RT EXCLUSIVE: Ewan D wins 10 gee!

Wednesday, 05 August 2009 15:11

Ewan Donnachie with his giant novelty cheque.

Riptide finally got into contact with the new king of 2009's SIC as he landed on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia ready to indulge in a week of the hottest women, delectable food and finest cocaine that his winnings could buy. Thankfully he was willing to answer a couple of questions for us mere peasants before enjoying his week of debauchery.

So Ewan, what were the conditions like for both of the rounds?
Round One was really difficult; the swell was dead east, breaking straight onto the Island which meant that most of the waves weren't really rideable from the Peak through Surge. Couple that with the fact it was super inconsistent and it made it a genuine challenge for all the competitors to find two decent waves. The second round was a much better swell direction and the swell was a lot more consistent. The heats were also extended to 45 mins, which allowed everyone to be more patient and have a crack at a bunch of waves in their heat.

Did you put in much preparation before the Shark Island Challenge?
(Laughs) My comp prep was shocking! Not really by choice though; I'd ruptured the medial ligament in my right knee down in Vico 'bout three weeks before round one. In fact that was literally my first surf on it since I'd injured it. I also had the flu, acute sinusitis, a middle-ear infection (plus a case chronic hypochondria some would say!) in the two weeks leading up to the event. So it was a border-line miracle that I was even able to surf that first round! (Laughs) By the time round two rolled around, I'd recovered from all my illnesses and figured that I didn't have anything left to blame a bad performance on, so just tried to surf my best.

Can you run us through what it's like surfing a wave out at the Island?
If it's a good direction swell you want to be sitting fairly deep on the inside of the reef. Look for a line that has a little wedge you can kick onto and just the biggest lump of water building behind Surge you can find. Muck around on the wave face if you've got time, then backdoor the pit, hold on tight and hopefully you'll get spat to safety. Alternatively, you can race the whole thing and hit it, but be prepared to be land in and amongst washy, surgey rocks.

So how were you feeling on the day of the second round?
I felt really relaxed. I was just cruising around with my girlfriend, chillin', enjoying the sun and trying to steer clear of the fuss and commotion on the Point (Cronulla Point - Ed.). I chatted to Jase Finlay and a couple of the fellas, but more or less I tried to just keep to myself, and not stress.

How were you feeling when you got out of the water after the second round?
Same as before I went in; relaxed, not really fazed by the whole thing! I honestly didn't know where I stood in the rankings after the first round, but I certainly didn't have myself near the top. I kind of assumed I wasn't in with a chance, and just went back to cruising around and enjoying the afternoon. It wasn't until people started hinting that I might've taken it out that I even considered the possibility of winning the event. Even then, it was such a shock when I actually did!

Who had the most notable rides of the second round?
Having watched some footage of the day I reckon Nick Ormerod's barrel to ARS was pretty damn impressive. I would've had that at #1. Ballard got some cracker pits too. Rissole got one really nice double barrel to roll, Jared Houston did a clean backflip and Ben Sawyer impressed everyone with his riding too. I dunno. Everyone was seriously surfing damn well!

How good did it feel when you won and did you get rowdy afterwards?
(Laughs) Yeah it felt… I dunno… kind of like a big joke, and that at any moment they'd just snatch the novelty-sized cheque back and give it to Rissole or Bunting or someone else (laughs). But it was amazing. It felt incredible! Definitely something I never thought I'd, or even could, achieve. So I’m over the moon, but also a little in disbelief. And yeah, it got pretty loose. Firstly at the bar in Cronulla and then followed by heading out in the Cross (Kings Cross - Ed). It was a big night!

Any shout outs to any one?
Yeah, huge shout outs to my family and close friends who have always supported and will continue to support me in whatever I choose to do. Even if it means missing the odd family dinner or night out here and there. Thanks to my sponsors: Custom X, Limited Editions fins, Bodyboarders Surf Co. and Peak. Thanks to all the sponsors of the event itself. Also massive props to Mark Fordham for persisting with the conditions and ending the comp on a positive note!

What’s your plans for the rest of the year?
As the waves on the East Coast start slowing down I'd love to travel and stay focused and amped. It's an easy time of year to become complacent, but I want to try and keep this ball rolling. I don't have any destination in particular in mind, I'm just going to keep a close eye on the charts and see how we go.

Most importantly, how are you going to spend the 10,000 skins?
Hmm, this has been the topic of some serious debate. I’ve had calls of ski, boat, investment, travel, etc thrown at me from left, right and centre. I think for the moment it’s going into the bank and just chilling there until a promising swell arrives somewhere, then I’m off!

Thanks Ewan!
No worries guys.

Turns out that our previous report of Ewan being in St Lucia was slightly inaccurate. For an recent interview on Ewan you can check out the Riptide Forum. You can also click through to see the scores that won Shark Island for Ewan too.

Frontpage Photo // philgallgher.com
This page Photo // Darryl Menzies