Bros not Pros, Vol. 4

DukeStorm and SquidForce present interviews with local legends.

3 / 6 /2009
with Patrick Gates

Name: Patrick Gates
Occupation: President Discovery Communications
Born Where: East London, South Africa
Born When: 3/25/57 …Clueless about the time
Married/Groms? Yeah and 4
Nickname(s): “Paddy”, “Speedy”
Years Surfing: 36 (landlocked for a few years in between)
First surfboard: 1972 5'6 Myopic Void (local Durban, SA shaper) egg
Favorite Surf Spot: Harris Avenue, Bay Head, NJ on a macking south swell and stiff offshore. JBay and Green Showers when I am home in SA.
Quiver: 9'6 Classic 60s Rick (family heirloom), 8'0 Wave Hog thruster, 7'0 Wave Hog quad, 6'10 thruster, 6'4 thruster, 6'2 Skinny Fish Quad.

DS/SF: SUP?
PG: Sceptical… Too low a barrier of entry for the poser, but SquidForce crew slowly converting me.

DS/SF: Shaper(s)?
PG: Al Merrick, Spider Murphy (back in SA).

DS/SF: Pop outs?
PG: F… no!

DS/SF: Slater or Curren?
PG: Slater… Hopefully we have a few more years before they send the spaceship to get him.

DS/SF:Tubes or airs?
PG: Tubes… Ever seen a guy over 40 do an air?

DS/SF: Zog’s or Palmer’s?
PG: Palmers.

DS/SF: FCS, Futures, Glass on’s, LokBox? 
PG: Combo, but mostly Futures on the newer sticks.

DS/SF: Traction? 
PG: Naaah – Heels and wax still seem to work.

DS/SF: Travels?   
PG: South Africa, Fiji, North Shore, Costa Rica, Australia, Puerto Rico (repeatedly).

DS/SF: Best Website?   
PG: Wavescape – it keeps me connected to the local South African surf scene.

DS/SF: What’s hot?   
PG: Uncrowded Jerz juice in the dead of winter.

DS/SF:What’s not? 
PG: Logoed surfwear on people that live in landlocked places.

DS/SF: What do you look for in a longboard?   
PG: One that a kook can hopefully turn when he is bearing down on me.

DS/SF: What do you look for in a shotboard?   
PG: These days…Enough foam to get me out to the lineup.

DS/SF: Finish the following statements: 

It all made sense when…
PG: I realized that catching waves was not the point of surfing.

Priority goes to…
PG: …the charger that holds the inside spot and makes the drop. Everyone get’s the benefit of the doubt, just don’t pull out after you called me off.

A good day of surf is…
PG: …every time I get in the water. Some are better than others, but even the bad days are better than pounding a desk.

Getting burned is when…
PG: …you think a 50 SPF is enough for a 6 hour session in the tropics.

You’re blowing it if…
PG: …you don't respect the locals, in the water and out. Drop the attitude.

I hate it when…
PG: …the groms forget (or were never taught) the code and try and snake you on every wave.

Radical is…
PG: …Shipstern’s bluff OZ, Dungeons South Africa, Tow in Alaskan Glacier surfing, Making the drop on a low tide Jerz bomb.

When the surf is flat I…
PG: …mindsurf, mindsurf, mindsurf. Spend too much time on Surf related websites. Snowboard. Think of aquatic inspired shows for Discovery. Oh and then there’s that marriage thing.

DS/SF:Shout out to?
PG: The original hardcore Wedge and Green Showers crew from Durban SA – Espo, Ali, Gordo, Dave and the rest of you malyans (affectionate South African term for nutjobs).

DS/SF:Guilty pleasure?
PG: Morning of the Earth movie – I can actually surf as good as those guys now.

DS/SF: Any last thoughts?
PG: Tune into Discovery Channel whenever you can, helps support my habit.