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Your backstage pass to the world of surfing, hosted by MC and commentator Terry “Tappa” Teece. From pro surfers and legends of the sport to shapers, innovators and anyone with an epic story and a love for the ocean—The Green Room dives deep. Expect tales of epic wins, brutal wipeouts, and behind-the-scenes moments from life in and out of the water. Whether you’re chasing waves or just some inspiration, this podcast will leave you stoked to paddle out.
00;00;07;19 - 00;00;29;09
Tappa
Welcome to the Green Room. Your backstage pass to the world of surfing. I'm your host, surf emcee and commentator, Terry Tapper diving into epic winds, crashing fouls and wild stories with surfing's biggest names, as well as the legends working behind the scenes to keep that state alive. A big shout out to our sponsor for this episode. The official break out with their new Jersey lager.
00;00;29;11 - 00;00;52;12
Tappa
So wax up, paddle out and join us in the green room with a surf chat. Never guys flat. Today's guest, I believe, is one of the pioneers of surfing. Born in France, Jean-Marie and his brother Francois moved to Australia and have been surfing early since the early 70s as a grommet. He had a huge reputation. Well, I knew I had knew of Jean-Marie before I even met Jean-Marie.
00;00;52;15 - 00;01;09;04
Tappa
He's part of the furniture at Berkeley, and, you know, always was out on the big dice, which, you know, for a Frenchman, that's a great achievement. Like our previous guest going on around. He always had a little special spot to sit at. Burly. And not more than once I'd seen that giant red board on the big.
00;01;09;04 - 00;01;27;09
Tappa
His wives dropping down sometimes on me. But, you know, as a grommet, I deserved it. And this, And it was the Dick Van Gang, and, you know what? It was just you just real these big wise. Not only a surfer is an artist, family man and a Gold Coast local. And you can see my stage to add up.
00;01;27;09 - 00;01;30;22
Tappa
The only having a bit of a swim. Welcome to the green room, Jean-Marie Lago.
00;01;30;24 - 00;01;32;21
Jean-Marie
Hello.
00;01;32;23 - 00;01;37;00
Tappa
Mate. Now, how was it growing up in France as a young man?
00;01;37;03 - 00;02;17;01
Jean-Marie
Well, I fail quickly. I think surfing, studying, surfing in VHS in 1960, there was, in 1960. And through the late 60s, it was the golden age of European surfing. Okay. Biarritz was blessed with waves. We could only basically surf in the summer time, which is from June till end of September. And then winter was coming and the water was very cold and.
00;02;17;01 - 00;02;18;01
Tappa
No wetsuits, no.
00;02;18;01 - 00;02;35;17
Jean-Marie
Wetsuits, no leg rope, heavy boats. And, we, I feel really privileged and and grateful. Being able to, to live that that day. Right. Because it was just gold. Yeah.
00;02;35;19 - 00;02;55;20
Tappa
Yeah. Well, it's like some of the, I've seen that movie, the the innermost Limits of Pure fine. And I actually showed it to my commentator, Lillian Young, and Lily's, like, 20, and she just saw that, said, that's amazing. There's no way you could ever live that kind of life again. And that's sort of like you in in France, right?
00;02;55;20 - 00;03;25;03
Jean-Marie
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So, and yeah, it was at, the reason was Biarritz was special because you're talking about a place that's northern Europe. That's on the same latitude that Quebec, you know, which is bloody cold. Yeah. You know, lined up, but there's, a branch of the Gulf Stream, the that Garonne that, crosses the Atlantic that loops in, in the Bay of Biscay.
00;03;25;05 - 00;03;30;29
Jean-Marie
Is that so? The water goes up to 22, 23 degrees in August.
00;03;31;02 - 00;03;32;16
Tappa
That's okay, that's okay.
00;03;32;18 - 00;04;03;20
Jean-Marie
Yeah. And there is also, in the House of Gore, which is right in the pocket of, of the Gulf there there is a canyon that's 4000m tall, about a quarter of the of of of the shore. Yeah. So there's no, continental platform that breaks the swells. So all the swells and the storms that come from the North Atlantic, they just move in and jerk up.
00;04;03;21 - 00;04;07;03
Jean-Marie
That's why you get. We get big waves.
00;04;07;10 - 00;04;10;21
Tappa
Yeah. So you you basically were straight into big waves.
00;04;10;26 - 00;04;36;17
Jean-Marie
Not straight into big waves, but there's all sorts of little spots. Yeah. But in those days, let's say the first five years of, of the 60s, we basically surfed Biarritz. The, the place, a place called a beach called Good Day Basque. And on the other side of the the. Yeah, is a very small town in area.
00;04;36;19 - 00;04;57;11
Jean-Marie
Okay. Yeah. And then little by little, we started taking, little coastal trips like south of. Yeah, it's toward the French, but, the Spanish border and north towards the goal there was we knew about waves, so we were just exploring. You're talking it full on exploring. Well.
00;04;57;13 - 00;05;11;20
Tappa
As a young man. Yeah. You and, you and Francois, how did you actually get into surfing like that? We're talking 1960, probably, you know, like America was probably where surfing first going up. Yeah. Took how old? How did you guys hear of it all? Come to come to surfing.
00;05;11;21 - 00;05;45;08
Jean-Marie
Well, What happened? There was a filmmaker called, Zanuck down sand that goes, oh, he's old man. Yeah, yeah, that made the film on, a Hemingway novel. Okay. Yeah. And that guy saw waves, and. Yeah, it's an imported some surfboards, some for America, because, Yeah, it's in in autumn. It's a beautiful autumn. You slept in California?
00;05;45;08 - 00;05;46;01
Jean-Marie
Sorry about this.
00;05;46;02 - 00;05;47;11
Tappa
Right. Know that minimum.
00;05;47;14 - 00;06;15;26
Jean-Marie
Yeah. It's it's it's it's blessed, you know? Absolutely. Gobsmacking. Beautiful sunsets on the ocean, perfect waves, you know, and, so, there was a couple of French people, French guys that had seen documentaries, on Hawaii and California, like, in the all along the 50s, and they started making their own boards, but they had no clue, you.
00;06;15;26 - 00;06;17;13
Tappa
Know, what was this is possible.
00;06;17;19 - 00;06;48;06
Jean-Marie
And the balsa board and and hollow board with plywood and, and, cork decks, you know, was chambered beautifully made. But they were just trying to work out how the boats. And then that American came with some hobby. Balsa board that was but beautiful things. And, anyway, so they went surfing in town. There was only, let's say a ten of them that could learning to surf.
00;06;48;08 - 00;07;01;09
Jean-Marie
Yeah. And they were surfing, let's say a place like gondolas, which is a little that cove. Right? Yeah. Two men beach and first time, and me would just come.
00;07;01;11 - 00;07;26;28
Jean-Marie
Nine and ten or something like that. And every summer will you looked at them and watching them and losing their boards. Of course. And we picked the boards while they were swimming and passing back to them and they were dead. And then one day, a guy called Zelda and there was, urban legend in France said to me, hey, do you want to come surfing?
00;07;26;28 - 00;07;40;28
Jean-Marie
Come tomorrow, I'll teach you. Come tomorrow. Could they bask? Which is the beach on the other side where there was a clubhouse. They had a little clubhouse the size of this studio. And, I'll put you on the board. And that was it.
00;07;41;01 - 00;07;41;28
Tappa
You hooked into.
00;07;42;01 - 00;07;57;02
Jean-Marie
Hooked. And that was it? Yeah. You push me on the waves, like, two feet high. And, you know, I stood up and, works. In those days, we didn't even have surf wax. We buy the wax was called the paraffin, which is.
00;07;57;05 - 00;07;58;20
Tappa
Paraffin, like candle.
00;07;58;22 - 00;08;25;14
Jean-Marie
Candle wax. Yeah, yeah. And we had to heat it up to put it on the boards, you know, that sort of stuff. And, Yeah, it started from them and then they were hooked. And. But you have to remember that in France till the very first wetsuits arrived. Let's say, that's 66, 67 where, needles started to come around and stuff like that.
00;08;25;16 - 00;08;33;18
Jean-Marie
There was no rubber. The rubber was we use was diver's suits, you know, with the yellow tape and the beaver rash.
00;08;33;18 - 00;08;36;13
Tappa
You and I like sinking them anyway, wouldn't you?
00;08;36;15 - 00;09;13;12
Jean-Marie
Yeah. No, they they were comfortable. Yeah, but not for surfing. They were not made for surfing and not to paddle anyway. Yeah. So, yeah. So surfing was three months of the year, end of June till end of September. We used to surf sometimes at, old saints. You know, that Catholic break in in November? Whether it's a, it's a little traditional holiday and, but, you know, like half an hour in the, in the surf and not unless it was sunny.
00;09;13;12 - 00;09;14;11
Jean-Marie
That was it. You know.
00;09;14;13 - 00;09;17;27
Tappa
How long till you and Francois got your own boards?
00;09;18;00 - 00;09;44;12
Jean-Marie
I got my we got our first boat, my old man. But I saw the first board, which was one of the very first. The local board maker made him to was invent was testing and trying had to make. They were made into shells and blowing the foam inside the shells. So that would have been 6262. Wow. I've got pictures at home.
00;09;44;12 - 00;09;58;06
Jean-Marie
But, yeah. And no stringer. So we tend to go in the sand because fouled, you know? Anyway, that was the very first board, my old man. But that from that young guy.
00;09;58;09 - 00;10;08;03
Tappa
Yeah. And then from there because I believe by 66, which is four years later, you were representing France in the world titles. Yeah. Both you and France.
00;10;08;07 - 00;10;09;15
Jean-Marie
No. Just me. Yes. You.
00;10;09;17 - 00;10;24;06
Tappa
Yeah I was that fight I they look act fine. Dapper young man. Where is it. I've got I got it here somewhere and, I thought it out. Well we'll probably put it up later, but. Yeah, that's the picture of, Jean Marie as a young man that's in the 60s.
00;10;24;06 - 00;10;26;20
Jean-Marie
You read the trail on that?
00;10;26;22 - 00;10;56;16
Tappa
Well, I, I have I didn't get to read it because I just got it. Oh, especially welcome to the national team from France, led by their famous champion, Jean-Marie Le to go, Jean-Marie represented France in the world Championships in San Diego in 66 place in 23rd. Proved that he was one of the world's top surfers. His stocky, aggressive surfer from the Basque Country, who started surfing at the age of 12, has Ryan Junior and senior champ in these countries in 62.
00;10;56;18 - 00;10;58;23
Tappa
Yeah. So are you a French champion from 62?
00;10;58;24 - 00;11;00;28
Jean-Marie
Yeah, 68.
00;11;01;00 - 00;11;02;05
Tappa
Wow.
00;11;02;07 - 00;11;06;22
Jean-Marie
That's great. And then in 69, my brother beat me on the sea.
00;11;06;26 - 00;11;08;02
Tappa
Younger or older brother.
00;11;08;02 - 00;11;08;19
Jean-Marie
Younger.
00;11;08;20 - 00;11;10;03
Tappa
And got us very.
00;11;10;03 - 00;11;11;17
Jean-Marie
Close like 13 months.
00;11;11;18 - 00;11;13;17
Tappa
All like me and my brother. Yeah. Robert. Yeah.
00;11;13;18 - 00;11;15;04
Jean-Marie
Very close.
00;11;15;06 - 00;11;20;05
Tappa
Yeah. That must have been good. I like my brother growing up there as, like, sort of Batman and Robin. You nearly would have.
00;11;20;08 - 00;11;21;24
Jean-Marie
They were inseparable.
00;11;21;25 - 00;11;22;15
Tappa
Yeah.
00;11;22;18 - 00;11;27;21
Jean-Marie
Or like, almost like twins. Yeah. Whatever it was, he was there and vice versa. Yeah.
00;11;27;24 - 00;11;31;04
Tappa
And how was that 60, 66 World Championships?
00;11;31;08 - 00;11;33;14
Jean-Marie
Well, that was,
00;11;33;16 - 00;11;36;21
Tappa
It would have been in no way out to for you to see it fully.
00;11;36;23 - 00;11;49;07
Jean-Marie
It was just, I was not I didn't conceive what California was. Okay. Yeah. I landed in Los Angeles after a trip over the pole. Yeah.
00;11;49;07 - 00;11;50;10
Tappa
That was.
00;11;50;13 - 00;12;33;23
Jean-Marie
Yeah, that was the shortest way from France in those days. And at the airport, being Kaplan picked me up and took me to, a motel in, Huntington Beach and Huntington Beach. They still have the petrol, pumps going like that. Yeah. And I get, like, thousands of them. And I couldn't believe that. And the motels and the beaches with hundreds of people with the I've got stars and the beach is it's, before the contest, I happened to watch, the US championships that, David Nouveau won from the bleachers.
00;12;33;23 - 00;12;35;25
Jean-Marie
I still got the ticket from that.
00;12;35;27 - 00;12;38;24
Tappa
And I sell tickets to the Surfing World Championships.
00;12;39;01 - 00;12;44;09
Jean-Marie
And now that was free. But for that contest to go, to go on the pier so you could watch.
00;12;44;09 - 00;12;45;12
Tappa
Yourself from about.
00;12;45;19 - 00;13;12;22
Jean-Marie
Above the break. Yeah. And see, you know, guys like John Beck, Rusty Miller, David, Dave, whoever was hot was there, you know, and to me, that was just, wow, I'm in California. I'm just was it was at 66. I was 18 years old. It was just, it was just a dream. Yeah, yeah.
00;13;12;23 - 00;13;39;14
Jean-Marie
And then after that, during the after the contest, we went to during the contest, we went to San Diego. That's where the contest, place was. Yeah. Different beaches there. Bing Copeland, sponsored me with the board. Beautiful. You know, I've had, those ride. I know for some reason I don't want them. I don't want the boats myself, but I.
00;13;39;17 - 00;13;49;18
Jean-Marie
I had the knack to to pick it, you know. Yeah. And, so in a few days surfing with all these guys at it, improve my surfing like that, you know, straight away.
00;13;49;22 - 00;13;53;03
Tappa
Yeah. When you surf with people are better than you might actually surf better. Right?
00;13;53;04 - 00;14;09;24
Jean-Marie
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And, we had we'll stay in the motel and there was a room with Rodney. Santa. Okay. We had given a, a a brand new Camaro of Chevrolet.
00;14;09;26 - 00;14;10;13
Tappa
To driver.
00;14;10;13 - 00;14;32;04
Jean-Marie
In the driver. And the team had won for the contest. Didn't have a driver's license. Rodney was driving. He didn't like that because he wanted to, but they blah, blah, blah. But, and then after that, for another ten days, it's, state that Herbie and this place, you know, Herbie surfboards. Yeah. And he was this.
00;14;32;11 - 00;14;59;27
Jean-Marie
He was still designing. He was make up. Has some the beach on, balls and, you know, like. Yeah, make it bend, California does it, you know, and, visited places in California, went to, California, went to Disneyworld and all sorts of things like that. And, yeah, I was there was, quite an experience I get.
00;14;59;27 - 00;15;01;07
Jean-Marie
I've never been the same.
00;15;01;09 - 00;15;03;29
Tappa
And then, well, the 68 world titles.
00;15;04;05 - 00;15;06;14
Jean-Marie
Yeah, that was in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico.
00;15;06;14 - 00;15;10;17
Tappa
But I believe, that that a few of the surface came to bite rates before.
00;15;10;20 - 00;15;47;28
Jean-Marie
In between because 66 the secret of Yates was there was an article in surfer mags and a couple of other, American because surfing in America was already huge. Right. You know, those those board makers being all, Rick, whatever you Jacobs, they made a fortune. Was making surfboards. Yeah. Already. And, yes. Between 66 and, 68, there was the Summer of Love in San Francisco.
00;15;47;28 - 00;15;48;18
Tappa
67.
00;15;48;18 - 00;15;49;12
Jean-Marie
Yeah, 66.
00;15;49;12 - 00;15;51;29
Tappa
Or 66 or somewhere like that. Yeah.
00;15;52;01 - 00;15;54;12
Jean-Marie
And then he went up to.
00;15;54;14 - 00;15;56;19
Tappa
San Francisco for.
00;15;56;22 - 00;15;59;13
Jean-Marie
Full on and then a French.
00;15;59;15 - 00;16;00;20
Tappa
Summer of love.
00;16;00;20 - 00;16;30;06
Jean-Marie
Oh, yeah. Yeah. And that. And then there was, the, the in England, a mixture of the smell of love with Carnaby Street, the Beatles and the whole alternative lifestyle blending and of course, surfing with it at the top of that basically. And that. Yeah, it's because, yeah, it wasn't the, the way to the special place where you get these special products that.
00;16;30;07 - 00;16;32;01
Tappa
They get the hashish.
00;16;32;04 - 00;16;34;10
Jean-Marie
Right. Exactly, exactly.
00;16;34;12 - 00;16;38;06
Tappa
Yeah. And, and, and they asked spies the, LSD and all.
00;16;38;09 - 00;16;47;21
Jean-Marie
The LSD, LSD, we, we used to get some Yanks in. Yeah, it was straight from the good stuff from California.
00;16;47;24 - 00;16;49;02
Tappa
Oh, that came from the America.
00;16;49;03 - 00;16;51;14
Jean-Marie
From it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00;16;51;16 - 00;17;02;02
Tappa
Oh, that would that would have been an amazing time. Yeah. That was like I was only one year old when all that was guy on, but must have been amazing time. And then not long after that then came the short board revolution. Yeah.
00;17;02;02 - 00;17;07;25
Jean-Marie
And that that came through in the in late 67.
00;17;07;25 - 00;17;09;11
Tappa
Yeah.
00;17;09;13 - 00;17;19;07
Jean-Marie
From, I'd say from Hawaii because there was already California and guys and gals from Hawaii, they were coming with shorter boards and we're shaping kind of so.
00;17;19;07 - 00;17;31;18
Tappa
So what did like I believe everybody that I've talked to about this has said that like, surfboards went from one length to another length in about two years. Like, so what size did it go to like? Well, in.
00;17;31;18 - 00;17;42;24
Jean-Marie
66 the world contests in San Diego, all the Californians were riding 9 to 10ft surfboards and not 9 to 10ft.
00;17;43;01 - 00;17;44;17
Tappa
Plus ten foot class.
00;17;44;17 - 00;17;58;04
Jean-Marie
Riding those long, ten long waves. Yeah. And that had a board, a what do you call it? It had the had a nickname for the country, remember. But it went it got a foot off.
00;17;58;06 - 00;17;59;13
Tappa
It kind of fought off it. Yeah.
00;17;59;13 - 00;18;18;25
Jean-Marie
Yeah. I don't know if the, the bank the bank was cut a foot off. Yeah. So that was nine foot and that was the shorter. But on the competition, the contest was really thin rails and it was ripping on it. Yeah. But there was this thing that was that board and that made him,
00;18;18;28 - 00;18;20;11
Tappa
Win it. Might the world.
00;18;20;11 - 00;18;25;10
Jean-Marie
Champion. Yeah. Yeah. Just slashing in Garvey and yeah, bang bang. Yeah.
00;18;25;10 - 00;18;26;11
Tappa
No, not the animal.
00;18;26;13 - 00;18;27;19
Jean-Marie
The animal. Exactly.
00;18;27;19 - 00;18;30;03
Tappa
The animal was that way. Yeah. Because he just was right.
00;18;30;04 - 00;18;32;05
Jean-Marie
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
00;18;32;08 - 00;18;39;14
Tappa
Wow. And then, so what was in it by the time it got to. What about 69. How big were board saying 69.
00;18;39;16 - 00;18;57;26
Jean-Marie
They came down another couple of feet like, to eight foot, eight foot six. And I went on those. It does excuse me, those big, v bottoms. They were absolute to me. They were absolutely dogs. Yeah, yeah, they were the new thing. And you said.
00;18;58;01 - 00;19;00;10
Tappa
I've got one of those at home. I've got a K shape.
00;19;00;11 - 00;19;02;00
Jean-Marie
Right. Yeah, yeah. With that sort of with.
00;19;02;00 - 00;19;03;14
Tappa
The tiny skinny tile.
00;19;03;14 - 00;19;09;28
Jean-Marie
And they had those giant head, you say chamfered back.
00;19;09;28 - 00;19;11;13
Tappa
Yeah. Yeah. The wrong way.
00;19;11;20 - 00;19;14;16
Jean-Marie
Yeah. Like this, you know, and the fin was like this. Yeah.
00;19;14;16 - 00;19;15;14
Tappa
The big long. And you look.
00;19;15;14 - 00;19;26;10
Jean-Marie
At them from the from the back towards the nose, there was this big triangular flat bit, you know. And it was really long flexi.
00;19;26;16 - 00;19;29;29
Tappa
Yeah that's what. Yeah I got one. Yeah. That's right.
00;19;30;01 - 00;19;32;29
Jean-Marie
Yeah. And the really pinched around.
00;19;32;29 - 00;19;34;23
Tappa
But I've seen pictures of wine. Lynch.
00;19;34;25 - 00;19;40;02
Jean-Marie
Maybe those guys could surf anything else. Yeah. Yeah yeah they could serve you this.
00;19;40;04 - 00;19;42;29
Tappa
So that was it was that 68 world titles.
00;19;42;29 - 00;19;50;26
Jean-Marie
Right. That was a different that was a different experience. First, everybody was stunned except.
00;19;50;28 - 00;19;52;16
Tappa
And on acid.
00;19;52;18 - 00;20;02;13
Jean-Marie
Probably that was speaking. Yeah. Yeah. It was full on tropical. The tropical scene.
00;20;02;13 - 00;20;03;27
Tappa
Yeah. Very, very, very warm.
00;20;03;27 - 00;20;40;14
Jean-Marie
Yeah. Very warm. I remember arriving, Dave. We we landed in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the airport, and, we caught a cab to the other side of the island, and we arrived at 3 or 4:00 in the morning, and we would wear a little beach hut presents, a, cabinet accommodation. There was a band playing, Puerto Rican music with cymbals, trumpets, rum, rum and coke and, like, full on, Latino music.
00;20;40;15 - 00;20;42;08
Jean-Marie
Yeah. You know, clock in the morning. Yeah.
00;20;42;10 - 00;20;43;09
Tappa
That's right. The fun.
00;20;43;11 - 00;20;46;17
Jean-Marie
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah. So,
00;20;46;19 - 00;20;48;00
Tappa
And you got yourself.
00;20;48;02 - 00;20;52;18
Jean-Marie
No good because we didn't know. We didn't. Yeah.
00;20;52;20 - 00;20;53;20
Tappa
Not not on the parties.
00;20;53;20 - 00;21;00;07
Jean-Marie
You just know the the in the contest. You mean. Yeah. Now, because we didn't have a board. Yeah. That's,
00;21;00;10 - 00;21;00;28
Tappa
Right. Yeah.
00;21;00;29 - 00;21;28;29
Jean-Marie
That, French, the, the French boat build that was not into us because it was too eccentric with also. And that were the first of one to have a real contact with the overseas crew. Yeah. And all that, because we could speak a bit of English and we made an effort to speak English. Yeah, yeah. So we had the close contact, but those guys were just didn't speak English.
00;21;28;29 - 00;21;37;06
Jean-Marie
And it was just sitting back and looking at us with long hair. Yeah. So anyway, we got to Puerto Rico with no surfboards. We had to.
00;21;37;06 - 00;21;38;02
Tappa
Borrow one.
00;21;38;04 - 00;22;01;13
Jean-Marie
Couple. Yeah, yeah. From guys like, Mark Martinson or Billy Hamilton that had been in France that summer. Yeah, and that's dead boards, you know. But, it was a different kind of stuff. There was a lot of sea urchins, and there was some big waves, like solid. Yeah. Way of a.
00;22;01;16 - 00;22;03;03
Tappa
And of course, not like, gripes or anything.
00;22;03;04 - 00;22;05;04
Jean-Marie
No legs. No leg ropes.
00;22;05;06 - 00;22;06;24
Tappa
Yeah. A lot of swimming.
00;22;06;27 - 00;22;10;09
Jean-Marie
A lot of swimming. If you lost your boat. Yeah. Big time.
00;22;10;11 - 00;22;14;21
Tappa
Well, that's all I noticed in that. That, that George grainy movie again. Like, you know, when they.
00;22;14;23 - 00;22;15;13
Jean-Marie
Yeah.
00;22;15;16 - 00;22;28;29
Tappa
He had to be fit because I saw, some of the guys in that movie, they're like, they're so fit. They're so rich. But then I thought, well, nearly how many times in a surf would they have to swim after they're bored?
00;22;28;29 - 00;22;40;02
Jean-Marie
Well, surprisingly, if you were a good surfer, you're very rarely lost. You're bored. You hang on your board as hard as you can. Back.
00;22;40;05 - 00;22;41;06
Tappa
And there were a lot of board.
00;22;41;10 - 00;22;53;16
Jean-Marie
Yeah, yeah. You're talking about thinking of boards. You know, in the 60s, my one of my best boards that I bought from a Californian guy in 64 was 15 kilos.
00;22;53;18 - 00;22;54;25
Tappa
Wow.
00;22;54;27 - 00;23;05;03
Jean-Marie
Yeah, but that was a Jacobs. That was one of my all time boards. And that board had, was had such a glide about it, you know, like.
00;23;05;06 - 00;23;06;14
Tappa
Yeah.
00;23;06;16 - 00;23;15;12
Jean-Marie
Yeah. So you don't want the you didn't want to lose your board. You couldn't surf at high tide in some spots because of the rocks, that sort of stuff, you know.
00;23;15;14 - 00;23;19;05
Tappa
Yeah. I suppose that's why I know on Surf the Cove at Berkeley for years, I think.
00;23;19;11 - 00;23;19;28
Jean-Marie
Probably.
00;23;20;04 - 00;23;27;02
Tappa
You might say what? So is 68 world title. So did that start you back to start traveling down the places.
00;23;27;02 - 00;24;04;16
Jean-Marie
Yeah. Before that in 67, we went, my brother, myself and another French guy that was I was winning the contest also a second. And there was I said this other guys don't go along. Really good friend of mine. He was always the said, okay. Yeah. So it's 67. There was this American guy called Denny Scala that contacted me and he wanted to make a travelog, in Europe, discovering spots and stuff like that.
00;24;04;19 - 00;24;12;00
Jean-Marie
So we went from Biarritz and did the whole north coast of Spain down to Portugal and right down.
00;24;12;00 - 00;24;13;15
Tappa
To nobody there. So I think.
00;24;13;20 - 00;24;25;11
Jean-Marie
I said places were in Portugal, like, figured that was next Sydney. Now they had, they had touching us, 2000 people on the beach tried to touch.
00;24;25;11 - 00;24;26;06
Tappa
Your board and then.
00;24;26;06 - 00;24;30;11
Jean-Marie
Yeah, carry on carrying the board. That was just going away like this.
00;24;30;11 - 00;24;34;17
Tappa
And so you're the first person, yeah, to ever surf all these breaks.
00;24;34;21 - 00;24;39;15
Jean-Marie
Not maybe not, but I figured the first for sure. Yeah, yeah.
00;24;39;17 - 00;24;42;24
Tappa
Wow. Yeah, that's that's a pretty amazing achievement.
00;24;42;28 - 00;24;48;08
Jean-Marie
The but that's seeing about that movie. It never it never went at all.
00;24;48;09 - 00;24;49;05
Tappa
So after all.
00;24;49;05 - 00;25;08;28
Jean-Marie
That, after all that, we never see any footage of it. It was shown in, Santa Barbara, c in a Santa Barbara theater in, 68. Yeah, it was advertised in surfer magazine, but we never saw a foot of it except a couple of stills. That was sent to us and were.
00;25;08;28 - 00;25;12;06
Tappa
But still, you had it all in your mind, mate. Surfing. Yeah.
00;25;12;09 - 00;25;14;00
Jean-Marie
Yeah. And that.
00;25;14;00 - 00;25;14;29
Tappa
Was. There's no.
00;25;14;29 - 00;25;20;05
Jean-Marie
Leash. Yeah. No forecast, no maps.
00;25;20;07 - 00;25;21;11
Tappa
Just drive along the coast.
00;25;21;11 - 00;25;24;08
Jean-Marie
Yeah, yeah. Oh, there's wave there thing. Yeah.
00;25;24;14 - 00;25;26;06
Tappa
And did you name any of them.
00;25;26;09 - 00;25;30;05
Jean-Marie
Nah nah nah nah nah nah I didn't think of it.
00;25;30;05 - 00;25;32;13
Tappa
Yeah it is so yeah. This is in.
00;25;32;13 - 00;25;45;12
Jean-Marie
Morocco. There was a couple of surfers in a place called Kini Tra, but they were, from, an American thing called the Peace Corps.
00;25;45;14 - 00;25;49;19
Tappa
Right. So because of the, all the war and that a lot of Americans were still around.
00;25;49;20 - 00;26;10;18
Jean-Marie
Yeah, yeah. Oh, no. No, that was not that. It was a thing was called the Peace Corps. Was that good? Yeah, I got can I say not not an Army scene, but, and there was a little base or something, and they had a couple of hobos, but, you know, we were running circles around that. Yes.
00;26;10;20 - 00;26;43;03
Jean-Marie
And the in the early 60s that the, let's say from, early from early 62 meets 65, 66 was starting to be on the, on the radar. But there was all these guys that were coming from, the American bases even to Hawaii. And, yes, you know, they were full of money. And so the article in Surfer Magazine, then stepped down from Germany to France and come they formed a leave or something like that, then go back to that base.
00;26;43;03 - 00;26;43;27
Jean-Marie
Yeah.
00;26;44;00 - 00;26;46;02
Tappa
And that's where people would have seen more surfing as well.
00;26;46;03 - 00;26;47;16
Jean-Marie
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00;26;47;19 - 00;26;54;19
Tappa
So might say is done. Europe. What started you in France go out ahead to Australia.
00;26;54;22 - 00;26;56;00
Jean-Marie
Well
00;26;56;02 - 00;26;56;21
Tappa
Or is there something.
00;26;56;21 - 00;27;06;11
Jean-Marie
Before in 68, in 68, Paris was already a,
00;27;06;13 - 00;27;09;10
Tappa
A, surfing quarter hub. Was it.
00;27;09;10 - 00;27;24;16
Jean-Marie
A hub? Yeah, the European hub where you had to be the bombs from England, from Jersey and Cornwall used to come there. So the Australians, the Americans and,
00;27;24;18 - 00;27;39;22
Jean-Marie
We had, you know, it was a period of not turmoil but revolution. No, the old, conventions were broken long, different view of, of life and, and and of.
00;27;39;22 - 00;27;40;19
Tappa
Course, Vietnam was.
00;27;40;24 - 00;28;05;05
Jean-Marie
Vietnam much so there was a lot of also Vietnam. Guys that were didn't want to be draft dodger, draft dodgers that used to come they'd and lots of these A's and and that. Yeah. And very it is a very, bourgeois town, very conservative. And. Yeah, you'd have a good.
00;28;05;10 - 00;28;06;23
Tappa
As a long haired hippie.
00;28;06;23 - 00;28;08;07
Jean-Marie
Yes, yes.
00;28;08;09 - 00;28;09;24
Tappa
We just we.
00;28;09;24 - 00;28;11;08
Jean-Marie
Just wanted to see the world.
00;28;11;08 - 00;28;12;08
Tappa
You know? Yeah.
00;28;12;11 - 00;28;21;23
Jean-Marie
And, because my dad was in the military, did my national service after dropping out.
00;28;21;24 - 00;28;23;25
Tappa
Because every Frenchman has to do national.
00;28;23;25 - 00;28;26;13
Jean-Marie
Service in those days. Yeah.
00;28;26;15 - 00;28;28;04
Tappa
So how long you got to do a year?
00;28;28;04 - 00;28;29;13
Jean-Marie
12 months? 12, 12.
00;28;29;15 - 00;28;30;26
Tappa
Months? Yeah. Yeah.
00;28;30;28 - 00;28;42;08
Jean-Marie
So because, and then, so my dad, I had, you know, pushed to go have a one did. So, I got drafted and went to New Caledonia.
00;28;42;11 - 00;28;44;00
Tappa
So you said you serve in your.
00;28;44;02 - 00;29;03;29
Jean-Marie
No, no Senate. There I could see the surfing there on the horizon because there's there's surf there, but, it's like, city, KS yeah. They had to be on the hill to see a fringe of waves. Right. Then he's a bastard. That's a bad thing. Really good. But anyway, there was no surfers. There was no surfboard.
00;29;04;00 - 00;29;39;19
Jean-Marie
Nobody knew about it. But I knew people like that when lanes, A few other people and, I got, Liberal Party, but. Right, I finished my, a service there and then, I can just show that because the some of the year before, in 69, in France, there was a couple of those guys get that weekend really close friends with a guy called Algae Grad and a shaper called John Brown.
00;29;39;22 - 00;29;55;25
Jean-Marie
And they always used to say, I don't go to America. They usually move on. They don't go to California, come to Australia, you know, right hand points galore. You know, because he does this surfing point surf was the see.
00;29;55;25 - 00;29;57;03
Tappa
Because of the longer boards.
00;29;57;03 - 00;30;26;27
Jean-Marie
Or the boards and that that's why the no. And yeah. Yeah. Slash environment destroy and all that that come in the 80s, you know. Yeah. So, yeah, I remember that guy, that good mate of mine, passed away a few years ago. Algae grad said I can see him, and I say he was a friend of, Mac Davis, and, I did his, and green, and so, you know, green.
00;30;27;00 - 00;30;28;29
Jean-Marie
That's where we green of.
00;30;29;02 - 00;30;30;18
Tappa
Yeah. You know, most limits of pure.
00;30;30;23 - 00;30;45;08
Jean-Marie
Come out and I can see him smoking his Marlboro, drinking a coffee at that. There I stand showing showing he's, you know, greener makes those there like a tuna I you know that's how he got the. That's it.
00;30;45;11 - 00;30;48;07
Tappa
So a tuna tile. That's where he goes from. I thought it was a dolphin, but.
00;30;48;11 - 00;30;50;24
Jean-Marie
Not, tuna.
00;30;50;26 - 00;30;54;02
Tappa
And that's basically the template of all modern fins now isn't it.
00;30;54;02 - 00;31;25;14
Jean-Marie
Basically, yeah. Basically. Except the most w. Yeah. You know, yeah. They're more they were just, What would I say? What? A forest, sea forest. Like, what a shapes, you know, legged fins of a fast fish. You know, whether it's a deer, you know, or, mackerel. They had long fins and pectoral that, that like that, you know.
00;31;25;17 - 00;31;30;17
Tappa
And so, so they're so, so from New Caledonia ended up going to Australia. Yeah, yeah.
00;31;30;24 - 00;31;40;14
Jean-Marie
They landed in Sydney and, I don't know. That was in Byron Bay. So I just wanted to, sit down.
00;31;40;14 - 00;31;44;13
Tappa
And so what they did you surf nicely around around Sydney?
00;31;44;18 - 00;32;00;02
Jean-Marie
I didn't surf that because I didn't have a surfboard that was hanging in the in the cost for a couple of ways to get my bearings that I was getting mail that post-race dumb stuff like that. And then, grab my backpack and hitchhike to Byron Bay.
00;32;00;04 - 00;32;02;03
Tappa
You see a lot of the first backpack as.
00;32;02;03 - 00;32;25;10
Jean-Marie
My hair and hitchhiked backpack to Byron Bay. That was his Mrs. had his first kid couldn't have me. So I moved into another place with, Rusty Miller and Cass Murphy and then, blah, blah, some, you know, things happened, but. And then I moved to Noosa.
00;32;25;12 - 00;32;26;22
Tappa
Another right hand point.
00;32;26;22 - 00;32;47;22
Jean-Marie
Yeah, yeah. And, Matt and my mate Algy came to pick me up in bouncy. Come and stay with me in Noosa. And, you know, I arrived at 3:00 in them in the morning with these, his car with this friend of mine, and we backed up in the in the woods, up the hill that is up and just at dawn.
00;32;47;24 - 00;32;51;18
Tappa
Which, which you have the blocks now and probably about five, $10 million way.
00;32;51;24 - 00;33;06;07
Jean-Marie
Yeah, yeah. And we parked there and, and just had Dawn and Noosa was just fucking cranking. You know, from what I didn't know trio. And you see, I just would see mango in.
00;33;06;09 - 00;33;07;07
Tappa
My major at nationals.
00;33;07;07 - 00;33;10;17
Jean-Marie
And Nationals from there. And it was just anybody.
00;33;10;17 - 00;33;11;11
Tappa
Yeah.
00;33;11;14 - 00;33;26;11
Jean-Marie
Yeah, a few people, but nothing much, you know. And then I discovered, granite Bay. And I lived there for about three years making leather work. And, you know, working in. Yeah, the the work, working as little as possible. But the.
00;33;26;11 - 00;33;27;13
Tappa
City is my.
00;33;27;16 - 00;33;30;26
Jean-Marie
Kid. And I met my first wife. That's another story.
00;33;30;28 - 00;33;35;25
Tappa
Yeah. And so. So what? And from there. Where did you go after that?
00;33;35;25 - 00;33;59;21
Jean-Marie
After that? After three years there, jobs were getting scarce in the off season and no surf. Yeah, yeah, it was flat. Yeah. And then the people, the crew I was hanging with said, oh, we're going back to Sydney. So I went to Sydney and hanging and lived in, Avalon and, well, Beach.
00;33;59;24 - 00;34;01;04
Tappa
Well, that's not a bad spot.
00;34;01;11 - 00;34;03;11
Jean-Marie
About six, six years or seven years.
00;34;03;11 - 00;34;05;01
Tappa
Yeah.
00;34;05;03 - 00;34;25;07
Jean-Marie
Sifter, wage and Avalon know the time they had? They gave us a. Yes. If you Portreath a couple of times. There are bad ones, but mainly Avalon. Well, beach, the wedge and Palm Beach towards Barrenjoey. Yeah.
00;34;25;09 - 00;34;32;08
Tappa
And I and had a dip from there transport to the Gold Coast. Right. Because I always remember straight from Burley. That's lovely.
00;34;32;09 - 00;35;03;12
Jean-Marie
All right. Hang on. I went to France after I stayed in Austria for ten years. I didn't go for ten years. Yeah. So, I went to France for, to see my mum, and realized that, the break had been done in, France. France was in the past. Yeah. Beside all my friends that the connections and my roots and all that.
00;35;03;14 - 00;35;24;05
Jean-Marie
After three weeks there, all I wanted to do is come back here again. Met a girlfriend. Was he who? I was madly in love, blah blah blah. That came back for the fuck off. And then, Fosso is already living in, on the Gold Coast. You arrived in Australia after me, but he was on the Gold Coast.
00;35;24;05 - 00;35;33;26
Jean-Marie
You say coming to Bali and, got the flat next door to him at Cockroach Court and in Miami on the Marine Parade.
00;35;33;28 - 00;35;35;03
Tappa
Yeah. Yeah.
00;35;35;06 - 00;35;35;27
Jean-Marie
You know, cockroach.
00;35;36;03 - 00;35;37;29
Tappa
That cockroach court. Now, I've heard of it.
00;35;38;03 - 00;35;40;01
Jean-Marie
It's 26 Marine Parade.
00;35;40;08 - 00;35;43;12
Tappa
All right. And that. And that was just what? Just a bunch of flats? Yeah, a.
00;35;43;12 - 00;36;01;06
Jean-Marie
Bunch of flats. That was one of those fibro double flat, you know, pale green with the staircase. Rotten staircase. Whoops. Sorry. And the beach just, you know, and, Yeah. And then,
00;36;01;09 - 00;36;06;00
Tappa
Well, you haven't moved far because I now you live just about probably a kilometer or two from. Yeah.
00;36;06;02 - 00;36;25;07
Jean-Marie
Not even too far, not even that. And after that, I lived in the event that I met my girlfriend Sally. And then we never did. Of Crescent Crescent for 25 years and then moved to, June Court another 25 years and, live adversity.
00;36;25;10 - 00;36;42;06
Tappa
My that but but but and well, so you've got here and obviously you've hooked up with the well I would say back in the day, he was like the apex shaper. That was Dick Van Strollin. Yeah. And that was your big Red bull. That was a dick van. Or you probably had Red bull. Was you Red bull?
00;36;42;06 - 00;36;42;25
Tappa
Would you think.
00;36;42;27 - 00;36;43;22
Jean-Marie
I had a rooster?
00;36;43;23 - 00;36;45;24
Tappa
Red rooster at Red rooster?
00;36;45;26 - 00;37;08;04
Jean-Marie
Yeah. And, yeah, maybe a few birds. Dick was, convenient, I suppose. And, I liked his. His what? Not always the is. Some of them were not that good, but a lot of them were good. I had them with a good price. Yeah. And it turned into a good a good buddy. Yeah.
00;37;08;04 - 00;37;09;14
Jean-Marie
Like he was a good friend. Yeah.
00;37;09;16 - 00;37;17;29
Tappa
As a as a Frenchman had. Was it fitting in at Burnley because was Burnley still like was it. That was kind of the days where there was a quite a lot of angry people. Let's do.
00;37;18;00 - 00;37;20;02
Jean-Marie
It. Yes. I had to assert myself.
00;37;20;02 - 00;37;24;23
Tappa
Did he was Francois with it. Was it two of you saw
00;37;24;25 - 00;37;35;23
Jean-Marie
For a little while and then he went back to France because my mum was getting old and never, never came back. But, most of the time I was on my own during the. Yeah.
00;37;35;25 - 00;37;41;08
Tappa
Early 80s and, Yeah. And so I like. Yeah, there was a pretty heavy crew at Burnley in the early 70s.
00;37;41;15 - 00;37;42;02
Jean-Marie
Early man.
00;37;42;08 - 00;37;45;06
Tappa
Yeah. And there was the heroin too, I suppose as well.
00;37;45;06 - 00;37;58;06
Jean-Marie
Yeah. But that was, that was actually, the heroin was in the late 70s. Yeah. And early 80s. It's already was sort of fading away. And
00;37;58;11 - 00;38;00;11
Tappa
Probably the people who had it will fight over on it.
00;38;00;16 - 00;38;07;23
Jean-Marie
Yeah. Couple of them died. Yeah. You know, it's and. Yeah. And you see them around again.
00;38;07;24 - 00;38;14;28
Tappa
So how did you like you said, you said of your authority at Bell 80. Just how would you ground and take your wives? Is that what you did? Yeah.
00;38;15;01 - 00;38;28;24
Jean-Marie
I didn't have any choice. Yeah. Because, when, when I started surfing, there was a sort of an etiquette, you know, like, you respect the older guys. Yeah.
00;38;28;26 - 00;38;29;23
Tappa
Well, I always did.
00;38;29;28 - 00;38;42;16
Jean-Marie
Yeah. It don't drop in if you can, but there's, there's a limit of that rule, you know, not when you stay waiting for your turn for 25 minutes and, yeah, you know, all the grandmas going around and the run and.
00;38;42;18 - 00;38;43;12
Tappa
Yeah, I know that one.
00;38;43;12 - 00;38;46;10
Jean-Marie
Yeah. Yeah. My turn please. Thank you.
00;38;46;15 - 00;38;50;23
Tappa
Oh, that was probably me. One of those girls inside. Yeah yeah. Oh I'm sorry man.
00;38;50;24 - 00;39;01;18
Jean-Marie
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. Had issues like that a couple of times I guess, especially at, rainbow Bay.
00;39;01;23 - 00;39;02;16
Tappa
Right. Bye bye.
00;39;02;16 - 00;39;05;15
Jean-Marie
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess. Yeah. All right.
00;39;05;21 - 00;39;27;10
Tappa
Well, I was up on campus, mate, but but I know that you are. And your place in the lineup. I know that, like, as a kid, like, like, got. I think I got a wife without being dropped in until I was about 16, but like a burly, you know, you sort of knew who, who, who was who in the zoo when you when you were there and you were one of those guys that I knew that you owned, and you're smart and you still.
00;39;27;17 - 00;39;35;19
Tappa
And I'll sign, that you sit. And it used to sit in the same spot like, way guy over and an all I see it sometimes is a little bit out in the middle of the guy's a.
00;39;35;20 - 00;39;37;20
Jean-Marie
Bit of that point. Yeah.
00;39;37;21 - 00;39;39;22
Tappa
Yeah, just a bit wider for the big ones.
00;39;39;22 - 00;39;58;04
Jean-Marie
Yeah. Yeah. Well that's my opinion. You know, you go when you go surfing you go surfing for good waves. Yeah. You don't go on the inside and grovel for the in between them. There you wait. Yeah. Me I like to wait later, you know, and, get the good ones. Yeah. That's. And you go out there to catch waves.
00;39;58;04 - 00;40;02;27
Jean-Marie
Yeah. You don't go there to wait. And what? You did a crew game pass. Yeah.
00;40;02;29 - 00;40;14;29
Tappa
Yeah, we'll say that was that. That era was like when Berkeley like it had a big reputation around around. Well, it kind of still does. But like that the burly crew were pretty heavy. And if, you know, behave yourself. Yeah.
00;40;15;02 - 00;40;23;06
Jean-Marie
Like in my books now there's no locals anymore, you know, with, but since it's a year.
00;40;23;08 - 00;40;24;10
Tappa
Too many people.
00;40;24;12 - 00;40;40;28
Jean-Marie
Yeah, since 2000, let's say 2000 to put a date on it and then the internet and, you know, people that, bet is good. It's not very good. Oh, it's come is good. And then the planes and then all that. Yeah. They all day within 24 hours. Yeah.
00;40;40;29 - 00;40;42;02
Tappa
Yeah. When it's really pumping.
00;40;42;02 - 00;40;52;09
Jean-Marie
Yeah. Yeah. And it's like that all over the world. So is no locals. There are locals but they sort of lost in them masses. Yeah.
00;40;52;09 - 00;41;00;16
Tappa
Yeah. And, am I, I've got some of your artworks we've got around here. When did you start getting into painting?
00;41;00;19 - 00;41;02;07
Jean-Marie
Painting? Since I was a kid.
00;41;02;09 - 00;41;03;02
Tappa
Oh, wow.
00;41;03;04 - 00;41;08;08
Jean-Marie
Yeah. Drawing or painting. And then I went to fine art school at uni.
00;41;08;11 - 00;41;10;12
Tappa
At university. I know you did all right.
00;41;10;13 - 00;41;27;22
Jean-Marie
I was like, yeah, I went, I went, it a place called Ryden, which is a university. Then that where away from Yates and, yeah, I did a couple years there and I dropped that. And then, because I wanted to go. Effie. Yeah, but I got my basics. Yeah, yeah.
00;41;27;29 - 00;41;34;09
Tappa
And that's that's where I'm. They were telling us about that one behind you, the big red board or that. What do you what do you call it again?
00;41;34;11 - 00;41;35;00
Jean-Marie
Fatboy.
00;41;35;00 - 00;41;39;09
Tappa
Fatboy, Fatboy. And you got different versions of that. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
00;41;39;11 - 00;41;43;16
Jean-Marie
Oh, about 35 or so. Yeah. They're all over the place.
00;41;43;19 - 00;41;45;11
Tappa
And what's the background on that?
00;41;45;16 - 00;42;14;19
Jean-Marie
Well, I went to a surf festival in, in yeah, it's in 93. I was invited and, there was a whole crew of Hawaiians and particularly the big hefty ones from, Makaha. Yeah, yeah. And, 120 kilos, 80 kilos cactus. And they had the.
00;42;14;21 - 00;42;24;25
Jean-Marie
Particular one. The one, the one up to. I can't remember his name. He was the guy, a guy, but he was there was a grace about him.
00;42;24;27 - 00;42;25;14
Tappa
00;42;25;16 - 00;42;51;21
Jean-Marie
They had, they had this sense of using them the bulk. Yeah. And to wait and kind a way to serve but with grace and fluidity. Yeah. So the, the I'm gonna, I did 1 or 2, you know Long John. Yeah. You got the first couple of ones and then, develop the character. He became a bit more.
00;42;51;24 - 00;43;14;22
Jean-Marie
The first ones were pretty basic. And then that got that sort of style with. Yeah, they have the same boat church with the yellow flowers. The red board, made them blond. I mean, with the beard, the surf pipeline, they do a, they run the nose, the get the tube. Yeah.
00;43;14;24 - 00;43;17;16
Tappa
That's cool. And say you've done, what, 34 other than these.
00;43;17;16 - 00;43;26;23
Jean-Marie
Yeah, yeah, there's one of them. I don't know if, you know, that real estate agent, Scott Wagner.
00;43;26;26 - 00;43;28;03
Tappa
Oh, yeah. Another name. Yeah. Yeah.
00;43;28;03 - 00;43;33;21
Jean-Marie
He's got he's got a shop at Palm Beach. He's got one in there. And, it's.
00;43;33;23 - 00;43;36;05
Tappa
I can see you still making more of them.
00;43;36;07 - 00;43;48;13
Jean-Marie
Well, I don't have a studio anymore, so I only have a little, nook in my apartment. Yeah, I can do the whole thing. Yeah. I changed my. Doesn't matter. I'm still doing the.
00;43;48;16 - 00;43;51;09
Tappa
It's still still around. I say it early every morning. Right?
00;43;51;09 - 00;43;52;22
Jean-Marie
That's, That's my therapy.
00;43;52;29 - 00;43;57;01
Tappa
Yeah. Yeah. Swimming is. Yeah. Because I. You'll tell me once your shoulders,
00;43;57;03 - 00;44;07;13
Jean-Marie
That, I had issues. I had, two pulmonary embolism. Which is like clots in the lungs.
00;44;07;13 - 00;44;08;09
Tappa
Yeah.
00;44;08;11 - 00;44;12;28
Jean-Marie
Then I had,
00;44;13;01 - 00;44;18;15
Jean-Marie
Prostate cancer and all that combined.
00;44;18;17 - 00;44;23;10
Tappa
I because all the initial 77, 77.
00;44;23;13 - 00;44;24;03
Jean-Marie
Yeah.
00;44;24;05 - 00;44;27;06
Tappa
Well, you get around pretty good for a seven man.
00;44;27;07 - 00;44;50;05
Jean-Marie
I had, you know, I had enough. I was starting to struggle paddling out. Yeah. You know, barely. Yeah. No. Come in. I didn't I didn't like being pummeled for ten, 15 ways. Yeah. And then tried to recover for the 20 minutes. It took 2 or 3 waves and come in. Yeah. Beside the crowds were driving me.
00;44;50;08 - 00;44;52;00
Tappa
Yeah, I could imagine. Yeah, yeah.
00;44;52;08 - 00;44;55;21
Jean-Marie
So little by little, it's sort of,
00;44;55;24 - 00;44;55;27
Tappa
So.
00;44;56;04 - 00;45;17;20
Jean-Marie
And then have you had them. Yeah, I had my C and then that emboli in the lungs cut my breathing. Yeah. Like hacked me. Yeah. I was painting to, to to to walk ten meters. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. So and then rationalize it, but you had you 60, you.
00;45;17;23 - 00;45;21;00
Tappa
You had some pretty damn good times.
00;45;21;00 - 00;45;22;29
Jean-Marie
Yeah, yeah.
00;45;23;01 - 00;45;24;19
Tappa
Yeah yeah.
00;45;24;21 - 00;45;27;05
Jean-Marie
Yeah, yeah. The golden days.
00;45;27;06 - 00;45;32;22
Tappa
Yeah, yeah. Well, that's that's what that that friend of mine, Lillian, said you can never recreate those days.
00;45;32;23 - 00;45;35;09
Jean-Marie
No, no. And, and,
00;45;35;12 - 00;45;42;11
Tappa
And just that you did it. Basically. This is what she said to me, that these people were doing it for the love of surfing.
00;45;42;11 - 00;46;13;23
Jean-Marie
Well, that's that's for me. That's that's what I wanted to stress. Surfing before I even got professional was a pleasure. Yeah. Pleasure. Plus immense pleasure. The best pleasure you got the last snow skiing, but better. Yeah. Board shorts and dry water. Because that's standard swimming. Before I could walk, you know? Yeah. And, as soon as it started to be a stress and trying to, convince yourself, you must go ahead, you must go.
00;46;13;28 - 00;46;16;07
Jean-Marie
And you drive past the point. They say.
00;46;16;09 - 00;46;18;27
Tappa
Not. But I bet you still love watching it when it's,
00;46;18;29 - 00;46;23;21
Jean-Marie
Watching all the time. You know, I'm very good observer. Yeah. Very good.
00;46;23;21 - 00;46;42;14
Tappa
Oh, that's good, man. And tell you what, John Murray, what a life well lived. I'm so glad I've got you on the green room to talk about this, because I learned stuff I didn't know. And I've known the man probably 40, oh, 40, 50 years or maybe 45 years or so or 60. But yeah, but might it is a pleasure to have you on the Green Room.
00;46;42;14 - 00;46;43;21
Tappa
And thanks for coming in. My.
00;46;43;24 - 00;47;04;04
Jean-Marie
Yeah. My pleasure to do that because I feel like I've, I've got a story to tell. Yeah. And you live very fast. I mean, I had a few interviews in the papers, but. Yeah, it's the first time I can talk about it, you know, with my voice and express myself and tell. Tell it what it was like, you know?
00;47;04;05 - 00;47;04;10
Jean-Marie
Yeah.
00;47;04;14 - 00;47;25;22
Tappa
And, it's amazing, you know, all that stuff like this. I didn't realize that you actually, you know, you went to all these places in Spain and Portugal before anybody has. And that's that's an amazing thing. And when it, when I actually I, I message Andrew Mac and he goes, well what a great great call mate. So I'm stoked to have you only thanks you on Maryland a pleasure Mac.
00;47;25;22 - 00;47;26;23
Tappa
I'll catch you in the waves.
00;47;26;23 - 00;47;29;20
Jean-Marie
Yeah. Catch you at the office.
00;47;29;23 - 00;47;46;21
Tappa
Thanks for tuning into the green room. Hey, folks, would you like to get your name in the Green Room podcast? Well, we are looking for sponsors, so if you want to get a sponsorship, check it out at Pod Fire. Lots of people can hear about your product on one of the best podcasts around the green room. So, check it out.
00;47;46;21 - 00;48;05;09
Tappa
Pod fire. Thanks for tuning into the green Room. A big thank you to our guests for sharing their stories and insights, and Pod Fire for bringing this podcast to life. Don't forget to subscribe like, leave a review and share the green room with your friends. We'll catch you next time for more conversations with the Legends of Surf and beyond.
00;48;05;13 - 00;48;07;14
Tappa
Until then, catch you in the waves.