Goal Setting in Surfing: Introduction

This blog aims to give you, the Surf Coach, the skills and materials to use Goal Setting in an effective and successful manner. Goal setting is something regularly undertaken by virtually all athletes and coaches. However certain principles need to be followed for it to be a successful component of a coach’s regime. The material and future posts will provide you with the required information to boost both motivation and performance in your students, no matter the age or skill level. In addition, even though this material is aimed at Coaches, the information and resources should be sufficient in assisting the motivated lone surfer in using goal setting as a way to improve their own day-to-day surfing.

‘Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is.’
Vince Lombardi

Mark ‘Occy’ Occhilupo is a great example of how clear-cut goals can help an athlete become a world champion. Also known as ‘the raging bull’, Mark was an impressive young Australian surfer from Kurnell, New South Wales. Rated third in the world at only seventeen and with wins such as the Pipeline Masters at nineteen Mark was set for very big career. However facing psychological burnout, he lost the drive to compete and faded from the surfing scene after quitting the tour in the early 90’s before an epic comeback and world title win in 1999.

‘If there’s one thing I’d like people to take from my world title win it’s that anyone can do what they really want to do, if they set their mind to it.’

Mark Occhilupo [1]

After spending a lot of time on the couch and battling depression along with some serious weight gain. Mark had decided enough was enough and began back on the track to training and eventual competition. He made it his goal to lose the weight he had put on and to get to a fitness level, which would then allow him to compete and eventually re-join the professional circuit. Starting small he worked his way up to a return to the Pipe Masters. In an early heat he beat Sunny Garcia who was set to win the world title however despite trying to give him the upper hand in the heat, Occy won. This heat really drove him to go for the win and despite losing to Kelly Slater in the final it had given him a taste and to solidify his goal for re-entering the tour and going for the world title.

While his powerful surfing had made him well known in the surfing world as the raging bull, the sport had moved forward to a faster paced style. Due to this he faced some difficulty winning heats and requalifying. Using advice from Barton Lynch to speed up his surfing he was able to set himself the new challenge of bringing his surfing to what he needed to win heats. This new goal assisted him in He attributes this to what helped him qualify.

‘You’ve got to be quick and do your thing at the same time. That’s probably the main thing that helped me come back’

Mark Occhilupo [1]

In 1999 and after 3 years back on the WCT, Mark had the feeling of ‘now or never’. With a ramped up training regime in hand and his goal re-solidified he set out to win the world title in which he won later that year.

Mark Occhilupo was able to successfully set goals that assisted him, not only for the world title, which was an outcome goal. He was also able to set performance and process goals that would aid him in losing the gained weight, improving his surfing technique and to requalify for the professional tour. Mark also had a lot of support from his friends, family and from his wife at the time. These people gave him the support he needed to stay true to his goals and to eventually realise his dream.