Phil Jarratt interviewed Peter Drouyn just prior to the 1977 Stubbies Surf Classic. Drouyn, 29, was the Stubbies contest director, and the event marked the first use of a man-on-man format in professional surfing. Less known today, but touted at the time, Drouyn further proposed that professional surfing also become a "contact sport," in which a surfer could bodily interact with his opponents, like soccer players or even boxers. This interview ran in a 1977 issue of Tracks magazine.

I've never really felt right about how the winner is chosen in a surf contest, and this was my chance to put it all together.

What sort of surfing do you think the new rules will promote?

I think we’ll see really tense, high-pressure surfing. We’re gonna see guys trying to make it through to the next round any way they can.

You’ve introduced a new interference concept to replace the drop-in rule. Give me an example of this ‘effective’ and ‘ineffective’ interference or cheating rule.

Okay. I’m barrelling across a wave and I know this wave is a good one and I can really express my ability and impress the judges and spectators. I'm right inside and I’m just making it. Suddenly, Col Smith, my opponent, realizes that Drouyn’s on a good thing and could leave him behind. Smith drops in, hovers over my head and slips down behind me in the most critical position. I’m going, “Stuff it, Smith’s got in behind me.” Okay. Smith picks up 0.5 on each judge’s sheet and I can’t handle that. I’m gonna slip back in behind him without him even knowing it. If while doing so I hit him dangerously, that's bad luck, because then I’ll be cheating ineffectively. And if he tries to stop 

 in a dangerous way then he’s cheating ineffectively. The judges have to discern what’s happening.

Some of your judges have backgrounds where sportsmanship is all-important. These are radical rules you're proposing—do you think the judges are going to be able to adapt to your system?

I know this is a pretty far-out trip I’m on. I’m probably thinking five years in advance here, and I know it’s going to be hard for some judges to get onto it. But I’m the sort of guy who can put enough pressure on people to make them forget their backgrounds.

Meanwhile, the judges are still awarding points for surfing, the same way they would in a standard competition.

It’s surfing in two categories, yes—physical and creative. The cheating rule is there to give the contest character.

A bit of bloody flair. Something more concrete than what you get in a regular contest; some contact, physical and mental. The surfers need to vibrate off each other in a way that the judges and the spectators can really feel and appreciate. Like in boxing. Allow the surfers to touch each other. Encourage it. Let my opponent look at me and say “Fuck you,” or ”I love you,” or “Let’s fight it out to the end.” Let’s have some contact.

You want the surfers in this contest to be human.

Exactly. Until we have some contact in surfing events it’s going to be the same thing year after year. The prize money is bigger these days, but the whole thing is actually stagnating. Sponsors don’t really see value in surfing contests. They just see value in selling their goods to young people.

Tennis sponsors actually like tennis. That's the difference. With us, the sponsors think surfing contests are ridiculous, they don’t understand what we're doing out there. How do we solve that? Contact. A guy can actually whip his opponent off the wave, and they come onto the beach and have a fight if they like. That’s okay. We won’t give any bonus points for it but the important thing is that they can beat each other up.

Ali dancing around his opponent for the entire first round, or Arthur Ashe throwing his racquet over the net.

Yes. Ali might dance around the ring for the first two minutes but there must eventually be physical contact for a win. There’s got to be a blow thrown. Now, if they wanted to, sure, the two boxers could dance for 15 rounds without anyone throwing a punch. But if that happens, who’s gonna win?

But surely you’re not suggesting that surfing is a real contact sport?

Phil, it can be. I feel it’s the only way surfing is going to become a big money sport. Contact both physically and mentally. A blow must be thrown. I mean, I can dance around a ring for my whole heat, showing style, but what’s the judge going to say? "Oh, Drouyn's got a lot of style. He would have done well if there’d been a fight." There must be contact in surfing.

You’ve discussed this with a lot of pro surfers over the past few months. What do they think of it?

Every surfer I’ve talked to has been for it simply because there’s no other way to turn. They realize there’s gotta be a radical change. The time is right.

In the past, I’ve tended to be over-optimistic about things and I’ve been let down something bloody shocking. I’m taking a neutral approach with this contest. If it doesn’t work, Drouyn bows out for another year. But I'll be back. You’ll hear from me again.

[Note: the 1977 Stubbies Surf Classic was a runaway success, for many reasons—excellent surf, great performances, Drouyn's new man-on-man format—but the surfers involved for the most part ignored the idea of "effective cheating," and competed instead in the usual manner. The whole notion of intentional physical contact in surf contests was dropped.]

Peter Drouyn (1977)

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