Ripping With Age: Chris Taloa Won.
As you’ve gotten older, has your mindset changed at all in terms of your own expectations of your surfing performance?
Not at all. If your body starts to go, that’s your fault. You can strengthen yourself through yoga exercise and good food. You can make money to travel and be creative even with the family and two kids. There’s no excuse for any of it. The best advice I can give a person is the cut the fat. Anything that gets in your mental way. That is fat. Get it out of your life.
What about in terms of your relationship with the ocean? Is it still about finding the heaviest ripable waves or have you found that you enjoy the surf in different ways as you’ve aged?
To me, it has never been about the size of the wave. It has always been about being within a rhythm. Surfing and myself is how I keep my rhythm. If people break my rhythm, I kick them out of my life. My rhythm is everything.
Do you have any specific indicators that you think might tip you off in the future that you might not be physically or mentally able to take on waves heavy or challenging waves anymore?
Are used to have indicators. Like being tired for no reason and achy for no reason in the mornings. I found a route around all of that with supplements. I move the supplements because they work for me so good. Water, human growth hormone, CBD oil, a good wife, and positive mental outlook. Being financially independent from anybody that can put a ceiling over your head and lock you in a box it’s very important to mental space that gives you creativity. I really work on that all the time. My financial freedom to go wherever I please whenever I want to.
What do you think is the single most important thing an individual can do as they get older to maintain a level of performance?
The food you put in your body, the exercise you get it, the drive, and the supplements you take to make yourself healthy and strong to do battle with others. I continually look for people in the water that push me. I’m actually having an event this summer to the tune of $12,000 for people who can express this better. #dawallzchallenge
Have you had any role models yourself that you have draw inspiration from or received wisdom from that has impacted on the way in which you’ve structured your life as you’ve aged?
Danny Kim. He has a very original style and nobody could ever emulate. Nobody can figure it out. I’m a balance freak. I take my balance skills very serious. To this day, I cannot figure out Danny Kim and his backside attack. Not in any way shape or form.
