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| 2005 USBA Jenks Pro (Pt. Pleasant, NJ, USA.) |
Australia's Justin Becker hit me up online for an interview, back in late July, to post on the Old Skool Bodyboarding Facebook page. Check it out!
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| The Boneyard (Pt. Pleasant, NJ, USA), March 1997. |
Ok, time for another ACTION packed, Old Skool interview number 6 with Steve Action Jackson .... If you don't know, Steve is a historian on all things bodyboarding, but most people know him from when he commentates on the APB World Pro Tour. Anyway, I'm a big fan of Steve's so I thought we would get him on for an interview. Lets see what he had to say...Lets GO !!!
JB:Name?
SJ: Steve Jackson.
JB: Nickname?
SJ: Action Jackson, but Ozzies like Kingy, BP, Hardballs, etc. always call me Jacko.
JB: Hometown?
SJ: Brielle, New Jersey, USA (east coast).
JB: Current Residence?
SJ: Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
JB: Fav surf break and why?
SJ: My home break Jenks, back in New Jersey, will always be my sentimental favorite.
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| Jenks (Pt. Pleasant, NJ, USA), March 1997. |
JB: How did you get into bodyboarding?
SJ: Back in 1988, I was hanging out at the beach with some classmates. One of them had a Turbo XTC (vinyl deck with all the crazy 80's graphics and a hard slick). I borrowed it, paddled out, and after that first wave I was hooked on bodyboarding for life!
JB: How's life living in Brazil compared to home in the USA?
SJ: Life in Rio is definitely a bit of a learning experience after having grown up in a small coastal town on the US east coast. Winter there is pretty quiet, where as Copacabana is a very tourist-heavy destination almost year-round. Sometimes, I miss the mellow small town vibe but I don't miss winter in NJ or running across snow-covered beaches to jump into 3C waters for a surf. I love the more moderate winter temps in Rio, along with the more consistent and more powerful waves here at Posto 5 in Copacabana.
JB: You're a commentator for the APB, which is the world bodyboard tour. How did you get into commentating?
SJ: I started doing commentary, and beach announcing, on a regular basis while working on the USBA national tour. That was back in 2005. I worked commentary for my first world tour event in 2010 in Brazil.
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1998 Morey Bodyboards Progression Sessions promotional tour in Pt. Pleasant, NJ...Tom Morey (Hawaii), Lanson Ronquilio (Hawaii), Alistair Taylor (South Africa), Keith Grace (New Jersey), Steve Jackson (New Jersey), and Jay Reale (Maryland) with the first bodyboard from 1971.
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SJ: Chicken chimichangas with sides of refried beans, Mexican rice, tortilla chips, salsa, guacemole, and an ice cold Pacifico beer to wash it all down.
JB: What is your other occupation, and tell us about it , besides commentating on the APB?
SJ: I try to pick up whatever side work I can. I work as a bodyboarding instructor. I occasionally work commentary for WSL South America. I'm a contributing writer for Riptide Bodyboarding. I work special events whenever possible. I'll even take the occasional painting job. Basically, whatever brings in a paycheck and allows me to continue to focus on the sport and lifestyle of bodyboarding.
JB: Best bit of advice your mum or dad gave you as a kid?
SJ: My personal favorite piece of advice is something my mom said to me before I started high school. "Don't get arrested, because we won't bail you out." I have never been arrested.
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| Reverse 360 take-off at Manasquan Inlet (Manasquan, NJ, USA), Summer 1996. |
JB: Fav old skool board?
SJ: My first board, a 1988 Morey Mach 7-7. My father bought it for me, and I learned so much about wave riding on that first board.
JB: Fav old skool VHS video?
SJ: The first old school VHS bodyboarding video I ever got hooked on was the 'Kauai Classic: Future of Youth' video from 1990. Kyle Maligro, Harry Antipala, and Chris Tennberg were doing DK airs that are still progressive today!
JB: Dream surf trip and why?
SJ: For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to go on an Indonesian boat trip. The idea of taking a few weeks to cruise on a boat, chase waves, fish for dinner, and being rocked to sleep by the ocean at night just sounds like the trip of a lifetime. I'll make it happen one of these days!
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| Manasquan Inlet, October 1998. |
JB: Who, when you were a grom, did you look up to in bodyboarding?
SJ: Mike Stewart and Jay Reale were my two greatest sources of inspiration. Mike, obviously, because he was the best in the world and Jay Reale because he was the first US east coast pro to really make a name for himself. I wanted to follow in his footsteps.
JB: What type of sled are you currently riding ?
SJ: GT Boards 41.5" Fire Dragon CT
JB: Who do you think has had the biggest influence in bodyboarding and making what it is to date?
SJ: For me, there are three names above all others that have shaped our sport. 9x World Champion Mike Stewart, 6x World Champion Guilherme Tâmega, and 3x World Champion Jeff Hubbard. If there were a Bodyboarding Hall Of Fame, those are the first three that I would vote in. No question in my mind.
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| Manasquan Inlet, October 1998. |
JB: What other hobbies or pastimes are you into when you're not studying the history of bodyboarding or bodyboarding an epic break in Brazil?
SJ: I'm a huge fan of music and movies, and I love being able to take time to sit down and write.
JB: Favourite comp heat you've ever witnessed and commentated on?
SJ: Hubb's come from behind win at the 2011 Pipeline Pro. He was in combination situation with five minutes left in the heat, and dropped two scores in the 9 point range to win! Absolutely thrilling to watch!
JB: Who was the first famous bodyboarder you met many years ago that you were stoked to meet? Where was it and what comp?
SJ: When I was 15 (1990), I met Jay Reale and Paul Roach during a Morey promotional signing in Pt. Pleasant, NJ.
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| Manasquan Inlet, October 1998. |
JB: Goals for the future in the way of bodyboarding?
SJ: My goals? I want to keep pushing my personal boundaries as a bodyboarder. Out of the water, I want to continue chronicling the history of our sport. With both, I want to keep going until the day I die!
JB: Your best achievement back in the day of competitive bodyboarding?
SJ: 3x ESA Central New Jersey Men's Bodyboarding District Champion.
JB: Have you ever tried vegemite?
SJ: The first time I ever tried vegemite was in Hawaii about five years ago. I forget who it was, but one of the Ozzies had a jar with him. I tried it spread on toast with butter for breakfast...been hooked ever since!
JB: That's awesome, mate! Gotta love the old vegemite. Thanks a million for your time. It was fun to interview you, Steve.
Cheers,
Justin
(Editor and Moderator )
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| Manasquan Inlet, October 1998 |
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