Griffin Colapinto Names His Favourite Rival: "We Always Bring the Best Out of Each Other"

The Californian opens up to BOMBA in Portugal about his rivalry with Filipe Toledo, competing against friends, his brother Crosby's comeback and the two prizes he wants more than anything.

Ask a professional surfer who they hate competing against and you'd probably expect a familiar answer. Someone impossibly consistent, annoyingly talented, or capable of turning a mediocre wave into a nine-point ride.

Ask Griffin Colapinto, however, and you get something quite different.

"I kind of love competing against Filipe," the Californian told BOMBA during an exclusive interview at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal.

"We have a good time competing against each other. We always bring the best out of each other."

So much for the bitter rivalry.

Colapinto is one of the most recognisable faces on the Championship Tour, a surfer whose explosive aerial game and progressive approach have made him a genuine threat wherever the waves cooperate.

But beneath the laid-back Californian exterior is someone with an enormous appetite for winning, even when it means sending his mates packing.

Beating your friends isn't always fun

Professional surfing occupies a peculiar space between friendship and competition. Athletes spend much of the year travelling together, sharing lineups and enjoying the same lifestyle, before paddling out with the sole intention of eliminating each other.

Colapinto admits that this isn't always comfortable.

"Surfing against friends can be kind of challenging sometimes because you want to see your friends do good, but then you got to knock them out, which is never that fun."

There's no great animosity behind the competitive instinct, though.

"At the end of the day, we're all living the dream. We're living a pretty incredible life."

Occasionally, the competitive tension disappears altogether.

Griffin recalled a recent heat in which he had his opponent combination-locked, meaning the other surfer required two significant scores to get back into contention.

When his opponent returned after surfing a wave switch stance, Colapinto couldn't resist striking up a conversation about it.

"I was like, 'Oh, sick.' I kind of started talking to him a little bit."

It wasn't quite the sort of psychological warfare you might expect from an elite sporting contest.

"In that situation, he needed such high points that it was kind of relaxed for me at least. It felt relaxed."

Why Portugal suits Griffin Colapinto

Supertubos can be a particularly unforgiving place to compete. Fast barrels, unpredictable sections and shifting conditions demand a surfer who can adapt quickly.

Fortunately for Griffin, versatility is something he has worked hard to develop.

"I do feel extra confident here," he explained.

"I feel like I can do good surfing on almost any type of wave. So if it's an air section, I can do that. Or barrel, I can barrel, and big turns."

It's an assessment that reflects the direction of modern competitive surfing, where specialists can find themselves exposed when conditions change.

"I've worked really hard to be well-rounded. So it seems like that kind of spot."

That confidence hasn't always followed him everywhere.

He admitted that some tour venues initially proved difficult, although experience has gradually changed his relationship with those waves.

"Over time I've learned to love everywhere."

For Griffin, the mental battle isn't necessarily about forcing himself to enjoy an unfamiliar venue. It's about understanding its behaviour.

"Once you understand a wave and you get to know it, you can surf it better, and so you start to fall more in love with it."

Crosby Colapinto's victory takes the pressure off

While Griffin continues competing among surfing's elite, the Colapinto family recently had another reason to celebrate.

His younger brother Crosby won the EDP Ericeira Pro on October 12, a crucial Challenger Series victory after losing his Championship Tour place.

For Griffin, the result meant considerably more than another trophy in the family cabinet.

"It was a big weight off the shoulders," he told us.

"I'd get stressed out. I want him to be here with me, you know? So to see him do that felt really good."

The brothers have shared the experience of competing at the highest level, something Griffin clearly values.

"It's really cool," he said of having Crosby alongside him on tour.

Crosby's victory in Ericeira strengthens his bid to return to the CT, although the final qualification battle is still to come.

For Griffin, the possibility of having his younger brother back beside him is clearly personal.

World champion. Olympic gold medalist. Nothing less.

For all the laughter, friendly rivalries and appreciation for the lifestyle, Colapinto hasn't forgotten why he competes.

When BOMBA asked where he ultimately wants to take his career, there was no hesitation and certainly no attempt to play down his ambitions.

"Every day I'm working as hard as I can to be a world champion and Olympic gold medalist."

Two targets, both monumental.

There was something refreshing about the simplicity of the answer. No elaborate explanation, no carefully rehearsed speech about taking things one heat at a time.

Just a surfer who knows exactly what he wants.

It's also an ambition that makes his appreciation for rivals like Filipe Toledo particularly interesting. Griffin doesn't need to dislike the people standing between him and his goals. If anything, he seems to value the ones who force him to raise his level.

For a competitor chasing the two biggest honours in surfing, that might be exactly the attitude required.

And judging by our conversation in Portugal, he's enjoying the hell out of the chase.