Transmission Ben Player at home in Avalon.

In: Transmission by philgallagher 0 Comments Thu 15th Jul '10
Tags: Ben Player , IBA World Tour , Avalon , Northern Beaches , Sydney
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We caught up with Ben Player at home in Avalon in the Northern Beaches of Sydney yesterday. He was surfing around home and revelling in the offshore winter conditions on hand. Ben is on hold at the moment for the Shark Island Challenge and with the local beaches firing he has been loving life at home. Which is a change for the World Tour competitor who is normally on the road 6 months of the year. After the waiting period ends Ben says he will, " head straight to Mexico or Indo before the European leg of the IBA Tour if there is enough time, it is the best way for me to prepare for the up an coming events, getting a freaky in the jungle and avoiding any stress to prepare for the pressure of competition".

For Ben, surfing at home is a bit of a bitter sweet pleasure. 10 years ago he wouldn't of been caught dead claiming the waves at his local beach and he would spend the whole winter on the South Coast of NSW surfing some of the heavier reefs on offer. "10 years ago I would head down the coast to avoid crowds, these days its less crowded surfing around home than it is down there. I don't seem to excel in those environments where there's heaps of pressure and stress, I find my skill just kind of stays at the same level if 'm chasing waves all the time. Like I can't mess things up as theres so many people watching and judging...so home is my school and sanctuary".

When people think of the Northern Beaches of Sydney you don't really think of it as a bodyboarding mecca but it does have a rich history producing some of the sports biggest icons in the early 90's. Ben has proved its ongoing potential with winning two World Titles in the last few years. We asked if Ben had seen any local talent whilst surfing around home. " There's a few kids that are good and love it. Corey Dalgleish has been surprising me with some consistent and stylish surfing of late. His skill level has at least tripled in the last 6 months". Says Ben.

So whats a normal day for Ben while he is at home? I wake up at 6:15, blindly pull my clothes on in the dark and drive to the cafe for a coffee. Then I check all my spots and surf every morning, and surf with goals. Then eat some breakfast and usually surf again before lunch time. Most days I will have to have a sleep before lunch and then surf again before dark. It's this repetitive environment where I feel like I improve the most and I've been lucky enough to have so much time at home that I can sync with my environment and make a repetitive arena for my myself. 

There you have it a guy who travels around the world surfing some of the most exotic places on earth seems more than happy with his home environment in the sleepy town of groovy Avalon. Home is where the heart it after all.

 

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