An interview with Mr Price Pro Junior winner Klee Strachan



18-year old Klee Strachan took out the Mr Pice Pro Junior in fine form yesterday, catching the most waves in the heat and rising above a strong contingent of our country``s top juniors to claim the R4000 cheque and the honour of being seeded directly into the Round of 144 in the main event later this week. Craig Ritchie caught up with the powerful natural footer for a quick chat after his win.

CR: Klee, you only moved from Muizenber a little while ago, so do you consider yourself a Durban guy or a Cape Town surfer?
KS: Durban for sure. I``ll never go back to Cape Town. Being able to surf the warm water makes such a big difference, it``s great being so comfortable here. It``s definitely helped me out, because since I arrived here I``ve definitely gotten better. It was a very good move for me. At Muizenberg when it``s onshore and two foot, you``re like ah, I dunno if I``m gonna go for a surf, but here you don``t even have to think about it, you just go surf.

CR: We``ve seen you in quite a few junior events over the years, so when did you actually start getting into competitive surfing?
KS: I think it was when I was about 14. It was around the time I was just old enough to surf the trials for the SA team. I remember coming and watching all the really good guys, and then Graham Hynes gave me a really big talk and was telling me what I must do and all that. I got fifth, like, just missed out on making it. That, straight away, for me had me thinking ``ok, this is what you want to do``.

CR: So instead of feeling down by coming so close and missing out, you actually turned it into a motivating factor?
KS: Ja, definitely.

CR: And to get a wildcard into this event, I mean, you think of all the guys going for it and out of every under-20 in the country, you``re the one that won an entry into the round of 144, you must be really stoked with that?
KS: For sure. I didn``t even think about that until today until Dagan Gold told me about it, and I knew I``d be super stoked to win it, because I just couldn``t enter the contest in time as I wasn``t able to get my entry form in.

CR: And how have you been dealing with all this media attention, with people shoving cameras and dictaphones in your face?
KS: Well, when I was younger and surfing the junior events, we used to have a little interview down on the beach and I was really scared. I``m getting more used to it now, but I``m still a little nervous sometimes. But I``m just seeing it as part of the job, taking it as it comes. I wouldn``t say I``m good at it yet, not even close! Sometimes I``m standing there thinking ``I don``t know what to say``!

CR: And other than surfing? What about school and things like that?
KS: I go to Toti High, but I don``t really attend a lot... there``s just too much surfing! Having surfing as a career, that``s all I want to do. It``s pretty much all I``m focussed on, twentyfour-seven of my life. I live, eat, breathe surfing. I live right on the beach, so it``s pretty much all I can do!