Travis Kicks In

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In round three, it was Travis Logie who stole the show with a remarkable last-ditch effort against world number 1 Gabby Medina. On his 35th birthday, Travis got the best wave of the heat, of the day and possibly of the event to advance over Medina Needing a 9-point ride, he dropped super-late into a box that exploded over the sandbank. We got chatting as he glowed in the thrill of victory after the heat.

Wavescape: That wave was insane.

Travis Logie: It actually looked like it was going to be too small at first, like it was too small for me to go on it, but I had no choice at that stage, as I had 20 seconds left in the heat and I had to go. Then the wave just grew in front of me, and doubled up ridiculously out of nowhere. I nearly didn’t make the drop because it went so square, but I made the drop and once I was inside it I knew that if I came out I was going to get the score. It’s so shallow out there and so intense, and that wave was pretty square. It was inside out, and I made it out and I got the score.

Social media went mad when you came out of that barrel, most of it coming out of South Africa.

It’s great to have the support of my friends back home.

You spoke about Simon Nicholson and his loss in your post-heat interview. (Former top QS surfer and Travis’ best friend Simon tragically lost his wife Jess to cancer recently). Were you thinking about Simon, and Jess, in that heat?  

I’ve been thinking a lot about Simon (Nicholson) and Jess, and Sims is one of my best friends and Jess was one my wife’s best friends, and I wanted to get a result for my friend and to cheer him up you know. I wasn’t thinking about them throughout that heat, you know, but that final wave felt pretty special, like a gift, like it was from Jess.

Travis rips an earlier heat. Photo ASP / Smorigo

Gabby had that heat all sewn up all the way through to the final minute. How were you feeling throughout the heat?

It started off pretty average for me, with Gabriel getting an 8.5 score in the first couple of seconds in the heat, and I was like, ‘here we go this is going to be hard,’ but then I got that wave in the last seconds of the heat, so it’s the same you know. I was so stoked though. I’ve had a pretty poor start to the year, a shocker actually, and I need a big result, so hopefully I can capitalize on it here.

How did it feel surfing against Gabriel? He was surfing in front of his homies, number one on the ratings so far this year, the crowd going mad whenever he walks by or surfs any wave. Did you feel any extra pressure?

Gabby has been on form all year so far, and has definitely been the man to beat. Also in front of his fans and him being number one, I knew that this was going to be a hard one. Last year I drew Gabby in round three as well and he beat me, so I’m pretty stoked to be able to turn it around out there today. I actually also got a 9.5 in that heat last year, but it wasn’t enough for me that time. Gabby has been surfing so confidently as well, I still think he is going to have a crazy year.

Apart from that one bomb, we saw you get a serious lip on the head on that one right barrel. How were the conditions out there?

It was basically surfer against the ocean out there. It was so difficult out there. There was a strong rip and there were some really chunky and unrideable wwaves. I didn’t really see that much of Gabriel out there, it was more of a contest with me against the ocean, just battling the current and trying to find the good ones.  

There was so much cheering throughout the day and the event for the Brazilian surfers. Whenever they took off on a wave there was so much crowd support, but a lot less for the non-Brazilians. Did anyone cheer you when you came out of that bomb?

When I came out of that tube you couldn’t have heard a pin drop. It was absolute silence. Not a word. When the scores came through however, the Brazilian fans were congratulating me and shaking my hand. All very cool and friendly, you know…  

So, all in a good experience in Brazil so far?

Oh yes, super cool people..

Thanks Trent and good luck for the rest of the event.

Thanks

Travis placed third in his fourth round heat against Nat Young and Adriano De Souza and will be surfing against Kolohe Andino in the second heat of round 5. Jordy Smith won his Round 4 heat and advanced to the quarter-finals.