling Teahupo’o?

Same way as big wave specialists – train the body to meet all likely physical demands, become familiar with a quiver of boards specially shaped for the wave, practice take offs and tube riding on hollow lefts, particularly at Teahupo’o itself, and watch and listen to the best locals to learn everything you can about the wave. By following these practical steps that enhance the full potential of body – equipment – ocean the athlete builds a sound mental platform for a calm, confident and committed mindset in the moment to ride the waves.

*Is fear something surfers can use to their advantage or is it something that needs to be eliminated altogether for them to succeed there?
 
Fear is a natural human emotion that assists survival, it’s like a psychological warning that danger is present either physically, emotionally or both. When we feel fear our body produces adrenalin to ready us for action. Adrenalin is a drug and like any drug it has a “therapeutic range” and a “side effect profile”. The right amount of adrenalin will enhance mental alertness, muscle activation and reaction time and so enhance performance. However, too much adrenalin causes “side effects” such as shakiness, sickly feeling in the stomach and racing thoughts, which can impair performance. The art, psychologically, is to master how we manage our fears so we can ensure the ideal “dose” of adrenalin in our system when it’s time to perform. Guiding mastery of this art forms the basis of much of the work I do with athletes in both high risk and non risk sports.

*Take me through how someone with a lack of confidence in big waves might tackle the following scenario:
They’re competing in a Teahupo’o heat, it’s 12-foot and heavy, they’re down on the scoreboard, a solid wave they would ordinarily pass-up lurks over the horizon and toward them, they have priority, the cameras are rolling etc. What should be going through their head as the wave approaches and they begin paddling into position to take it on?
 
Breath calmly to centre focus in the moment and on the process of successful performance – assess the wave is makeable and has full potential for the score required, if so commit 100% to the wave, focus on moving in to ideal position for take off, paddle purposefully for the wave and simply trust your intuition to deliver the ideal skills required for successful take off, barrel positioning, barrel riding and exit… and of course, enjoy the ride!

*Bobby Martinez has won the event twice in the past 5 years. If he wins again this year he will be the only other person besides Kelly Slater to have taken the Teahupo’o crown 3 times. He has the chance to make history and be cemented in Teahupo’o folklore. How would you recommend he mentally approach the event with this in mind?
 
Let go of any focus or attachment to possible outcomes such as history making, record breaking, legend status, prize money, ratings points or sponsorship. Draw confidence from past success, drive from the opportunity to score amazing barrels in an uncrowded line up and then simply centre focus in the moment and on the process of successfully riding at least two high scoring waves each heat, one heat at a time, and one final at a time… and naturally, enjoy the ride!

*Heading into the Billabong Pro at Teahupo’o, what advice can you give someone like France’s Jeremy Flores who has drawn Martinez in his opening heat? Flores is a guy who has been labelled as having a bit of a weakness in fierce barrelling left-handers (exactly what Teahupo’o is) and also a guy, if he doesn’t do well there, could very likely face being cut from the top 44 when the tour is reduced to a 36 man format after this event
 
Same advice as for Bobby, though including letting go of media generated “labels”. Jeremy could draw much confidence from his past success at Teahupo’o, such as his quarter final result in 2007, which included a win against Kelly Slater in round four. He must also believe in himself as a world class surfer, a great tube rider, and an athlete that has the demonstrated ability to achieve his competitive goals.

*The top two surfers from the recent Teahupo’o trials were two local Tahitians, Taumata Puhetini and Tamaroa McComb. They are now granted wildcard entry into the main event where they will have to face no. 2 world-ranked Taj Burrow and reigning world champ Mick Fanning, respectively. What techniques would you advise these guys to employ to avoid being over-awed by their big name competitors and also to combat potentially feelings of hopelessness when heading into such heats?
 
In short we feel more confident about rising to a high challenge when we focus on what we do have, rather than on what we do not have. So while Taumata and Tamaroa may not have a Pipe Masters or World Titles, what they do have is an intimate knowledge and relationship with the wave at Teahupo’o and exceptional barrel riding ability, which is the key surfing ability at this event location. What they also have is local community support and the comforts of home to facilitate relaxed feelings and sound recovery between heats and event days.

*Purely from a psychological point-of-view, who’s your pick for the event and why?

The athlete who surfs consistently on the intuitive level will win. This is because intuition is our highest level of mental processing and forms the psychological basis for peak performance.

- Micholas


Richard consults with surfers of all ability levels guiding them to master their mind for intuitive performance in free surfing, competitive surfing and big wave riding. Richards book “The Surfer’s Mind” also includes mental secrets and strategies from 70+ of the world’s best surfers to create success in surfing and wider life. For more info about Richard’s services and book please go to: www.thesurfersmind.com

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