Kim Feast interview

The WA dropknee rider on why their tour isn’t a tour and why, non-Roach worship and why you haven’t seen him as much as he’d like.

Kim Feast has been busy. Apart from signing with Elit’ he’s also been studying an architecture degree. While he laments a lack of travel time it doesn’t appear to have quelled his frontside attack from the few clips we’ve seen of him at North Point this year.

Movement: You were recently over east for the DKS, is that like the unofficial “tour” for DK riders?

Kim Feast: The DKS events are insane, there is such a sick vibe at those contests, everyone just feeds off each other. It’s a real fun time. I haven't actually done them for a few years due to uni commitments and family reasons so it was good to see where my riding was at. There is a new world tour that’s surfaced this year, which I'd be amped to participate in as well. There are a few downers though. There were no media releases or invites letting us know the events were on. Dubb's basically the only one participating that is up at the level of riding that should be seen at those events and he is there competing in the prone events as well. Without all of the top guys competing in it, it's a bit hard to call it a world tour. I'm ranting, I know, but I'm passionate about the tour taking off and being professionally done. I think it could include the DKS comps and Terry could possibly bring it back along side the prone tour that he's done such great things for. I mean what dropkneer wouldn’t want to surf Arica or El Confital in a contest format. 

Movement: Did you hound Roach for any advice when you met him at the DKS?

Kim Feast: Umm, nah, I didn’t. It wasn’t really that kind of scene; you could tell he was there just cruising. He had enough attention from all the groms. It was super cool to just hang and to get to surf with him in the expression session. He had heaps of time for everyone so that was sick. Pretty sure that Lackey got a bucket load of footage for his upcoming vid when he was up on the Goldy so his section is going to be real good when it comes out. He doesn’t look like he has lost a thing though, I’m not sure how much he surfs when he is at home but he still has his trademark speed, rail to rail and the power just flows out of that.

Movement: Any cool plans being hatched with the Elit' team?

Kim Feast: There are but I can’t really talk them up just yet. Blake (team manager) has a sick eye for the direction he wants this company to go. I’m amped to be a part of it and hopefully you guys get to see some cool stuff in the near future. We did a collaborative design board that'll be out soon, so check that out if you like.

Movement: As a DK rider, what's the hardest part about increasing exposure in a prone dominated world?

Kim Feast: The hardest part is lifting your profile with the mags and having you guys see us individually as a viable part of your magazine. It’s a hard one. All in all, like anything, it requires hard work but in saying that increased exposure shouldn’t just come from increased exposure from sponsors using you in their advertising and therefore mags backing you in that sense. I think it requires some specific thinking on our behalf to step outside the box and get the images that haven’t been seen before. No one wants to see the same old thing over and over again. DK has been pushed to the side for a little bit but with a positive amount of guys coming to a level of riding that is consistent with where it should at be. I think we are pushing a bit more to see that it doesn’t just fall by the wayside. It’s up to us bring it back to where it was, to work hard and to work smart with photographers and get cool angles and well composed images that document how to ride our crafts well and, in turn, arouse the interest of mags and readers

Movement: What are your plans for the near future, any trips etc?

Kim Feast: Right now I am in my second year of studying architecture at uni. The course is so intense, which takes up so much of my time. I was even fortunate just to get over to the DKS tour; I had to sacrifice uni to get to that. The university has been really cool about letting me go in contests and stuff though. Doing the DKS trip and jumping on board with Elit' has kinda shifted my direction, I feel like I’m just coming into my own as a rider. My riding's been progressing over the last few years even with the distractions and next year I plan to postpone uni to re-focus on my surfing.

As mentioned there are a number of team trip ideas floating around and I have one idea that I really need to do. If it works and we get images they should be insane but I can’t put that out there because if it doesn’t work I’m only going to get my arse kicked by the ocean. I’m planning to go back to Hawaii this season but I have three weeks left of uni to get through then I can look forward, work hard and see what happens.