TONIC | NEWS
MITCH
CREWS
IT’S BEEN A BIG YEAR FOR AUSTRALIANS IN THE UPPER ECHELON OF SURFING. MORE
IMPORTANTLY, IT’S BEEN A BIG YEAR FOR QUEENSLANDERS. MICK FANNING WILL INSTALL
A THIRD SHELF FOR A WORLD TITLE TROPHY, THE SUNSHINE COAST’S DIMITY STOYLE WILL
JOIN THE WOMEN’S ELITE TOUR, AND NOW SNAPPER ROCKS GOLDEN CHILD, MITCH CREWS
HAS EARNED A WELL DESERVED PLACE ON THE MEN’S ELITE WORLD TOUR IN 2014.
“For me to be able to say in my
life that I competed at the highest
level of surfing on the World Tour,
that’s enough for me”
Crews came into a run of form during the 2013
Queensland Championship circuit. At the coveted Chiko MP Classic, Mitch was sharp as a
tack, fast and held a steely gaze that radiated
focus. He earned a second place to good mate,
Mitch Parkinson, but weeks later backed it up
with the same intensity at the Chiko Alley Classic, where he placed one better and won.
Weeks after that Crews flew off to rejoin the
grovel of the World Qualifying Series in Japan.
Brimming with the confidence of a couple of
solid results at home, Crews climbed up onto a
world stage and sent surf fans into a spin with
a win in a major 4-star. With this win, the Gold
Coaster became a serious threat – a contender for the ’14 World Tour. Months later, he flew
to Hawaii and finds out the hard work has paid
off and he will in fact begin his journey with
the best surfers in the world at his home break,
Snapper Rocks in March next year.
“I started the year off with a couple of interesting results. I got a second in China in the
beginning and then a quarters here in a QS at
Burleigh Heads. Then I had a few losses and I
thought, well, there’s got to be a way that I can
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be consistent and start progressing through
these heats. I went to Japan with a goal of winning the event in my mind. I went to Japan and
I won the event. From there I just set these goals
that I felt were realistic and achievable.”
“After a couple of serious results, I really had to
revaluate my year and this is the first time that
I’ve been on the ‘QS and really been inside the
bubble for a majority of the year. It’s just been
sort of fun, really fun and I thought, wow I could
possibly be running down the beach at Snapper
with a rashie on next year.”
“For me to be able to say in my life that I competed at the highest level of surfing on the
World Tour, that’s enough for me, so I’m really proud of myself for achieving that in my lifetime.”
“I’m going to take it as it comes, but I’m going
to test myself and see if I can achieve these little goals and match it with the best in the world.
My expectations aren’t to go and win a world
title in the first year or anything, I’m just setting
realistic goals and I’m going to see how I go.”
SUMMER ISSUE – 7