Wound up tight and ready to go
By Brad Yates

Two surfers paddle out at Jocko's, across from Chunn's, for an evening surf session last month. Gavin Sutherland and his dad work their way through to the outside line-up named in honor of his father. Sitting deeper than anyone else in the water, father and son line-up "their" take-off zone. Immediately they have bumped the ante for all of the other surfers now sitting on their shoulder. Competing with these two for waves means matching your skills and intensity against their brilliance in the water. Jock was one of the World's most dominant surfers on the North Shore in the late 60's and early 70's. Twenty-five years later and Gavin sets his own standards for performance and endurance. Gavin is currently one of the hottest surfers and strongest paddlers in any line-up.

In describing this incredible athlete and his seemingly endless amount of energy, his uncle, Mark Cunningham says it best; "the boy is wound up tight and ready to go."

Gavin's fire is his power
At 24, Gavin's confidence in his ability to surf and paddle with the best is almost without equal. Blessed with superior strength and endurance he became a fitness whiz in the little kid days. Competing against his peers in events designed to promote fitness, he began to demonstrate early his ability to be competitive and win. With age came the drive to channel his physical fitness and energy into surfing and paddleboard racing. The result is an ocean athlete capable of manifesting balls-out intensity in the confines of a twenty-minute heat or over the long haul of a 6-hour paddleboard race. Again, as Cunningham pointed out, "the boy can go!"

Gavin's focus is his power
Two hours into his first Molokai -to- Oahu PaddleBoard Race, Gavin began to feel the physical effects of his efforts. As the burning intensified in his upper body it became harder and harder to breathe. With Oahu barely in view the thought came to him that his mind was beginning to question his manhood. Did he really have the physical fitness and spirit to continue the race at this speed? The answer came from deep inside. He began to relax. Controlling his breathing, he lengthened his stroke, focusing on only small segments of the race ahead to the finish line. In his words, "before I knew it several hours had passed and the race was about to be over."

Gavin had tapped into his spirit and brought forth the mental toughness needed to focus on completing the race. As a gifted and well-trained athlete, he is able to get into a rhythm, a state of complete concentration. This is an ALTERED STATE. In this altered state, he losses track of time and for hours performs free of mistakes. Nothing else distracts him or enters his mind. Long after others have slowed their pace, Gavin continues to attack the waves or paddle with the fluid moves that showcases his strength and power.

To know Gavin is to be impressed with his humility as a person. To watch him surf or paddle is to be in awe with his passion as an athlete. A free-surfer extrodianire, Gavin seems satisfied and content just to have the opportunity to perform. In a sports world seemingly preoccupied with hype, Gavin is a breath of fresh air. He has found a way to FUEL THE FIRE; and be free to enjoy it on his terms. That's HiLevel.