#ProudlySouthAfrican

Twiggy did it all, taking hell drops, scoring a 10-point ride, sitting solidly in the face of huge outside sets and methodically taking off on screamers all day. His performance was enough for another incredible win. After an incredible and exhausting day of surfing we caught up with him as he was heading out to go and join a somewhat raucous crew for a post-event celebration.

Congrats my bru! Two in a row. How does it feel right now?

It feels incredible right now. It was such a good day of giant waves, heavy waves, and I’m just so stoked to have won the event. It was a challenge, to be sure, but I’m in a good place right now. Everyone was charging, everyone wanted to win and to get the biggest sets, and I’m just lucky enough to have got the bombs and take the win.

Waves looked gnarly.

It was heavy. It wasn’t so much the size but the west direction. When it’s coming from that direction it’s all concentrated on the bowl. It ledges and sucks off the bowl so hard, makes it so difficult to get down the faces. It’s the heaviest conditions you can get out there when it does that like double suck on the bowl and just drains and goes square.

Looked a bit iffy on the wind as well.

Ja, then we had the southerly wind making those big chops. We don’t even surf Mavs when the southerly is on it, it just makes it too gnarly. Makes it so hard to get into. We just put our heads down and surfed. You know, they weren’t going to stop for a bit of south wind, so we had to just go.

The early morning heat looked insane. Chris Bertish got cleaned up by that first set, along with most of that heat, after missioning to get there.

I was watching in the morning and doing some commentating and saw that first set catch everyone. It was so heavy. Mark Healey took the worst beating. When it comes to surfers dealing with heavy situations, Mark Healey is the man, but still, what he had to deal with was pretty insane.

Healey got caught badly.

He got caught so bad. He paddled for the shoulder, didn’t make it and bailed in front of a huge wave. He tried to swim through what was a legitimate 25-footer, didn’t make it and got sucked over. After going deep, he didn’t surface before the next wave and was held down for two.

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He looked totally rattled.

He was broken. Did you see him on the ski? He looked like he had just been crash tackled by John Smit! Seeing that made me so scared. When Healey looks messed up, there’s big shit.

Healey went back out.

He did. It was hardcore. He even caught two more waves, and nearly made it through, but I think after having the wind kicked out of his sails so severely he was on his back foot. Still, radical performance.

Back to Twig. It has been a difficult few months for you. This is great vindication for you and your determination.

It is. I was ready to throw in the towel at one stage, get married and have kids and stuff, but it was actually my fiancée Kate Lovemore who said like, ‘screw that buddy, you’re going out there to smash those guys,’’ which was the decision-maker I guess. So I’m stoked that I went down that route. It’s easy when you have such good support.

It’s a bit of weird timing, after being that close to giving up, to being on the roll of your life.

It is, but I’ve been working really hard, training, working on my equipment, it’s been a lot of graft, so it’s all paid off. I’ve gotto thanks BOS Iced Tea, Future fins, and Cheron, who have all backed me, and also to all those people back home who bought any of my Twig clothes, because they’re all the people who got me to Mavericks.

What’s next in the fast-moving world of Twig Baker?

Well, they’re thinking of calling the Todos event on for Wednesday.

Sheesh. Here we go again! Next thing I’m going to be interviewing you as a world champ.

I’m getting dramatic now I know it, must be the post-win stoke, but I’m proud to be a South African and I’m proud to represent our country around the world, and win events as a South African. We’ve got talent and it’s a special place and we should all be proud of who we are.

Haha! You know, South Africa has a lot going for it, not just surfing, and we’re a hardy bunch. Jordy is going to win a world title, and who knows if I am, but we’re just this country that has so much going, and for someone like me I get all the opportunities to surf big wave back home pretty much unimpeded and to train and get better and what I do, you know. It’s probably the greatest country on earth, and I’m getting dramatic now I know it, must be the post-win stoke, but I’m proud to be a South African and I’m proud to represent our country around the world, and win events as a South African. We’ve got talent and it’s a special place and we should all be proud of who we are.

So are we going to bring big wave surfing back to South Africa?

Well, we’re working really hard on this Big Wave World Tour with Gary Linden, and it’s a good thing, going from strength to strength right now. With the ASP’s involvement it has been amazing to see the tour take shape. I want to help it grow, and to make the tour a place where sometime in the future the younger guys can maybe make a career and earn a living off. Guys like Frank Solomon and some of the other younger guys who are charging back home. I want it to be an option for the kids who are amping on big waves.

Well done again bru. The ous are so proud. What you up to right now?

We’re just going to head out for a very quiet dinner with the boys. What do you think? Ha! We’re off to party somewhere..!