Surfers on the Proust: Jarvis Earle

Jarvis Earle is wholesome and easy-going, but dont’ let that deceive you. Draw him in a heat and chances are you’re about to get smoked. He’s a smiling assassin in a jersey.

If his name sounds slightly familiar, that’s because he just took out the WSL World Junior Championships held at firing Seaside Reef in Cardiff for the first time ever. The wave was looked built for his forehand and when all was said he done, Jarvis was back on the beach smiling again with the trophy.

A couple days after the big win I had a fun surf with Jarvis in Newport. It was a pretty average day, but Jarvis made it look way better than it was. The speed he carried, the precision to his rail surfing, and his craftiness in the air were amazing to watch. Until we get the chance to do something more elaborate on our new favorite surfer, we ran him through the proust questionnaire to get you more formally acquainted with the Cronulla, Australia local.

INHERENT BUMMER: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

JARVIS EARLE: That's a pretty tricky question if you ask me, but I think my idea of perfect happiness is warm water, pumping waves and just surfing with a couple of your mates.

What is your greatest fear? 

Probably getting eaten by a shark or drowning or something. Yeah, [probably] ‘cause I'm in the ocean all the time.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Sometimes I'm like really shy when I first meet people and it kind of takes me a while to warm up to them. Takes me some time until I can be myself around other people.

Which living person do you most admire?

I think it would probably have to be a surfer. I've always loved John John and Julian’s surfing.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I'm pretty good at my money. I don't spend on much and I kind of get everything that I want for free, so it's pretty perfect, but I think my next big purchase is gonna be a car.

What is your current state of mind?

Probably just pure happiness since I just won the event and had such a fun trip over here [laughs]. I'm going home pretty stoked!

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

I hate when people are arrogant.

On what occasion do you lie?

I'm not much of a liar. The occasion I'd lie would be if someone asked me if they looked good or like if their turn was good or something. If it wasn't good, I'd still tell them it was sick.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

I don't even know for that one. I'm pretty happy with my appearance.

Which living person do you most despise?

I don't really have a singular person that I despise. I kind of like everyone and get along with everyone and there's not really any famous people that I hate.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

I love honesty and respect and then a bit of confidence, but I don't like people who are too confident.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Probably when they're willing to give you their time.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Probably “fun”. I say everything is fun.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

I have two. One of my greatest love of my life is surfing. And then the other one who's also the greatest love of my life is my girlfriend, whose name is Zalia.

When and where were you happiest?

When I’m with my girlfriend.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I've always thought it was really cool, like when basketball players can jump really high. I've always wanted to be able to jump really high. I can't jump that high. So yeah, I think just that.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I dunno, probably if I could jump. Yeah. I wish I had hops [laughs].

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I think my greatest achievement is probably winning the WSL World Juniors. I'm so stoked on that.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

I would probably come back as a thing I reckon. And I be like a dolphin or a shark. I know it's kind of cliche, but yeah, I think that'd be pretty cool.

Where would you most like to live?

I've thought about this a lot actually. I’m from Cronulla in Sydney and I actually love that location. In just a short drive down the coast you can find a bunch of different slabs and beach breaks. But if I was gonna move out of Australia, then I love Indo, but I don't think I'd be able to live there just because of how hot it is. Western Australia would be sick I reckon.

What is your most treasured possession?

Yeah, probably my surfboards.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

I have a pretty awesome job, so, and I never really get that sad. But I do hate when I travel really far and lose my heat in the first round. But then again, I can't really be complaining about that. Like, I'm still traveling and surfing, so it's definitely not a low depth of misery.

What is your favorite occupation?

Yeah, definitely surfing.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Definitely my smile. Pretty sure everyone just always talks about that in my post heat interviews. I smile all the time for some reason.

What do you most value in your friends?

I think my friends have pretty good support of my surfing and I know they're just always gonna be there for me no matter what happens.

Who are your favorite writers?

I probably haven't read a book in like a solid two years, so I definitely don't have a favorite writer.

Who is your hero of fiction?

I'm not that into all the superhero movies and stuff, but I reckon it’d be pretty cool to be like Spider-Man or someone. I think if I were gonna be a superhero, I'd be him.

Who are your heroes in real life?

I have a lot of surfers that I look up to. I grew up watching Connor O’Leary and yeah, he's on the World Tour. I always have a lot of support from Julian Wilson and there's just like a kind of a whole team of people around me who support me and help me get where I am today.

What are your favorite names?

I dunno, I don't have any favorite names yet.

What is it that you most dislike?

I hate it when I'm either freezing cold in the surf or really hot in the surf and when I'm like really hot in the surf, I'm in a steamer and I get caught on the inside and I can't get out. I find that so frustrating and I hate it.

What is your greatest regret?

I don't really regret anything. I have a few things that I hate myself for doing, but I feel like everything happens for a reason and it all worked out in the end.

How would you like to die?

I reckon this is pretty boring, but probably in my sleep. I wouldn't like to have any like, dramatic death or anything. I definitely don't wanna die in the surf or anything like that. So yeah, just of old age in my bed.

What is your motto?

Basically just have fun and enjoy the moment that you're in.