"The level is insane"

At Red Bull Pimp the Board 25 girls between 10 and 16 designed a new board for Sofia Mulanovich, who, last year, was the first South American to enter the Surfing Hall of Fame. In an interview the 24-year-old tells us about how she was as a teenager herself, how she spends the off-season, and what she’s planning for the opening race in Australia on February 23.

At the end of Red Bull Pimp the Board you gave all the participating girls a surfing lesson. Did their enthusiasm remind you of yourself ten years ago?

Yes, a lot of the girls I met at the Red Bull Pimp the Board reminded me a bit of myself at that age, I was also always having fun and was always super competitive. When I was 14, I was a bit shy and the only thing I wanted to do was to surf all day long. I’d always think about the future and about being on tour. I just couldn’t wait for it to happen. Looking back on that time, I think I’ve changed a lot. I’ve been competing for a long time, and I’ve won and lost many contests, so that gives me a lot of experience. It’s still exciting for me, but this is a different type of excitement to what I felt when I was young.

At Red Bull Pimp the Board you had to decide on a board whose design you will now compete with throughout the whole season. What do you particularly like about it?

I picked a board that had my name graffitied on it. I liked it because it was very well done, had nice colors and perfect art. I think it’ll bring me luck for sure.

In contrast to other sports, the break between seasons in surfing is quite short. How have you spent your time since Honolulu?

I’ve been home in Peru for the last month and it’s been great! I surfed really good waves and tried to prepare myself for next year. I like thinking about the upcoming contest because it makes me excited and motivates me to train and surf better.

Do you relegate your board to the basement in your free time to loosen up your head – or is the topic surfing also omnipresent when you’re not actively training?

I still surf almost everyday in my off-season just because I love surfing and I love to be in the water with my friends and family.

The first contest of the new season is taking place from February 23 in Australia. Could you explain the atmosphere and peculiarities of the Roxy Pro on the Gold Coast?

The Roxy Pro on the Goldy is a really big contest. It’s the first of the year, and it draws huge crowds, so it’s a great contest to win. I have personally never done well on the Gold Coast, so it’s always exciting and challenging for me to go compete there each year. I have a feeling I’ll do well this year.

In 2007 you were 761 points short of winning the overall victory in the ASP Women’s World Tour – roughly the equivalent of one sole podium. What do you have to improve on in order to overtake Stephanie Gilmore in 2008?

Yeah, I was really close last year, and if a couple of heats had gone my way last year, I would’ve won the title. But things happen for a reason, and I’m still happy with my result. In 2008 I think I’ll just have to be more patient in the heats and surf with a lot of intelligence. The level of women’s surfing is insane right now, and I’m glad to be part of it.

What other goals have you set this year?

My biggest goal is always to get another title and to surf each wave I catch as well as I possibly can. I have a good feeling about 2008, and I’m positive and prepared.

Surfing isn’t included at the Olympic Games in Beijing despite years of lobbying. Do you find that unfair – or doesn’t the contest spirit and philosophy behind surfing suit the Games anyway?

I think surfing should be in the Olympics, for sure. It’s a beautiful sport and it’s really fun to watch. Hopefully one day it will happen.