“I feel like the best surfing done in the world is being done in a singlet, and that's what I want to work towards,” Dakoda Walters told me recently. “I think I do my best surfing in a rashie and that’s good to have in the locker. Elite competition still allows you to surf with your own personality and style and that’s a cool thing.”
I’d been speaking to Dakoda a few weeks previously to the Challenger Series event at Snapper. He would go on to make the Quarterfinals, a career-best finish and show how his surfing is ready for the big time. Straight after our conversation, I texted his dad Jeremy, who I’d met back when I started writing about surfing for Tracks when he was on tour just before Dakoda was born. And yep, that makes me feel old.
“Walt, just had a chat with Kodes and thought I’d let you know that he came across as a really good fella. He was so well-spoken and humble, so it seems you’ve done a great job there mate.” I wrote.
And I meant it. I don’t know Dakoda well, but I’ve done enough of these interviews to know that you can get an impression of a person pretty quickly. He's an incredible surfer, and it seems the Angourie surf community tends to keep even the most talented phenoms well-grounded.
Anyway, after his recent performance at Snapper, I thought I’d share the audio interview, as the convo had stayed with me. I wrote about Dakoda, and his younger, equally talented brother Harley (whose YouTube series on riding old boards as a grom was incredible) for an Ocean & Earth Core Stories series. I’d keep an eye on both the Walters brothers.
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