He has forever been known as the supergrom from Port Mac, but Charlie Holt is looking to shed his juvenile appearance with a new beard and a new board sponsor from Manta.
You’ve really stepped it up this year – placed second in the Port Mac Festival, released a string of solid clips, grown a beard - are you proud of what you’ve achieved so far, or is this just the beginning for Charlie Holt?
Yeah kind of. I got a beard going so that's my biggest achievement this year for sure haha. Na, I'm proud of what I have done so far this year BUT I would love to take an event out this year – nothing is better then winning! So hopefully there is more to come.
After five years representing board giant NMD, you have just signed with Manta Bodyboards. Why the sudden change and what are you hoping to achieve with this new signing?
After spending a good five years with NMD, I'm proud to say I have moved on to something fresh and new and I'm loving it! Hopefully now I can be one of the main riders for MANTA boards, which is a pretty big achievement.
What’s the most days in a row you’ve surfed Breakwall, and did your love of the wave start to diminish afterwards?
I've surfed that wave weeks straight and my love could never diminish haha. Going out there and hanging with your mates and just having fun can't get old. The wave is like a little skate park for bodyboarding. It will never get old.
We’ve heard numerous theories as to why the level of bodyboarding talent in Port Mac is so high (“there’s something in the water” etc), but seriously, what do you put this down to?
For me it comes down to who you’re surfing with and who is ripping in the water. For Kingy, he had guys like Todd Degraff, Eppo and the Murry brothers to look at plus many more. But surfing with guys like that pushes your riding higher and if you want to be a standout around them you have to step it up. Nowadays you have Kingy, Jonesy, Benno and O’leary ripping the Port waters, and to be a standout when those guys are all surfing out B-wall you have to be surfing pretty good! Not saying that Port has a higher level then anywhere else in the world but the level is very high and you’re not going to be getting props unless your surfing as good as those guys, if not better. As long as there are guys like them around, there will always be talent here.
You recently threw your corpse into the 2012 NMD Shark Island Challenge. How did you find the experience and who was the standout on the day in your eyes?
The experience was good. I didn't get the chance to surf the wave how I wanted to or surf as good as I wanted to but that is part of comp surfing. Rawlins of course but all the finalists that day could have won the event. They were all ripping and surfing as if it was their local break!
What are your plans for the rest of 2012?
I'm hoping to qualify for the World Tour so I will be traveling a bit for the rest of the year. Pretty pumped to see how it all goes!
Photography by Josh Tabone. To view Josh's blog click HERE.
After spending a good five years with NMD, I'm proud to say I have moved on to something fresh and new and I'm loving it! Hopefully now I can be one of the main riders for MANTA boards, which is a pretty big achievement.
What’s the most days in a row you’ve surfed Breakwall, and did your love of the wave start to diminish afterwards?
I've surfed that wave weeks straight and my love could never diminish haha. Going out there and hanging with your mates and just having fun can't get old. The wave is like a little skate park for bodyboarding. It will never get old.
We’ve heard numerous theories as to why the level of bodyboarding talent in Port Mac is so high (“there’s something in the water” etc), but seriously, what do you put this down to?
For me it comes down to who you’re surfing with and who is ripping in the water. For Kingy, he had guys like Todd Degraff, Eppo and the Murry brothers to look at plus many more. But surfing with guys like that pushes your riding higher and if you want to be a standout around them you have to step it up. Nowadays you have Kingy, Jonesy, Benno and O’leary ripping the Port waters, and to be a standout when those guys are all surfing out B-wall you have to be surfing pretty good! Not saying that Port has a higher level then anywhere else in the world but the level is very high and you’re not going to be getting props unless your surfing as good as those guys, if not better. As long as there are guys like them around, there will always be talent here.
You recently threw your corpse into the 2012 NMD Shark Island Challenge. How did you find the experience and who was the standout on the day in your eyes?
The experience was good. I didn't get the chance to surf the wave how I wanted to or surf as good as I wanted to but that is part of comp surfing. Rawlins of course but all the finalists that day could have won the event. They were all ripping and surfing as if it was their local break!
What are your plans for the rest of 2012?
I'm hoping to qualify for the World Tour so I will be traveling a bit for the rest of the year. Pretty pumped to see how it all goes!
Photography by Josh Tabone. To view Josh's blog click HERE.
