Billy Stairmand competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Photo: ISA/Photosport
Billy Stairmand competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Photo: ISA/Photosport
Billy Stairmand has long accepted the risk attached to his job.
The champion surfer is one of several high-level Kiwi athletes competing in the sport, travelling the globe in pursuit of his next wave. However, it is a sport that only really crosses into the mainstream eye when the worstscenario occurs – a surfer is attacked by a shark, or someone is seriously injured or killed chasing a wave at one of the world’s more gnarly breaks.
The latter was the case this week when famed Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire died while surfing at Nazare - a break in Portugal’s central region that has become known for producing the world’s biggest waves.
While the monsters at Nazare - which can reach heights of more than 80 feet – are a different beast to the often-inconsistent conditions Stairmand faces while travelling on the World Surf League qualification and challenger series, the Kiwi veteran said the stories that make worldwide headlines regarding the sport made him reflect on what’s important.
“Things like that make you really reflect on what you do and how you live your life. For me, personally, I like to live a fun, happy life and enjoy my moments because you never know what can happen,” Stairmand said.
“Last year, I lost my brother in a car accident and a few years previous my mum had breast cancer. Things like that really set you back and make you grounded again. They make you appreciate what you have and who you have around you. You know your limits, but you never know what’s going to happen. You just have to enjoy life and who you have around you. Love your family and your friends.
“I travel the world; I live the best lifestyle; my job is what I love doing and have always dreamed of doing. I appreciate all that I do and all that everyone else puts into my job and how I travel. But you just have to take it day by day and appreciate the smaller things in life because you never know what could be around the corner or what tomorrow might bring.”
Stairmand has made his mark on surfing in New Zealand. The 33-year-old was one of New Zealand’s first athletes to compete in surfing at the Olympic Games, alongside Ella Williams in surfing’s Olympic debut in 2021, while he is a record eight-time national champion
Stairmand returned to the national championship this week at Piha, hoping to recapture the title to set his year off on the right foot. The nationals fall at an ideal time for Stairmand, who is the most consistent entry of any of the country’s top surfers, as he looks to get into a rhythm before the World Surf League Oceania regional qualifying series (RQS) resumes in Australia in early February.
“Since I first started competing, I always wanted to be a national champion,” Stairmand said as to why he continues to be a yearly feature of the nationals lineup.
“For me, it’s a good way to get into the rhythm and start competitions, it’s a good way to figure out some boards, practice some heat strategies and try a few things before I travel overseas and put myself in the deep end.”
The RQS is the first step to earning a place on the World Championship Tour. The top seven athletes (and one wildcard) move on to the Challenger Series – where the best of each regional series compete for a spot on the World Tour at breaks around the world. Both Stairmand and Paige Hareb will be in strong positions when the Oceania RQS resumes next month, having picked up good point hauls at events in Indonesia in the first half of the series last year. Both athletes competed on the Challenger Series last year, as did Te Kehukehu Butler, and will be hoping to return in 2023.
Paige Hareb currently sits atop the women's Oceania RQS leaderboard after scoring 5000 points in winning the Nias Pro in 2022. Photo: WSL/Photosport
The pressure of trying to earn qualification is added to this year with the International Surfing Association world games in El Salvador in late May, which doubles as an Olympic qualification event.
“I learned a lot last year, and I think every competition I go into I’m always learning. Not every competition you’re going to win, so you learn from that,” Stairmand said.
“I’ll just take it as another event. I can’t set my standards too high. I’ve got to focus on each event as it comes; they’re all different in their own way, but obviously there’s a little bit more pressure in the ISA World Surfing Games this year. I love representing New Zealand and being part of that.
“I’ve got a few competitions before then, so I’ll be working towards that. The regionals and hopefully the challenger series will be good preparation and hopefully, I’ll see myself right for the worlds.”
