Hayden Meikle: The first question is an obvious one. JC?
JC Susan: It stands for Jan Clarence. But I've basically been called JC my whole life. Even my family calls me JC.
HM: Where were you born and raised?
JCS: I was born in Cape Town and I lived in South Africa till I was about 17. I'm 22 now.
HM: Can you remember the first time you surfed?
JCS: I can't really remember the very first time but I know it took me about a full month to learn to stand up on the board. I had a mate who could do it and I was determined to learn.
HM: Favourite place to surf?
JCS: Purakaunui Bay, down in the Catlins, is one of my favourite spots. And you can't go past good old St Kilda.
HM: Biggest wave?
JCS: I rode a 10-footer when I was 16. Well, it felt like a 10-footer. It was somewhere between eight and 10 feet, anyway.
HM: Ever seen a shark?
JCS: Not while I've been surfing. But I saw a shark once when we were out kayaking. It was probably as big as a two-man kayak. We got out of the water very quickly that day.
HM: Why do you surf? What keeps you going back into the water?
JCS: Oh, it's just like a drug. I can't imagine not doing it. You're out there enjoying nature, and you can often surf alone. It's like nothing else.
HM: Are you studying or working?
JCS: I'm just about to have my graduation ceremony, actually. Design and marketing. I've been lucky enough to get a job in the office at Hydro Surf.
HM: You recently finished 16th at the World Surfing Games - happy with that?
JCS: Yeah, I was pretty stoked. I wanted to make it through to the top 10 but I couldn't catch a wave in the last round.
HM: What are the big events this summer?
JCS: We've got the national championships in January and a few other events between then and May. It'll just be events in New Zealand, nothing overseas.
HM: What's your long-term goal?
JCS: I really want to explore the publicity and photography side of surfing. Get some good photos and videos, and maybe get into some magazines.
