Sky and I started this interview with his own declaration “I’m maturing”. And that was a wrap for the day, great interview pal, see ya out there. Thanks for stopping by. Bye now.
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It’s hard to miss Sky. He’s outstanding. Tall, built, with long hair, he personifies the surf dream, and looks the part, both in and out of the water. He’s been surfing for just under two years, yet has swiftly become one of Malta’s best. He even claimed the fourth spot at the Cold Water Invitational, an event dominated by the Brazilian Fernando.
“I surf whenever there are waves, three or four times a week when it’s good, eight hours per session.”
“I like progress, learning something new, I always want to catch a bigger wave, make bigger turns. My mind is very active, so I just want to get peace of mind when I’m out there.”
He’s getting peace of mind in the cover photo, beautifully shot by Kristyna!
Getting started
“I’ve been watching the WSL for years, I was always passionate about it, used to ride BMX and skate a bit, then moving to Malta, I had the opportunity to surf often.”
His first session was in Portugal, knee-high waves, without knowing what he was doing, and you wouldn’t believe that if you saw him surf now. In fact, you can even book lessons with Sky as he teaches at Malta Surf School!
“I enjoy teaching and sharing my knowledge.”, You see, he is maturing, guys, and has some solid advice for beginners:
“Don’t give up, it doesn’t come overnight. You need to enjoy it and be passionate”
Quick-fire questions
Fave local spot: I really love playground, you get those little barrels at times, but I prefer to go right, and the best right is Marley’s”
Local surfers, he looks up to: Obviously Valerio, he’s a great surfer, and Alessandro, the Italian surfer, we spent a lot of days together, learning…and the Brazilians Thiago and Fernando are such great surfers.”
International surfers: I am a big fan of John John Florence and Jordy Smith… they do nice big turns, power turns, big airs. I love Mason Ho too, he’s fucking crazy, and does shallow water barrels, near reefs. He’s a madman. He surfs waves which most people wouldn’t think possible.
Favourite board: My trusty 40lt 6.0 NSP, it’s easy to catch waves on, when waves lack power. It was also my first shortboard, so it’s sentimental. I also love Valerio’s yellow 32lt, which I used in the competition.
An appetite for success
Sky looks after himself, too. “I used to be a personal trainer, so I eat healthily and train.”, “I do this to get more waves.” If I eat well, I can surf better. I want to get a lot of veg in, fruit in, and high protein, I do like my chicken tuna and carbs too.”
“I used to weight train, but now I don’t want to put on weight, so I do functional training, I skate often, cruiser, surf-skate.”
If you’ve ever surfed with Sky, you’ll notice his appetite for waves. He literally tries to catch them all, and it’s unique to see. Its aggression, mixed with pure joy. “If a good wave comes to me, I’m taking that.” He doesn’t like to dwell and wait for the next wave, or the next, he’ll just ride what he can and rock that.
Out on the line-up, he’s funny, and encouraging to surfers of all levels, which is refreshing to see. “Everyone is so nice in the community” he adds “We’re all so different and have such different personalities, fun, with all the barbeques, beers and [censored].”
That last part of his diet, fuelled him in the Cold Water Invitational, resting with a quick can before each heat seemed to have done the trick, though he wishes his last epic wave wasn’t just after the buzzer!
… as Sky and I wrapped things up, we spotted a sleeping David Manteuffel, using a pizza box as a pillow, and Sky’s instinct was to pat him in the undercarriage to wake him up. Yep we’re both maturing well indeed!
It’s a pleasure to chat with Sky, so if you spot him out there, don’t be shy, his knowledge is deep and his ability insane. You might learn a thing or two, too!
