CJ HOBGOOD

ASP ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

For a young rookie, the World Tour can be a scary place, unless of course you're Pottz. Imagine having to constantly deal with traveling hassles, language barriers, financial flux, and homesickness -- among other maladies -- to perform well in a sport defined by inconsistency. And while a bond is created among the young bucks, there's no denying the fact that the rest of the tour wants to destroy your bubble gum ass. CJ Hobgood soared above it all, breaking the ephemeral cycle of East Coast freshman like Randazzo, Melhado, and Hewitson who couldn't requalify. Hobgood toasted the new millennium with a delicious glass of Rookie of the Year and joined the ranks of former U.S. honorees Todd Holland, Jeff Booth, Dino Andino, Shane Beschen, and Kalani Robb. ESM rescued the Satellite Beach youngblood from sensory overload at the 2000 Surf Expo in Orlando to chat with him about his big love.

ESM: How did you ring in the New Year 2000?
CJ: I'm away from home so much of the year, the only people I wanted to be with were my friends and my loved ones. My friends don't give a crap what I do. They don't care if I'm 18th, or 44th, or making a fool out of myself. I just wanted to be with guys who don't give a shit about any of that. So I just hung out with them, went to some different parties, and acted really stupid. It was great.

ESM: Well CJ, you've graduated to sophomore status on the WCT. How do you feel about your level of performance in 1999?
CJ: I thought I was going to do a lot worse. I don't know if I was pleased with all the surfing I did this year, but I exceeded my original goals. It's weird. I did really well, and I was stoked; but on the other hand, I thought there were a couple of venues where I really didn't do what I thought I could do. I was stoked 100 percent on how I placed but only 80 percent on my surfing.

ESM: You pocketed quite a list of accomplishments for 1999 -- a 2nd to Occy at Teahupoo, tons of publicity topping off with the guest-editing of Surfer with your brother Damien, then sealing the deal with Rookie of the Year honors. Could you tell us which one stands as your own personal highlight and what it means to you?
CJ: I remember what Kelly Slater said about not basing your success off getting your picture in the magazine. I try not to dissect it too much, but I think the biggest accomplishment is Rookie of the Year because you don't know how much of an impact you actually have. Everyone was stoked I did well in Tahiti, but that felt like every other contest. Even if you get 2nd, you still know the next contest is two weeks down the road, and you have to forget about it and do just as good or better the next time. You don't really get to enjoy it as much as you want. I went to the ASP banquet, and I got this award, yet there were surfers in there that I thought worked harder and did a hell of a lot better than I did. There were guys in that room who are just my heroes, y'know? This is the best life in the world, but you do have to do a little bit of work. I wanted to say, "Hey, can we give those guys awards?

ESM: We have a great photo of you and Occ standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the podium at the Gotcha Tahiti Pro. You're holding the runner-up trophy, rocking leis with the ultimate world champ, and you're just beaming. No shame in 2nd place for that one, eh?
CJ: I kinda look at that contest in a bad way. A lot of people said that I was so happy to make it to the final, that I just rolled over. At the time, I was stoked, and everyone was stoked for me, but I had heard about people who've been on tour for a long time and never made a final. I just started to think, "Oh my gosh, I freakin' made it!" I was so stoked that I ended up not putting in that great of an effort. Then I lost. Now that I look back at it, if I would've just thought, "It ain't over yet," held back my emotion, and "Larry Birded" it, I could've won that contest.

ESM: Were there any specific locales that gave you trouble this year, that is, were there any spots you had a harder time adjusting to?
CJ: J-Bay. I totally suck out there; I just need so much work. That's one of my big downfalls. Kirra didn't really break this year, but I've never really ridden that wave, and I don't feel comfortable at that place like I do at other places. I think if I can get as comfortable in those waves as the other waves on tour, I'll be where I need to be -- but I'm not there yet. I have trouble with a lot of those right pointbreaks. When the waves get really small -- not that I'm at a disadvantage -- but I don't think I'm as good as I can be. I just need a couple more years on tour.

ESM: You and Dam were well on your ways to professional careers from a young age, collecting scalps, and enjoying substantial success in the NSSA and the ESA. How were you able to take that competitive ambition as a grom and redirect it to come on so strongly in the pro ranks?
CJ: It's weird, I never knew I could do it. When you're a grom, you just think about the fun. I love surfing so much, but I never wanted to be on the tour and just barely be getting by. That's just like being at the low ranks of a job, groveling. I always said if I was to do this, I want to be up there and have a shot at the title. I'm not there yet, but I think I can get there. I think the biggest thing was the year before; it was such an eye opener. I figured out, "Hey, I can do this. It is tangible. It is feasible.

ESM: So was it more a matter of confidence?
CJ: Pretty much, because you think that those guys are so much better than you -- superhuman or whatever -- I never thought I was confident to say, "Man, I'm better than all these people. I can do this." I was more like, "I'll go wherever you guys want me to go and do whatever you want me to do." People would say, "Hey, you wanna do contests, take surf trips?" Sure. But now it makes me so much happier to know that if I keep working and working, something might pan out.

ESM: Did you gain that focus early on, or did it grow inside you as you got older?
CJ: I don't know if you acquire that. I think it's almost something you're born with. I see people who are just as good as me, but they might not have as much drive and not care if someone beats them. I was lucky enough to be born one of those guys who isn't as good but works hard. I'm not super talented; I just work hard. You want to be respected, and you don't want to be one of those guys who people look at and say, "He sucks [in a whiny voice], but he gets lucky in heats and gets the best waves.

ESM: That further validates the Rookie of the Year award because it shows how huge an impression you've made on the surfing establishment.
CJ: Yeah, I think winning the Surfer Poll would be the best thing you could get, but I want to gradually get better and stretch my career out as long as I can. I don't want to be one of those guys like the Backstreet Boys -- just blow up, and then you never hear from them again [laughs]. I just want to stretch it out as long as possible.

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ESM: It seems that nowadays surfers are picked up and dropped so quickly. They're like streetwalkers on some macabre Hollywood Boulevard with saltwater, yet you and Dam have stayed put. How has your eight years with Rusty affected your perception of the industry, and how has that relationship transferred into your adult life as a professional?
CJ: I was just telling my friend here at the expo, "Man, some of these guys are worse than chicks. Everyone's running around doing everyone. Girls doing guys, guys doing guys" [laughs]. But that's the thing with surfing and getting sponsors. Do you want to look for that big paycheck right away, or do you wanna say, "Hey, if I stick around here, in the long run things will come easier." This is gonna sound weird, but sometimes I have to step outside my body and look at my image. When I sit back, I have my own personal perception of each surfer. I know what I think when I hear "Ross Williams," but it's hard for me to see myself. What do people see when they think of CJ Hobgood? My relationship with Rusty has given me the image I want, and they've allowed me to stick around. I want someone who'll help me, and I wanna help them.

ESM: Is Bill Johnson still shaping your boards?
CJ: Yeah, he shapes all my boards. As a kid, I watched Bill surf in contests, and he could ride little waves so good. And this was before he ever picked up a planer. He used to surf as a professional, and I'd hang out with him, so he'd take me to contests. Then the next thing you know, he's shaping. I guess it happened for a reason. He was shaping me boards over here, then he relocated to California, and now he's doing really well out there. It's funny the way it worked out. It almost seems like we planned it [laughs].

ESM: How has the internet helped or hurt young pros like you at the helm of the information age?
CJ: It's pretty much the future of surfing. I don't know much about politics, but it seems like surfing has blown all of its avenues with TV. As long as they can avoid the same mistakes, it's the future of everything. Look at how many people are getting jobs from it. Surfing will benefit a lot off it.

ESM: How has having a business manager [Mitch Varnes] affected your career as far as dealing with professionalism, marketing, and the other business aspects of the sport?
CJ: I was always prone to not do that stuff -- managers and all -- because it used to seem that the person wasn't as core or real, like they're in it for a different reason. I used to think, "Never." I tried doing everything myself for a while, and it was just too hard. I couldn't do it. I needed help, and he's helped me out so much. It has been the best thing for me. On the other hand, I wonder how people perceive me for having a manager. I still love surfing, but [laughs] I guess I sold out. I couldn't have done this by myself. I don't know enough. When you get older, it becomes a real world. When that happens, you view things in a different way, and you gotta start making a life for yourself.

ESM: Your parents were always really supportive of you and Dam. Are they still a significant presence in your adult lives?
CJ: Always. My mom is the smartest lady. I love and respect her so much, and my dad is just the funniest guy you'll ever meet. Now that I'm older, he's my best friend. They never put pressure on me. They were there, but at the same time, they always stepped back and let me do my thing the way I wanted it to be done. They were never like, [in a sinister voice] "Hey you can make money and we'll take you to all these contests!" They didn't really care. They would say, "Do what you want to do. Have fun, and if you want any advice, we're there for you." Now I go to them for advice all the time. I see groms and their parents walking around Surf Expo, and I just cry inside. You can be the best surfer in the world, but if you don't love what you're doing, it's over. I'm on the road ten months out of the year, and it's the best thing in the world, but you gotta love it. No mom, dad, or all the pressure in the world is gonna make you love it.

ESM: Back to the Teahupoo event, how does a kid who was born and bred in Satellite Beach dribblers go on to become one of the most respected pros in dangerous, left-hand reefbreaks? A lot of East Coast pros start traveling from an early age, yet few have so rapidly made as large a global impression in heavy waves as you and your brother. And as brutally honest a writer as he is, Derek Hynd's pre-season analysis of you last year in Surfer was generous, to say the least. What gives?.
CJ: It's funny you say that because in the first two events I got 33rd, the worst you can do. Then during down-time in Tavarua, when I was looking through the magazine, he [Derek] wrote that I should do well in the lefts. I thought, "I just want to make a heat here. I hope this guy didn't jinx the whole mission [laughs]. I'm not gonna get a result all year." Then came the contest in Tahiti.

ESM: And Tahiti was very good to you, not to mention the fact that you and Dam have already established yourselves as legitimate players at Pipe and Cloudbreak, among other places.
CJ: It takes time, but you have to be driven. There has to be something inside of you. When there's cameras on the beach, you can go out there and charge all you want, get sucked over the falls, and yeah, you're charging. But you also have to be calculated when you're out there and surf really good at the same time. When I was a grom, I had it inside of me to always push myself. I won't say I charge because there's always someone going bigger. Some guy's dropping into a hundred-foot wave right now, ya'know? So I'm not gonna say I charged, but I had it inside of me to do good at those spots, and over time I was able to get more comfortable.

ESM: Who are you going to be traveling with this year? Are you gonna be hanging tight with Dam, Ben Boo, and the boys, or are your schedules too incompatible?
CJ: Yeah, I'll be with all the East Coast guys. They'll be pushing me, and I'll be pushing them. Those guys are just as good as me, if not better, and I expect them to do better than I did last year. I'll be expecting that from them all year long. I won't let Ôem give me anything less. So long as we can expect those things from each other, we'll all do better and help bring it to the next level.

ESM: I know you've been asked this a hundred times, but how has growing up, traveling, competing, and [re]qualifying with your twin brother affected your competitive desire and your perception of the sport?
CJ: It's just someone who knows what you can do and knows how you think. Because when you're out in the water, sometimes what you think was a good turn ends up looking ugly. He can always yell at me and tell me what I'm doing wrong, and I can do the same to him. If I'm making a mistake, he'll tell me.

ESM: How was guest editing Surfer with Damien?
CJ: They caught us in the middle of the year, and I was so busy with all the contests. I wish I could've sat back and had a month to do it instead of one week. When you're done with it, and you see the way it comes out, it's so fun to look through it. When I was actually doing it, it was a nightmare, but I had to do it. I'll never get a chance to do that again, and I'm thinking about all the other guest editors -- Kelly, Sunny, Shane -- that had this opportunity. I was thinking, "Dude, don't blow it." But when someone says they liked the issue, it feels good.

ESM: Who else has been an influence on you this past year on tour?
CJ: They [top 44] would come up to me and tell me where I need help, giving me so much encouragement. It was really refreshing. It was just me and Hewey jumping into this alone last year. We were getting help from everybody, and realistically, we're competing against those guys. All the American guys -- Beschen, Machado, and Shea -- want us to achieve for America. Plus, a couple of the guys from Australia are so cool. When someone comes up to me at a contest and says, "Hey, you should be able to smoke this guy." I think to myself, "Whoa, I should huh?" Just little things like that help. It's like when I'm paddling out for a heat and somebody you've respected your whole life says, "Go get 'em. Kill him. Don't take any crap." That just gives you a whole new aura. I just try to feed off that.

ESM: Are there any particular venues you're looking forward to this year?
CJ: I'm looking forward to the places I'm not good at like the beachbreaks and J-Bay because I have to prove myself there. You can't just surf good at a few spots. You wanna be versatile.

ESM: Do you do any kind of training to beef up for Hawaii -- alligator wrestling or 40 oz. curls? Don't be shy, ya big ol' steak.
CJ: I don't work out at all. I just stretch and do cardiovascular stuff. I might go for a run if I haven't done anything that day, or play tennis or basketball, but I don't really work out. I think I need to work out, and it might help me out if I did, but I'm no beefcake. I'm just always busy trying to find some waves.

ESM: What immediate goals are you focusing on in 2000?
CJ: I don't want to set my goals too high, but my goal this year was to make the top 28, and I was able to do that. I think the next step is to make the top 16. That's my goal for the year, and whatever happens will happen. I'll just take it step-by-step, wave-by-wave, heat-by-heat, contest-by-contest. I'll strive as hard as I can to achieve that, and if I do better, great. If I don't achieve it this year, then I'll be back next year trying just as hard.

ESM: Are you trying to set yourself up for a life after professional surfing, or are you strictly concentrating on the things you need to do now as a young athlete.
CJ: I'm obviously concentrating on the goals at hand. I try not to do everything surfing, surfing, surfing and get so caught up that I end up blowing all the other avenues. I try to step back and look at the big picture. I've got to do whatever will make my life easier down the road, whether it's buying a house, working in the industry, or going back to school. You can't concentrate on just surfing all the time. I've always thought, "If it's over tomorrow, I'll be totally happy."

ESM: This is the best year in memory as far as an East Coast contingent. What's your opinion of the current charge of Right Coasters on the WCT, and what do you think that says to other kids that might be milking their local shorebreaks right now?
CJ: Slater's on a whole global level now, but when I was a grom, he was from Florida. That gave me so much hope. I think it says to East Coasters, "You can do this. It can be done. Those guys are not superhuman."

ESM: This is your time. You've got rock solid support from your sponsors, a keen awareness of the show, your first WCT final under your belt, and a more than impressive rookie season out of the way. Basically, what else do you need to be balanced, or are you just that?
CJ: You've heard it dozens of times: the best surfer is the guy having the most fun. So, the main thing is questioning whether or not I'm happy. I am so happy with the way my life is going, and I try to thank God every single day for everything He's given me. You could win 20 world titles, but are you happy? I'm so thankful I'm able to live this life, and I need to work on my surfing so much, but outside of surfing, I feel balanced. You want people to be stoked on you, but in reality, you can't please everyone. So I just try to be happy and hopefully end up somewhere in the middle.

ESM: Now that you're on tour together, how heavy will you be laying it on Dam in a heat?
CJ: I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't give it 110 percent, all the time. I'm a firm believer in giving it 110 percent or not giving it any percent. Don't even paddle out unless you're giving it everything. I'll live and die by that.

ESM: All right CJ, now for the cool down. Who do you see being the biggest threat to the 2000 WCT?
CJ: Taj Burrow. Quote me on that. I'm claiming Taj, man. But I want Rob Machado to win the world title. Rob's the most complete surfer on tour. How many guys can surf Teahupoo and blow up in Japan? He's one of those guys. He's da' man.

ESM: Speaking of da' man, what was up with that time you came up to the Outer Banks in '96 and left with every chick at the party, including the lovely bird I was with?
CJ: It was my brother, I swear [laughs]! It was a crazy summer. By the way, I'm sorry about dumping that cup of cinnamon in your beer. I know it was at your expense, but it was so funny.

ESM: I never looked at honey buns the same way again. Anything else you care to say to the world?
CJ: When you're out surfing, don't think. Don't analyze everything. Just be a kid, and love it. When you pick up surfing, you're getting married. As long as you love what you're doing, you'll go all the way to the top.