DHD Callum Robson - Pipe Pro Champion

How are you preparing for your debut at Pipeline, and what are your goals for the rookie season?

To be honest, I’m just trying to enjoy it all. I’m surfing Pipe as much as I can for the first event and getting used to the lineup, but everything’s constantly changing. Conditions are weird, and the swell direction is unusual, so I’m just surfing as much as I can and having fun. My goals are to surf the way I surf, approach heats the way I want to, and surf big and explosively. This has been my dream my whole life, so I’m super excited to have as much fun as I can, take it all in, and have a great year.

Any pinch-me moments yet?

I went to the WSL awards and had my name called out to get my jersey for the year—that was a pretty surreal experience. Sitting up on stage, looking down, and seeing a bunch of people I’ve always looked up to was incredible.

What stayed the same in your approach across the changing conditions and what changed immediately?

The event had dramatically changing conditions. My approach that stayed consistent was making sure I was adaptable to the situation and to the moment. Even when it was 10 foot breaking on different parts of the reef and the same when it was small it was about hunting around and staying adaptable within the conditions.

What changed immediately was my equipment. As the conditions got worse and worse, I started riding shorter boards to suit the more high-performance conditions we were facing.

What problem did the Juliette Round Tail solve for you at Pipe?

I rode the Juliette and the Sweet Spot 4.0. I rode the Sweet Spot when the waves were over six foot and rode the Juliette when the waves were under six foot that’s how I differentiated between the two.

For me, the Juliette Round Tail serves its purpose when it’s barrelling but still high performance, giving that combination of turning, airs and tube riding. But when it was specifically barrel-focused, I rode the Sweet Spot.

Pick one heat where the board genuinely won you points

I’d say that was the final. I went from a 6’6” in the semi-final to a 6’2” in the final and there was one wave where I went to do a layback but then made the adjustment to go for the air.

Without having that blend of high performance in a step-up board, I wouldn’t have been able to land that air. That Juliette 6’2”, being such a hybrid turn air barrel board, made it possible for me to stay adaptable in that final.