Johanne ripped Trestles for a 3rd place finish, making fans of the good people of America in the process. Photo: @johannedefay Instagram

So what motivates you now?
To surf for myself above all, and not for sponsors. To surf and enjoy it. To make my mark on the tour as best I can and prove myself. And to give something back to those who’ve stood by me and supported me.

What about your deal with Jérémy (Flores)?
He’s supported me financially, so I could go out and do the tour, and he’s been there to offer a bit of guidance after my first losses. I had a lot of highs and lows within a short space of time and he helped me deal with that, you need to be able to pick yourself up and go again pretty quickly. That’s the kind of advice you need from people who are experienced in life on the tour. When you see someone like Carissa Moore travelling with her dad, boyfriend, coach and cameraman, it’s those people who all offer invaluable support.

Do you offer him some advice back?
Not really, I don’t really have any advice for him regarding surfing, he’s so experienced on tour, he knows what he’s doing. It’s not really my place to speculate, but maybe he’s a little bit over it.

Do women surfers peak earlier than men?
It can seem that way. Noone over 30 on the womens tour, whereas the men seem to be getting older and older. It’s just a question of maturity, in surfing and in life! The thing that strikes me is that the men are more at ease on the World Tour and the women are less so. The other thing I guess that’s true across any sport is that when men want to start a family, they don’t need to stop competing. I was actually talking to Steph Gilmore about this recently and she told me that she sees herself sticking on tour a while. She likes the lifestyle, travelling, she’s not tied down. So maybe that’s the secret to longevity.