Antonio Bortoletto



CR: Okay, nice one Antonio. You just scraped through that one in the last couple of seconds. Needed a mid-range score and then caught that smaller wave. Tell us about that.
AB: Ja well, I got an 8.50 or whatever and I needed to get rid of a 5, but then it went flat. There were seven minutes to go and then it went flat, and I knew that there was no way that the ocean was going to be flat for seven minutes. Then one came through and the guy in yellow, he was down in fourth and I knew he was going to get that one. I turned around and watched the whole wave, then thought to myself ‘Okay I gotta get a wave now’. Then right at the end I saw a lump coming. That guy who was in first, Darren O’Rafferty, also wanted it, but I thought to myself ‘I’m going no matter what!’ and he obviously saw that I was amped for it so he kinda pulled back and let me have it. I was in a position where if I didn’t go on that wave… hey, I was gonna go left, right, whatever way you know? Any way! Even if I had to go straight! (laughs) I went left and hit it, then saw a little right reform and though ‘just don’t stuff it up hey!’.


CR: You must have been stoked?
AB: It feels good, hey, just to get the score. It kinda makes up for those times when you just lose.


CR: Then hearing all the guys cheering for you when they announced the score? I saw you coming up the beach and you were putting your fist in the air looking really happy.
AB: Ah, really stoked. Obviously there’s a lot of people who would like to see me do well, so it’s great to keep them happy and myself happy! (laughs)


CR: So, squeezing through, second South African in the Round of 24, how’s the confidence levels now?
AB: Well this contest is wide open, any one of us could take it. It’s that simple. There’s a lot of good surfers here, but sheesh, we can all do it hey. It’s not a case of when it was this big event and we were in awe of these superstars. It’s wide open, and if you can get the waves and do what you can do… I’d like to just notch it up a bit obviously, get a bit more outrageous with my surfing in the later rounds. It’s looking good that a South African could win. And if not win, then at least do well. A lot better than we’ve done in the past. Obviously one of us could take it, and we would all be very stoked. We’d all be very, very happy, just amongst each other, and we’d all be cheering each other on every step of the way.


CR: And after this, what’s next for you?
AB: I’m hoping to make it into the WCT. I’ve had a really bad start to this year, but the WQS year actually hasn’t even started yet. There are big events after this – I go off to Huntington Beach and then I go defend my title at Newquay.


CR: For sure, let’s not forget Newquay.
AB: Ja, I feel really confident there too. I won there last year and even the years before, I’ve done well, so I’m feeling good about that. And then France and Portugal, and then after that I should hopefully be in position to qualify. After that its Brazil and Hawaii, but I’d like to qualify before Hawaii. It can get pretty tough in Hawaii, so I’d like to steal it before then.


CR: Sounds good broe. And well done again, the guys are rooting for you hey.
AB: Shot man, cheers.