Location Location

There is a slim to zilch chance that you or I will ever be one of the 45 in the WCT. Imagine surfing the Dream Tour waves though, basking under the coconuts in Tahiti, watching southern ocean swells rolling into Bells, mmm remember those La Jolla barrels of 2006? While we get lost in the blissful reverie, there are those who are living it, and they don’t have to be the best surfers in the world to do it either.

Enter Scott Hargreaves, Rip Curl’s International Events Manager. GC Surf spoke with Scotty to find out how a chippie from Maroochydore figured his way into a sought after role at Rip Curl, how he felt about the transition from the sunny Goldy to Torquay’s arctic waters, what it means to root for the Geelong Cats, and how about those reconnaissance missions for the Rip Curl Search event…

 

Best job in the world?

 

How did you realize that a future in carpentry wasn’t what you wanted?

I worked out during my apprenticeship that it really wasn’t what I wanted to do, but I completed it so I could get that trade behind me. After I finished it I went travelling, surfing through Europe for quite a few months and just tried to really work out what I wanted to do with my life. When I came back to the Sunshine Coast I decided to go to university and studied business marketing and management.

How did your involvement in the surfing industry evolve?

A couple of other guys and me helped establish the University of the Sunshine Coast Board Riders Club. We got a really good team behind it and got it to a level where we won the Australian University Title. From there I got into judging. I did a judging accreditation course with Andrew Stark at Surfing Queensland and started to do a little bit of judging work with Surfing Queensland up in the Sunshine Coast while I studied. From there I offered my services to the Quicksilver Pro as part of a major university assignment. Then I landed a job with Andrew at Surfing Queensland as the Events Manager; that was four months straight after Uni so it was a really good transition.

You moved down to the Gold Coast for this?

Yeah, and I ran pretty much every Surfing Queensland event for about three years. I ended up helping handle the World Tour event at Snapper, helping coordinate it with Andrew and Mac Wilson; that was a really exciting event to be a part of. I also got involved with the Rip Curl events like the MP Classic, the Kirra Teams and the Grom Searches. Eventually I struck up a pretty good relationship with Doug Warbrick, and I new a couple of other people from down there, the likes of Neil Ridgway our Global Marketing Manager, and basically they asked me to move down. I said yup, I’d love to come down!

Rip Curl tried something new when they took you on board right? A type of roving internship?

They offered me an opportunity that was quite unique and they hadn’t done in about 15 years with anyone. It was basically to move around the company for a 12 month period and work in every department to get a really solid background and understanding of what makes Rip Curl tick. I gave event management a rest and concentrated on what was put in front of me, so I was heavily focused on product.

How was the move to such a chilly, but wave engorged coastline?

Yeah that first 12 month period was quite difficult for me because I didn’t quite understand or grasp the whole concept. I was a little disillusioned; it was a long way down there, it was cold…it was freezing. You loose your closest support network, and I’d moved away from my passion, the sport. It wasn’t until I got actually a full time role within the company that it started to sink in of how valuable those 12 months was and how much I’d picked up. I then worked in the men’s apparel division alongside the Product Manager where we oversaw everything from sales to production…dealing with suppliers and wholesalers. Again I got a really thorough understanding of the industry.

How are you feeling a couple of years down the track?

I love it. I’ve got a season ticket this year to the Cats at Kardinia Park (laughs). I’m loving Victoria. I love the cold water…it just feels raw and makes you feel alive when you have a surf in the morning before work. It’s different from the Gold Coast; like anyone can just jump into the water and flap around…it’s just too easy up here. I’ve really grown to love the small regional town that Torquay is.

The International Events Manager’s role came up last year?

Andy Higgins decided to move back to France and the position came available. Neil asked me if I was interested and I put my hand up, I said, yeah I’m definitely interested. So I jumped back into events. Now I’m heading up all our International events; our big two are the Rip Curl Pro down at Bells and the Rip Curl Pro Search. My first event was last year in Bali alongside Andy…so it was a real transition type period where he was handing over the reigns.

Are you excited about this? It’s a pretty big job.

Oh, it’s an amazing job. People in the company think I’ve got the best job in the company! Even if I’m having a bad day at work I just have to sit back and think about it for a minute or two and go hang on a minute…I’m blessed. In saying that, it is a tough job. It also takes a team that helps get it off the ground; it doesn’t just happen with one person. I rely on really strong teams…and utilize our regions around the world.

At this stage you’ll be looking into gearing up for the Search event right? Can you tell us a bit about it?

The Rip Curl Pro Search is heading into its fifth year. It was a concept that our Global CEO Francois Payot came up with…to attain a floating license from ASP that enables us to take the event to anywhere we want to each year around the globe.

The event has recently been narrowed down to “somewhere in the North Atlantic”?

We’re super excited to acknowledge the North Atlantic as the location…October is a prime month for swell.

How much notice do the surfers get?

The surfers get plenty of time. We basically tell the ASP the location 12 months out and the surfers find out pretty quickly within that period. They have to be fully aware of where they’re going; they make a lot of travel arrangements…they need to know where they’re at. They’re basically sworn to secrecy though.

What considerations do you take into account when deciding on a location?

There are a couple of fundamentals. Fundamentally the wave has to be world class. Once we find that world class wave or a couple of options of world class waves we make contact with the local surfers. We don’t want to go anywhere where we’re not welcome so we have to get the support of the local surfers and the local community groups. Once they’re on board that’s the second box ticked. Then we decide whether it fits our brand and fits the search concept, then we basically go there. You know some waves are just so perfect but they don’t necessarily suit the Search: they might be really fickle, there might not be any sort of infrastructure there that could host the whole requirements in regards to accommodating people and having the resources there. And obviously these days with webcasting we need good connectivity.

The spirit of the Search is about discovery, which for many of us means a remote spot away from all the jazz of everyday life. Does the need to access to infrastructure restrict this?

It does and it doesn’t. Last year in Bali we were on the edge of a cliff in a cow paddock and we still webcast the event. We dropped a satellite in and generators. If there is infrastructure within a certain distance from the break that can help bring in a satellite and generators, we can do it anywhere.

Has it been easier to get local support and hold the event in developing nations that really appreciate the immediate and potentially long-term cash injection into the local community?

So far developing nations have been easier than first world countries to get the event off the ground. Everyone knows the story behind Gnarloo: we wanted to go there with the event…basically the locals, the Western Surfers Alliance showed strong evidence they didn’t want us there so we said ‘no problem’ we won’t take the event there. The world’s a big place…there are a lot of iconic waves, world class waves around the place.

The dynamic shift of location every year must keep things interesting for the surfers?

The surfers have received it really well. The event has gained so much momentum and credibility in four short years. It takes a long time for an event to gain that respect from the surfers that quickly, and the Search has done it. The global surf media that show up is just amazing, they all want to know where it is, and they want to be part of it. It’s pretty unique.

Do you take into account on-line opinion polls or where the surfers reckon would be a good location?

For sure, we take a lot of that on board. It would be foolish not to consult with the surfers and ask them where they’ve been or where they’d like to go. These guys travel the world when they’re not competing…they do a lot of trips and see a lot of good waves. Just recently we were talking with Mick Fanning in regards to a few different options and he gave us his opinion and it’s a really valued opinion. I spoke to Bede Durbidge about another location and he gave me some really good solid information. It’s really good to talk to the surfers and find out what their thoughts are on the whole concept.

Do you go on reconnaissance trips?

The internet is a wonderful thing these days; we can certainly do a lot of research over the internet. But yep, I’m pretty fortunate I get to do quite a few research trips and get to the location…seek out everything that’s required for the event by my self. I had a recent trip before Christmas, which was pretty amazing…a real eye opener. A lot of people would be pretty blown away to know what was at this place.

Was that in relation to the Search?

Yeah, in direct relation…I’m looking at 2010 and 2011 options right now. We’ve got half a dozen really strong options that we’re looking at. And basically it’s just ticking boxes working out whether it’s doable or not.   

Wow not bad. In the meantime I guess you’re lapping up the southern ocean swells, living the Rip Curl life eh?

I live 30 seconds from work and I ride my pushy every day…I don’t battle in any traffic…it’s a unique lifestyle. I’m two minutes from Bird Rock or Winkipop…

Enough said.