Talented, relaxed, friendly, Jack Robinson made his second trip to Chile because he likes to compete in powerful waves, similar to those at home. He is tired of events in bad waves but says he takes them calmly, that the time will come for him to get into the elite.

In a few days he will be entering a one-on-one against Gabriel Medina, one of the best and most competitive surfers on the tour. The Australian spoke with DUKE about that series, the QSs in bad waves, the sharks in his home, among other things.

Is this your second time in Chile?
Yes.

And are you enjoying it? Did you come back because you had fun last time or just to collect points?
No, last time was good so I decided to come back.

What did you like?
The waves, the food, everything. The people, there are beautiful girls (laughs).

Have you gone out or are you focused solely on the championship?
Now that it's the championship, I'm staying home and preparing. I came to do the work so I stayed pretty focused. I didn't go out much. I've been hanging out with everyone, but I've been preparing. I've done my thing.

How was the victory in Iquique?
It was good, it's always good to win. But yes, the year is just beginning. There are still many things to come. Hopefully I can come back and do more.

What can you tell us about the QS in Iquique and about El Gringo?
It's quite similar to where I live in Western Australia. The power of the waves, we also have similar slabs. I felt at home, I love the place, it's a good place.

Are you afraid to surf here or are you comfortable in the water?
I usually stay calm. But when things get tougher, you want to do the right thing and it's a bit scary. In those situations, I make sure to do the right thing, I respect the place, it's like everywhere.

Did you have any bad moments here?
Some do, but generally I try to surf smart, not stupid.

As for the QS, you have been competing for four years, let's say three full-time. How much does it bother you not to have qualified yet?
I don't know... The more experience you have, the better you become at it. Once I qualify, I don't think I'll have a problem competing against the best. I can take them all on. I don't think it's a problem that I haven't qualified yet, I just have to figure it out. Sometimes luck isn't on our side, because of the judges and all that. If I think about surfing, things are good. You just have to let time pass.

And does that eat away at you? Thinking that you're a better surfer than others who are already there?
It's a bit of luck too. I don't really think about it too much. I know how good I can be and my abilities so it's just about staying comfortable and not stopping. Not giving importance to others but to yourself. Staying strong, staying focused and not having expectations because things will eventually come.

The QS presents problems for surfers like you, even for some Peruvians and Chileans, because there aren't many waves like these. Do you think the QS should have more of the best waves and less of the small ones?
Sure, I think it should. In the small waves everyone has a similar level, it brings everyone together. When they are bigger, it separates the good surfers. When they are bigger it is more exciting, you see the difference. But you have to deal with what you have and make the best of it.

Do you find it boring to have to surf in so many places with bad waves?
Yeah, a little bit. You can let it get into your head and worry, but that's what it is. It would be nice if there were more of the good waves because it separates the surfing field more. There are a lot of good guys who should already be on the CT.

Next week you are going to have a big event in  Uluwatu, competing in round 3 of the CT, how do you feel?
Well, I didn't know if I would be able to make it on time but it looks like I will. I'm ready. It's good to come to Chile, have some battles and go to Bali. As I said before, if I don't think too much I feel good about it, confident.

Medina is a bit stressful to compete in. He paddles close to you and always tries to catch the first wave. Do you have a plan for that?
Whatever he has to do, I'll do it with him. Whatever he wants to do to me, I'll do it back to him, so it doesn't really scare me one bit. Anything he wants to try, we can do it together (laughs).

Do you like competing against big names like Medina?
Yes, I'm happy whoever it is. John, whoever. It's good to be able to compete against them. There's not much you can do but go out and be confident because things happen in the ocean, you work with it, you don't think about others.

Was the WSL right to stop you because of the sharks or would you have surfed without any problem?
I don't know, I think it was probably because some surfers posted stuff on Instagram and social media. That probably drove them a little crazy. At the same time there were a lot of whales. The problem is with the government because something was going on with some investors who were looking at oil and the whales had to move. This happened two days before, so there were like 100 whales. I don't think anyone else was to blame but the government.

But then, do you agree or disagree with what the WSL did?
Yes, they were good. I don't mind, I think it was good. Things turned out better, I think it's good that we finished the event in Bali.

Weren't you looking forward to surfing that big series at home?
I was ready to go, I didn't care. Whatever. There are sharks everywhere, in South Africa they attack surfers. In that sense, yes, maybe I wasn't happy with the decision.

You seem like a relaxed person, like everything is going well for you.
Yes, I wasn't scared because that's what I get paid for. I was probably a little more relaxed than the rest, but I felt fine. If they didn't feel fine or if they didn't want to go, I would go somewhere else.

Have you surfed in Uluwatu yet?
Yes, several times. It's good there.

How do you feel about surfing a CT there?
Well, it's very similar to a lot of waves I surfed and I surfed there a lot as a kid so I'm not worried about going. To be honest, I can't wait. I'm really excited.