Who's Rad? Dax McGill.
All photos via TC McCacklefish
Dax showed up on our intagram feed one day and we were intrigued to say the least. First of all who doesn't love seeing someone like 17 year old Dax living her dream & surfing exotic locations all over the world? She also loves fashion, photography, & skates - it's a pretty awesome combination, and it made us want to know more about this young, powerful, pro surfer.
We hope you enjoy this exclusive GN4LW interview with pro surfer Dax McGill.
Who's Rad? Dax McGill
Age? 17
Home is? North Shore, Oahu
You have an interesting situation – living between California & Hawaii – can you tell us about that and how it works best for your training?
I call home North Shore about 7 months of the year, then California home for 4-5 months of the year. I love it. Every where I go there are waves. The waves are so different in California from Oahu. But I get really sick and bored of surfing the same wave. If you want to be the best, you have to be able to surf all kinds of conditions. But thats the fun part about it. Always learning and trying new things. We finally have a skate park again on the North Shore. The Banzai park is right down the street from me. It was under construction for about a year. It was so frustrating not having a park to skate last winter. But it made me that much more excited to get to California and skate some of my favorite parks like Etnies, Laguna Niguel, and Vans.
Beyond my earliest memories of being a kid. I started skating before I started surfing. But right when
my parents started taking me to the beach I was an addict I never wanted to get out of the water.
How long have you been surfing?
Since I was 2 years old I would ride on the front of my parents boards but I didn't start surfing every day by my self until we moved to Oahu when I was 6.
What got you into these 2 sports?
All of my friends and I started surfing after school together. Our Moms and Dads would all drive to Ali’i Beach. We’d do our homework, eat some snacks, and just surf until dark. They used to have a 1/2 pipe right at the beach. We’d skate in between surf sessions. It was really just what we all did together. There’s a huge pack of us surfers competing internationally that pretty much did that same routine after school everyday. And I think we all just loved skating so much that we continued it. The fact that it’s great cross-training just helps.
What do you enjoy most about both surfing and skateboarding?
Surfing- everything is always changing. So you always are thinking and learning.
Skating: You can go to the park and say I want to learn this. You can do the same run a 1,000 times trying to land it.
Do you enjoy competing in contests or is free riding your thing?
I love free surfing. Being able to just try anything you want and draw different lines instead of trying to get 2 scores in 20 min is so fun. But I have a hard time when people beat me. It eats me inside and I just want to come back and win. So I get a crazy drive from competition. I don't skate enough to do skate contests. I used to until about 2 years ago when I started traveling more for surf contest then being home.
Surfing – tell us a little about what contests you are competing in and your ranking for 2014:
2014 I ended up finishing around 50th on the WQS but I only competed in 3 contests, so I was really happy with that result. I ended up winning the last contest in Chile. This year I am
going to do almost all the 6,000 on the WQS and see how I do. Then next year really try to qualify for the tour. Currently, I’m also ranked #1 for the Pro Junior tour (under 20).
Goals for 2015 that you can share with us?
Progress, learn, see and do new things.
Girls Who Skate that inspire you?
Nora Vasconcellos. Her style is so unique
Girls that Surf that inspire you?
Steph Gilmore. She’s a combination of power and grace.
Favorite place you've ever skated?
Woodward West
Favorite place you have ever surfed?
Restaurants, Fiji
Favorite Trick or maneuver – skateboarding?
Airs
Favorite trick or maneuver – surfing?
Airs
What is your training routine like?
I surf when the waves are all time perfect. I'll cancel training. But I will train about 5 times a week depending on the waves.
As far as food that “fuels you” – anything you’d like to share?
I eat really clean, fresh organic foods when I am home and as much as possible on the road. I am gluten free and non-dairy 95 percent of the time. I do have my cheat days where I have my bread and butter.
Sponsors:
Electric, T and C Surfboards, Stance Socks, Creatures of Leisure, Banzai Bowls, Future Fins and Tonic
Three Things You Don't Know About Me:
1. I love fashion. When there’s an occasion and I get to wear a really cool outfit, I loose sleep over it. Ask my whole family about it... I will be up for hours putting together different out fits or adding things onto the outfit I am going to wear.
2. I sleep talk and yell every night. I will sleep walk on occasions too.
3. I am 17 and still can't sleep the night before Christmas
What’s Next?
I am home for the first time in awhile nursing an elbow injury from skating. I don’t have a contest until June. So I am just going to be surfing and skating a bunch. Trying to draw new lines and get higher and higher with airs!
Instagram: @daxmcgill
Twitter: @daxmcgill