Danger signs as Collins is ready to race
Kiwi hoping to launch assault on series
Northcliffe’s Joe Collins says he is feeling like a dangerous man as one of the sport’s most electrifying athletes ramps up his bid to claim multiple surf titles.
The 21-year-old New Zealander is ranked third going into the final two rounds of the Nutri-grain Series this weekend while he is second in the Summer of Surf with two of the biggest events to come.
Collins is coming off the back of a victory in the Summer of Surf Maroochydore Classic, held at the end of January, and got second in the Manly Surf Open a week earlier.
“I’m feeling really good. I have had two good competitions in a row so I’m coming in with momentum, I’m moving well and I just want to race.”
Regarded as one of the most in-form athletes this summer, Collins could have been forgiven for thinking he had walked under a ladder because bad luck is one of the biggest reasons he isn’t ranked at the top of both the Nutri-grain Series and Summer of Surf.
Collins has continuously put himself in positions to win but a horror run of bad luck has cruelled some of his best chances at winning.
“I did get a message from someone asking if I shattered a mirror,” Collins said.
“I have made mistakes in those races too and I have learnt from them.
“I have seen where I could have made a difference. My body surfing wasn’t top notch in the first four rounds of the Nutri-grain and I’m working on that.
“Using my skills under fatigue has been a massive thing for me and I think it comes a lot easier to the older guys because they have been around the sport for so much longer.
“I know in this sport you can only do your best and sometimes it isn’t good enough.
“I’m feeling like a dangerous man coming in with momentum now though and anything is possible.”
But Collins knows exactly what he needs to do to become the first Kiwi to win the NutriGrain Series.
Ali Day leads the series on 97, with Matt Bevilacqua on 96 and Collins on 86.
“I have done the numbers and I need Ali to get second and third if I win both rounds,” Collins said.
“Then I can win on a countback. It’s a big ask but I’m up for the challenge and excited go up against Ali and Bevy who have been a staple of the sport for the past few years.”
Collins provided one of the highlights of the season in Maroubra when he won a race on the back of starting the race with the ski under his arm be
fore launching into it and flying into the lead instead of dragging it into the water, stopping and straddling the craft.
It’s a growing trend among athletes, with the likes of Bevilacqua, Corey Fletcher, Ben Carberry and Zach Morris all doing it.
“I did it in my first series four years ago,” Collins said.
“My coach Kev (Morrison) and I were talking and messing around with it at training. It is high risk but high reward and it worked that first time when I had nothing to lose so I have done it ever since.
“I remember Pooley (Matt Poole) got angry at me once at training because I botched it and nailed him so it wasn’t always smooth sailing.”
Asked if he would provide any advice to rivals if they called him looking for tips Collins said: “I think they know I probably wouldn’t tell them much.”