Q&A with Taj Burrow

interview by ben stephens

Here at QT Bondi, we stoke pretty hard when it comes to surfing. With the first tour stop on the World Surf League kicking off this week, it’s all we’re watching. From the culture to the characters, the local surf scene is always interesting, especially when retired professional surfers from the west stop by. We had the opportunity to sit down with Western Australia’s eternal grommet, Taj Burrow when he was in town a couple of weeks ago. Yew!

BS: Hey Taj.
TB: Hey Ben 

BS: Taj, welcome back to Bondi and in particular, QT Bondi. What brings you over from the picturesque surrounds of Yallingup to the Bondi bubble?
TB: Sydney/Bondi has always been a hub for my travels, plus a bunch of my best mates live in Sydney so it’s always fun to stop by and say g’day. I’m currently on my way to Hawaii to surf and hang with a bunch of young Billabong kids.

BS: Bondi is stacked with the stupidly good food and ridiculously good coffee, Where do the Burrow’s eat when in town?
TB: Porch and Parlour is one of favs for sure. Great breaky and coffee! For lunch though, I love Three Blue Ducks in Bronte.

BS: Last year you retired from professional surfing, you were always dubbed the eternal grommet. So what does the eternal grommet do without the pressures of the WSL?
TB: Haha, It’s nice having this newfound freedom. My priorities are to hang with my girls as much as possible and also surf as much as possible. I want to find some incredible waves without crowds. It’s a huge relief not having to prep for events.

BS: When you cast your mind back to your years on the ASP/WSL, apart from that last heat against John John (possibly the best heat ever), what are your highlights from the tour?
TB: Every time you stand on the podium, it’s definitely a career highlight. All of my wines are pretty much equally memorable. Scoring insane waves in an event is also pretty special. I remember Teahupoo in Tahiti being so big and perfect a few times. It’s terrifying but so rewarding when you come out alive.

BS: Fiji saw you take to half of the tour with a pair of clippers, Have you ever trained as a professional barber?
TB: Haha, nope, never cut hair before, but I learned a lot that night! I honestly handed out about 30 mohawks! We went through 4 sets of clippers haha!