Global Currents: Carissa Moore (World Tour Edition)
A continuation of our Local Currents series with 5X WSL Womens World Champion and Tokyo Olympics Gold Medalist, Carissa Moore.
Thermal: As far as professional surfer, it seems like you’re lucky enough to circle the world on Tour every single year, for many years in a row, often visiting the same contest sites year after year. Does that ever get old seeing the same places, or would you ever want to travel differently?
Carissa: I've actually thought about this and I don't know if I would want to travel any other way. I love being able to go to these places with a purpose, and then around that purpose, having times or days that I can go off and do other things. But I like going in and having something to work towards. Because I think I can't see myself experiencing it any other way. Really. I like the purpose and the fun going hand in hand. I just feel very fortunate that alongside the surfing stuff, I've been able to zip to Paris on our way back from Hossegor for a few days. Stuff like that.
Okay, so you are able to actually branch out some…it’s not just a strict two weeks at each tour stop…
No, it’s definitely a huge priority of mine to branch out from the contest site. It’s like How cool is it that we even get to go to these places!? I think that's how I used to think, when I first got on tour, that I just had to focus on the contest. That's all I should to do. But then as life has gone on, I just realized the balance and finding those good distractions, and going and doing stuff has helped me, actually. I’ll perform better because I'm happy and there's other stuff that's going on than just the contest. It’s like, I might as well take advantage of seeing more, if I’ve flown all this way to be here, right?
Also, being on the CT, for example, I have been to many of these places over and over again. So now it's more about finding a routine and finding rhythm on the road. Sort of like I would at home. Making a home instead of being a tourist, since I've been there so many times. Finding a good place to lunch or a cool winery, something like that.
I imagine you have some families or communities around the world that have taken you in like their own…is that true for you?
Absolutely. I actually really felt that in New Zealand, although I haven't been there in years. But when I was a rookie on tour, I was really struggling to find myself. I felt like I was just thrown into the deep end of the pool and, like, had to figure how to swim, surfing all these different spots for the first time with older girls… I bombed out pretty early in the first two events. So when we got to New Zealand, my dad was like, hey, let’s try something new. Let's reach out to the local boardriders club. Let's just ask them to be our community, to be there and support us and come down to the beach. Let's have dinners with them and create a relationship and in return, see how you do in the contest. You give your prize winnings to them to help out with their club and stuff. And actually, they brought me in as one of their own. I had a second family there and there was so much love and support. I ended up winning the event. And so that was one place where I really felt the power of community. Which has continued to be a big motivator for me throughout my career.
I could go on... The families I have in Fiji. The support of the people in Japan… Their openness and willing to share their home with you makes me want to do the same thing. It’s so powerful.
That’s so rad. So, if you weren't a professional surfer, what do you think you would have been drawn to?
I think even if surfing wasn't a part of my life, I think I would have always been passionate about giving back and spending time with people. I love spending time with kids. So maybe I would have gone to school and been a teacher. I would have probably got involved with a nonprofit or started a non-profit no matter what, cause it's something that I love. I also would probably have become a mom at this point, because I definitely want to start a family and be a mom and also be a sidekick to my husband more because my husband's helped me so much through my career.
Having been all over the world dozens of times, are there still some waves that you've never surfed that you've always wanted to?
I've never been to the Maldives. I would really like to go there. There's a couple of lefts in Peru, too, that I would love to surf. Parts of Asia that I would just love to try to surf and find novelty fun waves. Like, I think I heard that there’s some fun waves in Korea, somewhere. That'd be pretty cool to go do that and then experience the culture there and stuff. I'm definitely forgetting some, but different parts of Africa would be rad, too. There's definitely so many places I wish that I could go and still want to go! I would love to go to Egypt and see the pyramids, too. I've always wanted to do that. I've always wanted to go to the Great Wall of China. My mom was adopted, but I have a whole Chinese side of the family on her side. So, I would love to just go to China and really get in tune with that part of my culture.
Amazing. Well, I’d like to go through some of the stops on Tour that you’ve been visiting the last 12 or so years and ask you some of your best ofs. Like, Indonesia, for instance… What’s your favorite wave in the archipelago?
Well, I'm not going to really say any of the ones on Bali, because the lineups are already crowded [laughs] I haven't been on a boat trip since I was 14, but I really enjoyed Macaronis in the Mentawais. There and Lance’s Right (HTs). There was this one wave called Roxy's, too, or something, but it was a fun little right that had an end section on it. Off the top of my head, those were some of my favorites.
Love it. OK, favorite place to eat in West Oz…
Oh, Margaret River Bakery, for sure. They make great scrolls. They're like a mix between a croissant and a cinnamon roll. And they're just…sooo good.
That sounds delicious. While we’re on the subject, best acai in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil?
That's a hard one. Honestly, you could go to any of the little kiosks in Rio and they got good acai.
Fair nuff. Best place to go see wildlife while visiting Jeffreys Bay, South Africa?
Pumba Private Game Reserve. It’s not far from Addo Elephant National Park. But Pumba is my favorite.
Favorite restaurant in Hossegor, France?
Chez Minus, in Capbreton. It’s THE moules-frites place. Get the big bucket of mussels and a plate of fries.
I’ve been. Also, my favorite! Your favorite thing to do in Portugal, outside of surfing?
Eat, of course. [laughs] I don't have a favorite spot, but the octopus there, the way that they cook the octopus, they massage it or something. I don't know, but it is so tender and it is delicious the way that they cook it. Around Peniche, I mean.
Best poisson cru in Tahiti?
Matahi [Drollet’s] mom’s house. [laughs] There. Yes. Absolutely.
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