Freestone ready to weather the ‘Brazilian Storm’ and take on the world

‘I WANT to beat everyone’ Jack Freestone has cemented a spot on the World Surfing League championship tour, now he says there’s only one thing left to do.

Local surfer Jack Freestone is heading into his first fulltime appearance on the World Surfing League tour Pic by David Clark

JACK Freestone has arrived to end the Brazilian Storm.

In March the 23-year-old will pull on a competition jersey to surf at his home break at Snapper Rocks in the first leg of the World Surfing League Championship Tour.

After dominating junior ranks, Freestone won two world junior titles in 2010 and 2012.

Expectations were so high that he was expected to waltz on to the world tour.

Jack Freestone at the Quiksilver Pro last year. Pic by Luke Marsden.

“Everything happened so fast in my competitive career,” Freestone said.

“I barely had time to think, I went from being an average pro junior to winning a world junior titles somehow.”

He spent three-years developing as an athlete and climbing up the qualifying series while watching surfers like Gabriel Medina, two years his junior win the crown in 2014.

From outside the tour Freestone has also watched the “Brazilian Storm” settle in with Adriano De Souza taking the 2015 title in December.

With a place cemented this year he told the Bulletin he plans to do something about it.

“Australia and the US have been dominant for so long and the underdogs have finally come up,” Freestone said.

“And now they’re a storm so — I can’t wait for the storm to pass,” he said.

“Hopefully I can put an end to it.”

Jack Freestone is heading into his first fulltime appearance on the World Surfing League tour Pic by David Clark

But the high performance aerialist said he does not discriminate, he wants to beat everyone.

“You can’t label one person out because everyone is so good — I want to beat everyone,” he said.

“I am focused and excited, I am not nervous at all — I am ready to go.”

He said it was tough to deal with high expectations after winning the two world junior titles.

“All of a sudden they were like this guy should be on tour, but it’s not as easy as everyone thinks,” he said.

“You win a world junior title and expectations just ramp up.”

Jack Freestone at the Australian Open of Surfing. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

In the weeks leading up to the Quiksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks he said he is putting in the toughest training of his career with friend and coach Stace Gailbraith.

Coming up against the Brazilian onslaught he said he aims to fight fire with fire.

“Airs are my strength, sometimes I feel more comfortable throwing a huge air than I do doing three turns to the beach,” he said.

He might be thrill in small conditions but he is not as comfortable on big waves.

Jack Freestone is heading into his first fulltime appearance on the World Surfing League tour Pic by David Clark

Growing up surfing Coolangatta he said there is limited opportunities to surf big reef breaks.

“I’m just not comfortable in them yet — that is what it my biggest weakness,” he said.

“Just look a Mick (Fanning), Dean (Morrison) and Joel (Parkinson), they are big wave demons now and they grew up in the same area.”

For Freestone there are other similarities with the generation of Coolie Kids before him.

Like Fanning, Parkinson and Morrison he said he also had a troubled family life growing up.  

“It’s hard to talk about but I didn’t have a normal family growing up, Coolangatta isn’t Hollywood,” he said.

“A lot of people go through the same thing, especially in this part of the world.

“Basically my friends are more family than my family.

“My mum is still my rock but that’s about it.”

Freestone said he is lucky to be able to grow up around his surfing heroes.

“When I was younger it was so intimidating seeing them, they’re my heroes, my jaw still drops today when I see Mick and Joel.”

ack Freestone is heading into his first fulltime appearance on the World Surfing League tour Pic by David Clark