Karina's Surfline Interview
As a grom, everybody knew she'd make some sort of dent in the surfing world. Most people were probably more surprised when she seemed to slip off the radar for a bit in the last few years than when she recently qualified for the 2008 ASP World Tour.
The fact that 19-year-old Karina was making a full on comeback became pretty clear when she found herself facing off with Steph Gilmore in the final of this summer's US Open in Huntington Beach and more recently fought her way into yet another 6-Star Final at Haleiwa. She'll be the lone U.S. mainlander on tour next year but the reality is, Karina's making her mark with or without that accomplishment. This is what she had to say for herself.
CONGRATULATIONS. YOU'VE BEEN MAINLAND AMERICA'S HOPEFUL FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW. DO YOU THINK PEOPLE MAY HAVE EXPECTED YOU TO QUALIFY SOONER?
Yes, I do believe people expected me to qualify a couple years ago, but it had to be the right time -- my time. As soon I started competing and winning for the right reason with an incredible positive outlook and the go-for-broke attitude is when it all started coming together.
WAS QUALIFYING A GOAL YOU'VE ALWAYS HAD YOUR EYES ON?
The World Tour was always a goal of mine since I was young, admiring Frieda (Zamba) and Lisa (Andersen). I'd said to myself, "I want to be the next East Coaster, after those two legends." The accomplishment is going to take a while before it really hits me. I'm a little overwhelmed.
BEFORE THIS YEAR, WE HADN'T SEEN MUCH FROM YOU, COMPETITIVELY SPEAKING, FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT IT WASN'T A QUESTION OF TALENT. WHERE'D YOU GO?
My life has been a wild rollercoaster ride. The past three years have been very hard on me mentally. I've had many tragedies happen within my family -- I nearly lost my brother and mom from open heart surgeries and I've had a rough time trying to keep my head on straight, and all leading up to last November, when my father suffered a severe brain aneurism which sent the whole family on lockdown mode for six months. It's an absolute miracle he's still alive. It sent me to the bottom. I debated giving up my career of surfing to spend as much time with him as possible. Then, right before my birthday in April, my best friend passed away. It was inevitable that we were going to get married -- he even had my initials tattooed on his knuckles. So this past year has been pretty darn rough -- got some wrinkles and gray hair to prove it -- but it's taught me that huge lows make the highs so much sweeter. "These past two years I've begun to realize that competing can become very self-indulgent. You're constantly trying to expose yourself and it's just you against the other colored jerseys."
-- Karina Petroni
WHAT WAS A TURNING POINT THAT MADE YOU WANT TO SNAP YOUR HEAD INTO COMPETITION AGAIN?
I was utterly thankful to the Lord for life and that everything in my body works. He made me perfect and I think I should give back for all the funny talents he provided me with. I started to look at life completely differently, approaching every day like a new beginning, having no expectations whatsoever, being happy with whatever was thrown at me and that's exactly what happened at the US Open.
WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO DO TO MAKE YOUR "COMEBACK" POSSIBLE?
My father is the fittest man I know. He's 72 and before his stroke he probably could've outdone a lot of my buff young buddies -- actually a lot of them came over to train with him. So thanks to him and my mother making a huge impression on my upbringing, how to eat right and exercise daily, it was embedded in my head from the get-go. Although I went through that funny, rebellious, teenager phase where the WQS turned into the WPT (World Partying Tour) and had gone way off track, I said to myself, "Wow, you know, this depressed mentality you've been trying to cope with probably has a lot to do with a lack of physical and mental stimulation." So this past year while I was in Australia for events I started going wacko exercising and have never felt so good in my life. I try to utilize my surrounding resources wherever I am to keep in shape and eat right, but I still go a little crazy here and there.
YOU'RE A FUN GIRL TO GO OUT AND PARTY WITH. DO YOU THIK YOU'LL BE CURBING THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU HAVE NOW THAT YOU'RE ON TOUR?
I'll never curb the amount of fun I have. That's the way I get through life everyday -- having fun. If I had to change my name it would be Fun Petroni. That sounds really good. But yes, everything in moderation is good, too.
YOU'VE ALSO BEEN PRETTY ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS OF LATE. HOW DID THAT START?
Competition's been my life for eight years and counting. It really fuels me and I love to compete, although these past two years I've begun to realize that competing can become very self-indulgent. You're constantly trying to expose yourself and it's just you against the other colored jerseys. I always wanted to be a part of a project and actually make a difference in the world. Nothing's more gratifying then going to sleep at night thinking, "I put a smile on somebody's face."
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING.
I recently got involved with an organization called the Oceanic Preservation Society [OPS] and their motto is: "We're not trying to save the world; just 70 percent of it." It's an absolute pleasure working with such an incredible group of guys. Three weeks ago I was in Japan with Dave Rastovich, other surfers, musicians, actresses (including Hayden Panetterie), taking part in an incredible intervention with OPS and Dave's group, Surfers For Cetaceans, trying to end mass dolphin and small whale slaughter in Taiji, Japan. It was the most intense experience I've ever had. Our motive was not to dictate to these people but to instead to have a peaceful ceremony for these amazing friends we've lost and also to reeducate the wonderful Japanese people on how dolphin meat is highly contaminated with mercury. They're feeding the meat to their school children and slowly poisoning them.
DO YOU THINK THE WORLD TOUR WILL PROVE TO BE EVERYTHING YOU HOPED FOR NEXT YEAR?
I'm not too sure what to expect. I've had this feeling that everyone's going to be out to get that lonely Yank on tour. I also had this impression that it was going to be this huge relief, making the tour, then realized, wait a minute -- it's about to get twice as hard. I'm still so excited to make a stand for the East Coast though -- anything for the East Coast, baby.
ANY COMPETITORS IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SURFING WITH?
First one that pops to mind is Steph Gilmore. We've been friends since we were nine, riding whitewater. I was the first one she stepped foot on an airplane with. Rabbit Bartholmew would call us the Williams sisters of surfing -- we were never apart, I spent so much time in Australia that I finally became a resident. So after spending years in Oz I came back to the States and fell behind while her career continued to skyrocket. Now, after all the ups and downs, we can travel together and continue to try to outdo each other like the old days. Plus, we'll be the tallest girls on tour by a long shot.