Feature Interviews
Getting to know Marlon Lipke
Marlon Lipke - the German upstart currently on the World Qualifying Series - is now relaxing at home in Lagos, Portugal after an 8 week stretch of back to back to back competitions. DailyStoke.com recently caught up with Lipke, who is currently sitting at number 9 on the World Qualifying Series, with only a handful of contest left to go this year. He should rest up, because if Lipke can make it through Brazil, the Canaries, Portugal and Hawaii, and maintain his spot in the top 15, he will be the first German surfer on the World Tour and one of the newest of a number of up-and-coming European surfers who are making it to the big leagues. I had the opportunity to interview him recently about the WQS, his surfing and life in Portugal.
A German Surfer, Living in Portugal
Though Lipke was born and raised in Portugal, his roots are very much in Germany. He says his parents got tired of the cold weather and tough conditions of living in Germany, and they decided to make the move from Hamburg to settle in the warmer, more relaxed Algarve area of Portugal. (Then his parents got around to producing world class surfers for children.)
When pressed further on his German roots, Lipke professes his love for Germany. ”Every year I visit my grandmother and other family in Hamburg,” he says. For the geographically challenged, Hamburg - while being a nice city - is not known for surfing. No matter - although he was born and raised in Portugal, Lipke strongly associates with his German nationality and, perhaps unsurprisingly, has a distinct German accent. This gives credence to the little “DEU” that always sits beside his name on every heat sheet in every competition. Had he ever surfed in Germany? “Yes,” Lipke says. “I’ve surfed the river waves in Munich. It was in summer, when I could wear board shorts. It was really cool.” He explains that he also surfed Sylt, an upscale German vacation spot with long stretches of beautiful sandy beaches.
Cold Water Surfing and Warm Water Love
Marlon didn’t stop his northern journeys with Sylt: “I got really good surf in Denmark too. It’s really good up there. I love Denmark.” That has nothing to do with the lovely Danish ladies, of course. Lipke’s travels and contests have taken him further north over the years. He lists Norway as one of his favorite surf trips and Scotland as one of the coolest places he ever competed. “Hurley has hooked me up with every possible cold water wetsuit I’ve ever needed!” Lipke explains. “I feel most comfortable in a short arm, long leg wetsuit. I like the cold water. I feel way too loose in boardshorts.” Perhaps it’s time to lobby for an arctic stop on next year’s World Tour.
Where is Lipke’s favorite surfing destination? “I really like Durban, South Africa. It’s so cool there. The waves are sooo good. And, I really like all the food and the people and the culture,” Lipke says. Where is the favorite place to compete for a guy who travels the world competing? Lipke began to answer before I could even get the question out: “Portugal. I like competing in Portugal because it is home.” Lagos, in the Algarve in the South of Portugal, is where Lipke calls home. “It’s really so great down here. The waves are so good. We are near the south coast and the west coast, so we get to surf all swell directions. And, when it gets really big and out of control, we just go around the corner and get great clean surf. I love it here!” he explains. So if home is in Lagos with great waves, surely there must be other pro surfers in the area? “No,” says Marlon, “Most of the guys on the WQS live in and around Lisbon.” His friend, World Tour surfer (and the guy who took out Kelly Slater in the Somewhere in Indo contest), Tiago Pires, is from the Lisbon area. Does Lipke’s familiarity with Portgual make him the king of the coast down there? After pausing for a second or two, seemingly to think of someone else he could push the honor of “top dog” on, he humbly responded: “Yeah, I guess so.” We think so too. We’ll look forward to seeing him in the 6 star Estoril Coast Pro in the end of October. As for other spots, Lipke reveals a love for competing in the United States. “I wish there were more contests there. I’ve only competed at Huntington. The 2008 [Boost Mobile Pro Trestles was the best contest I’ve ever.”
What does one who is so intensely focused do during his down time? Says Marlon, “I surf, hang out with friends and family, my brother Melvin, and relax. I travel. I’m actually always traveling.” (Such is the life of a professional surfer. Lipke may never know the joy of being chained to a desk each day.) Marlon’s younger brother is Melvin Lipke, who is three years his junior. Melvin Lipke is a past Junior Champ and recently has started turning up in WQS events in Europe. Could the Lipkes be the next Malloys, Hobgoods, Lopezes or Irons? Said Marlon, “Melvin is really getting focused now. He has a really good new sponsor, Protest from Holland.” So who is kicking whose ass? ”Maybe I’m pushing him too much. We’re two different people. I’m very competitive and very driven towards the whole contest thing and he’s very laid back. He wasn’t into it until recently. Now he’s getting more focused.” After seeing both in action, Melvin’s approach to surfing is more laid back. He’s definitely not chasing heat wins like Marlon, but he’s got the raw natural talent to do so when he’s ready. The way Marlon described their relationship, painted a picture of Marlon as a cooler, more humble Andy Irons, to Melvin’s more free-wheeling and laid back Bruce Irons. Whatever the comparison, surfing is in the blood of these siblings.
(Author’s Note: While I knew very little about Melvin at the time of this interview, as fate would have it, I ended up bumping into him and surfing and talking with him for several hours in my own backyard, just a few days after chatting with Marlon. He was in town with the Protest team for a photoshoot, as well as a little mind blowing free surfing.)
And while the elder Lipke is focused on qualifying for the WCT, that doesn’t mean that he’s all travel and all surfing. If he weren’t a surfer, what would he be doing? Lipke’s answer, without missing a beat: “Studying quantum physics. Seriously. I find it really interesting.” Are we then on the verge of losing our next Einstein to the World Tour?
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“Studying quantum physics. Seriously. I find it really interesting.” Are we then on the verge of losing our next Einstein to the World Tour?
What’s the matter with associating Einstein with quantum physics? Einstein never accepted quantum physics, believing God doesn’t play with dices. Let’s give respect where respect is due: Niels Bohr is regarded as the father of quantum physics…
Well I’m sure Marlon could do some distance learning and get a degree while touring the WCT. After all what do those guys do when they’re not sufing or training? Not much… (Kelly Slater was able to win his first world title while playing Jimmy Slade in Baywatch.)