British writer Andy Martin spoke with Ted Deerhurst, formally and informally, on several occasions during the 1990s. Some of the quotes here are from Martin's biography on Deerhurst, Surf, Sweat and Tears." Other quotes are from newclippings that Martin found during his research.


Tony Alva, Rabbit Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson


The Doobie Brothers, “Long Train Running,” with its haunting refrain, “Without love where would you be now?”


I simply want to be the best surfer in Britain, earning my keep from it and surfing for my country. The immediate drawback is that there are no professional surfers in Britain and Britain does not even have a surfing team.


I’m more concerned with the titles I win myself than those I inherited. I’m more proud of my win in the North-Western Champs a few weeks ago, or my fourth in the European Titles. Those are the titles that mean something to me.


I got into the University of Hawaii, and I started living with Rabbit Bartholomew. He’d come over to Hawaii that year with a hundred dollars in his pocket and a lot of high hopes and had done well enough to survive. That was the year he came 3rd in the Smirnoff. It made me think if he can do it, maybe I can too.

HIS PERFORMANCE IN THE 1981 STUBBIES CONTEST, IN AUSTRALIA


I’m afraid I was knocked out in the first round ‘cos I drew a hard heat. It was Peter Townend, Ian Cairns, and Terry Richardson. I managed to beat Cairns but it wasn’t quite good enough ‘cos only the first two advanced.


I reckon it’s the best place in the world for anyone who just wants to go surfing. I was really burnt out after Australia, having just bombed out in the contest. I was kind of unhappy with my own performances. Then in Bali, I just reenergized back into surfing. Two weeks there, five days of overhead eight-foot surf at Uluwatu and some right-hander around the other side of the island. The whole place is a great adventure, you’re the great white hunter.


Most people put it down to me being a Viscount but I’ve worked hard. My father put me through school and got me to Hawaii the first time, but when I left school I was totally on my own. I ended up sleeping on floors with just a sheet and a piece of carpet to my name. I did that for two years. I have also eaten very poorly for lack of money. When I came back to England I got a job during the day and another at night. I slept in a tent and saved all the money I could, just to get back to Hawaii, and even then it wasn’t enough. But I've had a few lucky breaks. I met someone who let me work for my board and keep, and Rabbit let me borrow his boards when I was low on money.


Nothing, really. I’d probably make the same mistakes if I did it all over again. The only thing I regret is not being committed to surfing a lot earlier in my life.

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