Billy Tennant QnA

 

Billy Tennant is a quiet guy. Skinny body, easy smile, a shock of red hair and a moustache that looks like a stunt double from the set of Anchorman 2: The Early Years. But start up the pumps on the flowbarrel and the guy goes tasmanian. It doesn’t matter what he’s riding. A body board is his weapon of choice but he’s equally comfortable busting flips on a flowboard. He also recently started riding strapless and I personally saw him land two bigspins last night. He’s ridden flowbarrels across the world and dominated the South African competitive bodyboard scene. At 23 he’s a member of the South African IFC team, a Wave House Ambassador, bodyboarding judge, organises SA’s Flow League and a part time marketing student. He’s got a lot on the go. We sat him down long enough to squeeze some info out of him.

So Billy, how long have you been flowriding?
I’ve been involved for about 7 years. I got into it when the waves were small and a bunch of mates all wanted the barrel, so there you go. Inspiration drawn from mates who love to shred.

What’s your boarding background?
I’ve been bodyboarding for the last decade, love every second of it. Good to get in the ocean, you could say it’s my sacred ground. The water is where I can cleanse my mind and just relax.

Does the influence go in both directions? Some guys reckon too much of one wrecks your technique on the other.
There’s a certain amount of give and take. I let riding in the ocean and on the flowbarrel influence each other but only to a certain extent.

Do you see a divide developing or are they two aspects of the same thing?
I do see a divide to a certain extent but it’s pretty much the same thing. Every wave in the ocean is different, with sections to hit that change all the time whereas the flowbarrel is the same every time. The tricks are pretty much the same, so you can master it on the flowbarrel when there’s no swell and then take it into the ocean when the waves come.

Is your riding about power and amplitude or style and grace?
I aim to mix them all. I love power moves and getting air, but I think style is also a big factor and the key to success. If you have no style or, even worse, bad style it can and probably will end you! I like clean smooth fluid linking tricks, whether it be on the flowbarrel or in the ocean.

Where would you put the next Wave House?
Where the rest of the world’s best surfers are – Australia. I think the Ozzies would love the flowbarrel. They have awesome surf spots, weather, people and locations. I would love for them to get a flowbarrel so that it gives me an excuse to travel more.

If you were the Head Engineer at Wave Loch what would you order your techie minions to develop? What’s your mad scientist fantasy?
A longer barrel, where I could get barreled so deep and be able to ride out from the barrel like in the surf and launch off the section, that would be my ultimate! Or to have a huge foaming or barreling oncoming section like in the surf so that I can boost sky high. Love to get them voyager miles…

Who do you admire in flowriding (bb and standup)?
BB – Tyler Danek is awesome. He is super clean, executes his moves solidly and is an aggressive rider. Wesley Fischer has amazing style and is super clean on the bodyboard as well as on the strapless flowboard.

Flowboard – Greg Lazarus and Tyrone Rawlins. Both supreme athletes and instrumental in pushing the sport to where it is today. I love the front flip transfer they both do on the wave and they are just fierce competitors. And such rad style!

Same question, only for bodyboarding in the ocean?
I have a few favourites: Ryan Hardy, Spencer Skipper, Jeff Hubbard, Mark McCarthy, Andre Botha, Sacha Specker and Wesley Fischer, all with their separate strong points. I try take a few of each of their attributes that I admire and link them all into my style of riding. That’s the goal anyway!

What was the coolest thing you saw on the D-Rex in the last 30 days and who did it?
I would have to say Andrew Carrie’s double finger-flip. It was so insane, he landed it first try I believe?

What’s the biggest difference between the B-Max in Sand Diego and the left of the D-rex?
All waves are different. Different molds and different shapes, I have been to a few around the world and ridden the best Wave Loch has to offer. Wave House San Diego is awesome, they have a great setup and the B-Max is insane. The B-Max flowbarrel gives you more pop out of the barrel than the D-Rex. When you hit the lip with your aerial assault, you’re gonna fly. It’s way easier to get amplitude and power out of your tricks on the B-Max than on the D-Rex. The barrel is deeper too, but Durban has the best wave in the world and it’s a double so it doesn’t matter, I’m still smiling!

How confident are you about the IFC? Do you reckon you’ll do better in DK or prone?
Super stoked to represent my riding home ground! I’m feeling really good and coming off a killer season. I won the 2009 overall SA circuit which was really important to me and the IFC bodyboard title is my next goal. I’m confident with my DK and Prone riding abilities, so I think it will come down to the contest and how I handle on the flowbarrel at Wave House Sentosa.

It’s the final and your biggest competitor is about to ride. How do you psyche him out?
I don’t psyche riders out. I’m not into that type of competition. I just wish them best of luck, do my best when the time comes and if that psyches them out then it does. I do my thing and hope that it pays off. Talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words…

You ride a lot of standup. What got you into that?
I used to watch the standup competitions and see the guys boosting. I wanted to be a part of that, so I started riding standup and training with the guys. It was all about progression after that.

Would you rather be known as the best in one area or one of the top all rounders?
It doesn’t really matter to me, I just want to do my best. Whether it be in one area or all of them. I like being a part of everything you can do, I believe it improves your overall riding. I think I could be one of the top contenders in the all rounder category!

If you could be the first guy to land a certain trick, what would you like that trick to be?
BB – Backflip. Flowboarding – Double Backflip.

Shot Billy. Any final words?
Thanks God for giving me the awesome opportunities that I’ve had. My family for all the support, my sponsors Rip Curl, Reef Brazil footwear, Rossi Bodyboards and SA Fitness. All my friends for all the support they have given me over the years and to all the riders that are growing this awesome sport! Support those who support you!