INDIATLANTIC, Florida/USA (Thursday, June 28, 2012) ?C.J. Hobgood (USA), 32, is always one to watch in heavy lefthand barrels. With standout performances throughout his career at Cloudbreak, Teahupoo and Pipe fans and critics alike were chomping at the bit to see what Hobgood was capable of at this year?s Volcom Fiji Pro and the Floridian goofy-footer didn?t disappoint on the way to his Semifinals finish. Eastern Surf Magazine (ESM) sat down with C.J. to get his insight into the resurgence of Fiji on the ASP WCT Schedule and Hobgood touches on everything from his heated rounds with Adriano de Souza (BRA), 25, to potential future world champs. This? is their story?
CJ on his wave-starved three-man Round Four Volcom Fiji Pro heat with Adriano De Souza and Julian Wilson: ?In that heat, Adriano had top priority, which Julian and I were OK with. We got one restart and were looking at another one, since we?d been waiting for almost 20 minutes. The tide had bottomed out, so we were waiting on that to turn, which didn?t happen until after our heat was over when the waves really started pumping. So I said, ?Hey guys, make sure you wait for a good wave before you go!? But it?s hard to talk to people because everyone?s got their own agenda ? it was just me spewing air. No one was listening. Julian ended up going on a wave he probably shouldn?t have gone on because we would have gotten a restart and maybe a couple more waves at the end.?
CJ on his mindset during the heat: ?In my head, it was already a crappy heat. I?m thinking I?ll have to wait for the good ones but hopefully not be too far behind the eight ball when it happens because I?m probably going to get sat on. The thing that sucks about three-man heats is if one person?s a dick, then everyone has to be a dick. For that not to happen you have to have three people in agreement, which doesn?t happen very often. So to me, the heat sucked.?
