Josh Constable, this guy is truly a champ and a seasoned vet. Every time he surfs he makes Longboard history. He gives Nride some insight on his current situation, breaks out his list of accomplishments a mile long and responds to some naysayers from his youtube clip. Don’t get your hopes up, like a true champion, he takes the hi road so NRide took the low road for him.
Interview By: Nride
Photos By: Moonwalker
NR: Where you from essay?
JC: I’m from Noosa Queensland Australia born and bred !!Not a bad place to grow up
NR: Here’s a verse for my rap song I made for you. “Straight out of Noosa, Crazy MF longboarder name Constable” Did you see what I did there? I ripped off a N.W.A. song and just changed the words. I know I’m clever. You've been in this Longboard rap game for a while. How long has it been?
JC: Wow yeah its been a while I’m 30 at the end of the year. I started riding a Longboard in my early teens and my first year competing in pro events was 96 when I was 15 so it’s been a while !!!!!
NR: Your 30? Shit I thought I was younger than you. That’s lame. I feel like the unaccomplished 32year old longboard guy. Excuse me while I cry my self to sleep.Who influenced you in surfing as a kid?
JC: Well I always looked up to the Ozzie guys when I was a kid like Ray Gleave, Jason Blewitt, Wayne Dean and Noel Woods from beach beat surf shops. He lived in Noosa so I always got to surf with him. He's one of those guys that rode everything. He was one of my first main sponsors and I also worked in the shops on weekends and after school so we used to hang out a lot but one of the main guys that really got me frothing was Geoff Moysa he killed it on everything Shortboard longboard stand up body board he always stood out in the line up anywhere he surfed my first trip out to Cali was when I was 17 I ended up getting taken in by him and his parents that was all time, all we did was surf all day every day, and I just wanted to be like that ride everything and try kill it on whatever I rode.
NR: Dude how’s the God Fathers Ray Gleaves and Wayne Dean? From my perspective they were the guys who brought Modern Longboarding to Australia. I’ve never met them but I sure as hell know who those dudes are. Also Geoff Moysa can walk on water. The guy is an amazing surfer.What new guys are standing out to you in Longboarding right now?
JC: That’s a hard one cause I think my generation is just starting to hit there straps right now. Harley Ingleby, Taylor Jenson, Ned Snow, Kai Sallas, Mouse Moir and the list go's on and you still got guy's like Bonga and Josh Baxter and Collin killing it that’s why I think its hard for the kids especially for the guys in Australia coming thru. I haven’t really seen anyone come in and push hard in events yet, but young Mitchy Surman; I have been traveling with him this year he has a lot of potential for sure and there's 2 young 16 year old twin brothers Ed and George Cuningham from home that surf really well too so it will be good to see them do well in the years to come there are a lot of other hot surfers that have chosen different paths guys like Harry Roach, Jai lee, Christian Wach, Alex Knost. They were the next guys I guess that were gonna come through the contest scene but didn't end up down that path but are really killing it and making a name for them selves.
NR: Yeah Mitchy is something else. I really like how that kid rides a longboard He’s got to be from outer space man. Can’t wait to surf with him. I think he’s coming to the U.S. again soon. It seems like Australians have really embraced the progressive Longboard approach to surfing (from my perspective) do you think that’s true?
JC: Yes and No. We have so many perfect right points on the east coast of Australia. Some of the best logging points in the world that all the top Ozzie contest surfers ride logs and lot of them kill it on them and can stand out in a crowd I would almost say I ride that style of board more than my 4oz HP's especially on the points, but if u want to win events and make a living out of the sport I think you have to be solid in the progressive side of Longboarding cause that’s what the judges want to see and that’s how you win.
NR: Must be rough living by some of the best point breaks in the world. Why, when you invite an Australian to crash at your house they stay for an over extended amount of time? I really need to know this because ever body I know who’s had a Aussie crash at there house always tells me that they just wont leave.
JC: Ha-ha yah its classic, I think its a combo of a lot of things epic Mexican food, beers cheap waves seem always to be fun everyone’s super cool to us and make Ozzies welcome. Oh and the girls love our accents too ha-ha. Just like the Ozzie girls froth on you guys when you come down here.
NR: So true American girls are suckers for an Ozzie accents it’s so funny. One of my buddies’ landed a girl because he faked an Ozzie accent and she bought it. Poor girl. You’re a married man with two kids am I correct?
JC: Yeah mate that’s right, Anna and I have 2 boys Jet who's 4 and Jive's 18 months.
NR: Good deal.Are your kids surfing yet?
JC: I have always had the boys on the front of my board since they were real young. I think this summer jet will be ready to get a few by himself he's been getting real confident in his swimming classes. It could be a super fun summer far as getting Jet out there.
NR: I’m not a dad so I can’t pretend to know how proud you must be. Those boys got a good life ahead of them. To this day my favorite thing is surfing fun waves with my dad. If you had million dollars what would you spend it on?
JC: I would buy a house over there in the states and travel back and forth between the summers and not do much with the rest of the bucks maybe invest it so I could, just surf play golf and hang with my family. I wouldn't work again or try not too ha-ha-ha.
NR: I wouldn’t invest that money in Wall Street unless giving large amounts of money away gets your rocks off. You were World Champ in 2006. That’s a big deal. What other accomplishments do you have under your belt?
JC: Yeah mate that was a big accomplishment a dream of mine since I was a grom. I have 6 Australian titles the most held by any surfer so that’s really special to me to be the only one with 6. My idols Ray Gleave and Jason Blewitt both had 3 so I smashed them a few years back and now I'm trying to put it out of reach, of the next guys trying to knock me off. I also won the S.U.P Australian title last year. The first title that they have had for S.U.P so that’s cool. Also I have 4 Noosa festival wins which is special since its in my back yard and one of longboardings biggest events probably world wide.
NR: Christ man you’re a machine I had no idea.Who are you riding for these days?
JC: I’m really lucky to have some great sponsors that allow me to surf and train and travel. So I owe a lot to these guys. Noosa longboards, Creatures of Leisure, Flojos, Swisse vitamins, Power Balance, Physio Sync Noosa, and Santoras restaurants in Mission Viejo. Still looking for a clothing sponsor hint hint.
NR: Seriously, Surf industry, give this guy a clothing sponsor! What’s a longboarder got to do to get a clothing sponsor these days? Josh maybe you should not surf so god dam good and win everything and just look pretty on the beach and paint some shit. Last time you were here you surfed the WLA event at Huntington Beach 2010. Rumor has it you got kind of a raw deal on that when you should of won the contest. What happened that day?
JC: Don't know about that, but I was having one of those events that I felt real good waves coming my way posting real good scores, I love those type of waves at Huntington so things where looking good. I came up against one of my real good mate's Taylor in the semi and you know as well as anyone the guys ripping. At the moment he's having the best 2 years of his career so if u want to beat him especially in his home country you gotta really beat him. We both had a good heat but not the best of waves came thru and I lost to him in a close one. Hey that’s contest and you gotta roll with it. I took a lot of confidence out of that event so it wasn't all bad.
NR: See people. You can’t listen to gossip. Yeah man Taylor’s no joke he’s going crazy right now wining everything. That Youtube clip of you punting and air on a Longboard has over 47 thousand hits and a shit load of comments did you know that?
JC: Not that it had that many hits and comments but that’s cool.
NR: Here is the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL1JSgQaQ7E look at all the hits and comments. The comments on the clip are sooooo funny. There are guys bitching about you doing an air on a longboard and guys defending you to the death. Lets set the record straight and give you a chance to remark on some of my favorite comments from some real Dick Head Nay Sayers.
colemanbrown says:
"Fuck new school Longboarding"
JC: Mate what do u say to that, I’m just surfing the way I want to surf and I guess u cant please everyone.
NR: Josh your so nice. What I would say to Colmanbrown is “GOBBEL A BAG OF DICKS MR. RIPPER” There I took the low road not you.
frankinplasm says:
"9' long board my ass. That thing looks about 7'6"
JC: Ha-ha I'm 6'3 and 86 kilo's so I guess it looks short to them, but its legit, it's a 9 footer.
NR: I’m not as tall as you but people always ask if my board is 8’6” for some reason. Maybe its because such a husky man. This one is funny because the guy is pleading with you. Like, if you don’t ride a Shortboard his life is going to suck even more than it already dose.
bimzelle says:
"Why don’t ya just ride ya short board Josh all the time? You’d rip...aren’t Mals something Phil Edwards and Dora style mastered on till Nat’s power came along and pushed surfing to its current level...Mals are great for learning, and fun styling when waves are tiny to get wet. Progresses don’t regress."
JC: I ride everything. There's a time and a place for every type of board I guess that’s why I got about 50 or so different boards in the garage. My thoughts are ride each board how its meant to be riding ... its a hp so u gotta do what u gotta do when u get a perfect ramp like that one u just gotta punt would of been lame to just straighten out.
NR: If you got to punt you got to punt.
kingbarry111 says:
" Is that really Longboarding? Or a Shortboarder being greedy and wanting more waves?"
JC: Ha-ha this guy wouldn't have a clue; I’m one of the mellowest guys in the water far from greedy.
NR: See When I’m asked why I longboard the way I do by guys on shortboards I just tell them it’s because I’m lazy and inconsiderate. Ok enough of that shit, lets hear about your plans for the year. Are you working on any thing cool? (Movies, trips, contest goals?)
JC: Mate, I got a full on late part of the year gonna spend some time in Cali with the family do a few events over there surf and shoot and cruz, I got the ISA games in Peru which is the Olympics of surfing I guess, which Harley and I will be representing Australia and competing for a gold medal and a world title so I’m really looking forward to that. I have only competed in it once and had a ball doing it. You travel as a team which consists of Shortboarders guys and girls coaches trainers physio all that stuff usually its all for your self at events so cant wait also the world tour event in Hawaii that will be great to have a event in some solid surf.
NR: Look me up when you’re in my neck. You can stay at my place but for only 1 WEEK!! Are we clear? Ha just kidding if you need to crash let me know. I’ll leave you with this question? What would you like to see in the future for the sport of Longboarding?
JC: A healthy world tour with a bunch of events in great longboard waves where you gotta mix it up and do it all and everyone making a little better money than what we are making right now but if that all fails, like it probably will, ha-ha, we will all be doing the same things going to the beach and riding every type of board and still loving it cause that’s what we all love to do.
NR: That sounds like a clear vision. I have to say that’s not the first time I have heard that same wish. It sounds like you have some back up on that vision. I’m with you a 110%. I see so much talent these day from kids and they have no real outlet except for the pure love of doing it, which is (like you said) why we do it. Thanks so much for your time Josh. I’m looking forward to surfing with you in the future.
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