“She's the GOAT”: Bettylou Sakura Johnson on Steph Gilmore, Going Pro and Hurry-Up-and-Wait Days

We caught Bettylou Sakura Johnson in the Red Bull Athlete Zone at Supertubos and talked rivals, going pro at 15, her lifelong idol and what a long contest day does to your head.

Some interviews take a few minutes to warm up. This one started with a misunderstanding about the word "crop" and ended with the word "GOAT". We'll take that.

We caught up with Bettylou Sakura Johnson in the Red Bull Athlete Zone at Supertubos during the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, with the beach packed below us and Peniche glowing in the background. We introduced ourselves the only way we know how: a small magazine from a small island called Malta, where we get Mediterranean waves and not the kind of barrels Portugal is so blessed with. She laughed, and we got going.

"Everyone's hungry"

We asked about the current crop of women on the Championship Tour, and her answer was all about energy.

"Everyone's all in, everyone's hungry for the wins and the world title," she told us. "I feel like there's a good young generation on tour right now. Being a part of that is pretty awesome, and it's really special to hopefully keep evolving women's surfing."

It's a generation that's pushing each other hard, and you can hear that she loves being in the middle of it.

Pick a rival? Not a chance

So who does she love competing against? Her first answer was a cheeky "None", followed by an instant change of heart.

"I don't have a favourite to compete against, but I would say all of them, because you just want to win. Everyone's so competitive, right? I can't pick one. There's no way. Everyone's really good. They're the best of the best."

Diplomatic, honest and very much a competitor.

Twelve years old and hooked

When did she decide to go pro? She doesn't remember a single big moment, but she remembers the feeling.

"I was 12 years old when I won my first USA Championship back in California. And that moment kind of made me realise, oh, I would love to compete forever. I love competing. I love this feeling that I get after events and the journey of it all."

Then the reality check: "But like, I'm 12 years old. I didn't know anything in the world." She kept doing comps, kept chasing that feeling, and then, in her words, "I somehow qualified at 15, and that's been my journey since."

Somehow. Sure.

The idol

We asked whether one surfer inspired her more than anyone else. No hesitation: Stephanie Gilmore.

"She was my idol, she still is my idol. In and out of the water I want to be like her. She has such a great representation of herself, and she's the GOAT."

They've actually spent time together too. Bettylou got to know Steph through Roxy, back when she rode for the brand, hanging out on a few trips. "Yeah, she's amazing."

There's something lovely about a CT surfer still talking about her childhood hero with that much sparkle.

Hurry up and wait

Our chat landed on one of those classic contest days: calls, holds, more calls. How does that mess with your preparation?

"Today was tricky. It's like hurry up and then wait. Hurry up and wait. You gotta kind of stay ready for all those calls no matter what, so it gets a little tiring. You lose a little bit of energy for sure."

Her fix is refreshingly simple: "Now we just go home, eat a nice dinner, reset and bring all that energy for tomorrow. Sleep early, wake up early, tomorrow we go again."

Honestly, solid life advice for anyone.

Watch the full interview

WATCH: Bettylou Sakura Johnson's full BOMBA interview on YouTube

Huge thanks to Bettylou for the time, the laughs and the GOAT talk. Supertubos was a dream for a little mag from the Med, and conversations like this are exactly why we went.

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