Holly Crawford Interview (Brink Vault)

The 'vault' continues to be open as we go back to 2013 today to speak with Australian Olympic Snowboarder Holly Crawford. Talking about her career and her Olympic experiences, it's another fun and entertaining chat not to be missed.

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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Please note this is an automated transcript that may contain errors.

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BEN WATERWORTH: Hello and welcome once again to Off The Podium, an Olympics podcast continuing on our vault interview series with interviews we did with Olympic athletes on our parent show, The Brinks History. Today, another Winter Olympian for you, Holly Crawford, three-time Olympian from the sport of snowboarding. She's a half-pipe competitor, competed in the 2006 Olympics, I should say, in Turin, 2010 in Vancouver, and 2014 in Sochi. And I had the pleasure of sitting down with her and chatting to her back in the year 2013. So in the lead up to Sochi, having already at that point been a two-time Olympian. So here it is, the 2013 chat from the brink with Olympic athlete from the sport of snowboarding, Holly Crawford.

BEN WATERWORTH: Holly Crawford is a dual Olympic snowboarder who won the World Championship in Half Pipe in 2011 and is pushing hard to bring home gold for Australia at next year's Sochi Winter Games. I spoke to Holly about how her preparations are going for the Olympics as well as finding out a very interesting story behind her nail-biting habit. Holly, welcome to the show.

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Thank you.

BEN WATERWORTH: With the Olympics now less than six months away, how's all the preparation going for Sochi?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: I mean, I've unfortunately had some injuries here and there, but, you know, as with everything that the V1 does, there's always hiccups, and you just get back on the horse, basically.

BEN WATERWORTH: Is it hard to believe that it's now less than six months ago? Is it a bit of a scary string of words there, Holly, as it gets closer?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Before you cycle, it always goes really quickly, and you know, you're sort of back where you were last time, but, you know, slightly different as these things are. But yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to it.

BEN WATERWORTH: You've had some great success since Vancouver in 2010, as I mentioned, with the World Championship Gold in 2011, Silver this year, and also numerous World Cup podiums. Do you feel as though you're in the best form of your life currently, Holly?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: I mean, with regards to my riding and, you know, even for fitness training and conditioning and things like that, everything's going really well. You know, as I said, I've had some injuries that have been mingling a bit here and there, but it's sort of part and parcel. Let me throw yourself a good few feet into the air the other day of the week.

BEN WATERWORTH: Yes, it is a bit that way. Snowboarding's come a very long way since its debut at the 1998 Winter Olympics. What initially drew you into the sport, Holly? And do you feel that more younger people need to get involved in snowboarding?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Definitely, you know. I mean, I started as a skier in 1987 or something like it, and I eventually ended up with a snowboard on my feet and kind of took it from there. But I mean, you know, it's a great thing for all ages, basically, which is wonderful because families can get out and do it all together. But, you know, it would be definitely, would be wonderful to see, you know, the younger children coming up through the ranks now that we've got such a good program in place.

BEN WATERWORTH: How difficult was it when you first started in winter sports to try and get established in it? Because winter sports in Australia have come a very long way in the last decade since our recent success in the Winter Olympics.

HOLLY CRAWFORD: You know, it's definitely a very different game to when I started. You know, the pipes are very different. I mean, I used to ride the half pipes that were, you know, dug with a shovel and, you know, not all that big. And now we've got 22-foot pipes that are, you know, greened and made with big machines and, you know, dyed and kept up to shape. So, you know, everything's definitely changed a lot and continues to. It's still been quite a young sport. So, you know, I mean, as these things will, I'm sure, you know, even in the years to come, they'll continue to change a lot.

BEN WATERWORTH: Are there many training areas in Australia to do half pipe or is it sort of a case you have to go to New Zealand, where you are currently, to do a lot of that training in Europe and America?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Yeah, unfortunately, at this stage, for half pipe, Australia is not a wonderful base. Perish has obviously got a pipe, but it's unfortunately not quite what we need to train in. It's great for, you know, kids that want to learn and things like that. But, yes, unfortunately, you know, we can't train at home, which would be nice. So we're, you know, spending a lot of time in North America and New Zealand.

BEN WATERWORTH: You said, is there key areas sort of for upcoming athletes who maybe want to get involved in the half pipe that's sort of looked for when it comes to the coach as a half pipe? I mean, is there sort of a lot of strength in the legs needed for key landings, agility in the air, obviously, when performing the tricks?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Even at the beginning, you know, you're falling over a lot and there's often, you know, sort of break lists and things like that. And, you know, when you get to our stage, when you're, you know, going 10 foot out of a 22 foot pipe, if something goes wrong, you know, you want to have something to handle, let's be sure.

BEN WATERWORTH: Have you ever found yourself scared into a move that you've just completely stuffed up and thought, oh, this isn't going to be good?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Definitely, you know, there's moments where you, you know, you can see the ground coming and you know, there's absolutely nothing you can do other than brace yourself, basically.

BEN WATERWORTH: When was the last time you experienced the summer? Because I could have probably imagined that you're always trying to find snow pretty much 12 months of the year. So it must have been a while since you've seen some sun, Holly.

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Yeah, I mean, it definitely gets like that. We always try to come home for Christmas, even if it just be for a couple of weeks. And I unfortunately actually hurt myself at the test event in Russia in February and came home after that. So I got a little bit of summer there, but as a general rule, we are just chasing the snow. But, you know, to be fair, we, you know, any chance we get, we're in the sun, you know, or the boys will surf and everything. So it's good to get those breaks, you know, when we can.

BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, I can definitely imagine. The attention, I suppose, in Australia sometimes for winter sports comes only really about sort of every four years with the Winter Olympics. Is this kind of a good thing in terms of the anonymity of yourself with the success that you've had, or is it sometimes a burden given that, I suppose, the money and the funding for winter sports in Australia isn't as high as when it comes, say, the summer sports for the summer games?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: And then the coverage of the general rule is getting much better. I mean, I suppose the difficult with Australia is that when we're overseas competing, it's summer in Australia, and no one really wants to hear about the cold. So, you know, it's a bit different. But I mean, it's definitely changing a lot, and the coverage of the Olympics over the last couple of years has been better as well. So, you know, I assume these things will just get better.

BEN WATERWORTH: I personally love the Winter Olympics a lot more than the Summer Olympics. I mean, I'm an Olympics nut, full stop. But I just love the Winter Games because it opens my eyes to a lot of these sports. You know, I very rarely get to see snowboarding or skiing, you know, sports like curling. I love ice hockey. It's just, you know, it's two weeks of fun, I call it, Holly.

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I find that the Winter sports are sort of, you know, a little bit more action-packed, I suppose you could say, even the downhill skiing. And I mean, as you say, everyone seems to always get into the curling, which is quite funny. But yeah, you know, it's obviously very different, you know, that the Americans have marketed quite differently to us, because they're all there amongst it, and they all sort of grow up with it. You know, so I suppose it's just different, you know, coming from the same different countries we do.

BEN WATERWORTH: Very, very true. Torra Bright obviously won the gold in 2010. You finished eighth in that event. Did that really inspire you seeing her win the gold to sort of push hard for a medal next year?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Yeah, definitely. You know, I mean, unfortunately, I hurt myself quite badly in 2006, and, you know, I had some problems with equipment in Vancouver, which was unfortunate, but, you know, it was great. I mean, I've been travelling and competing with Torra for, you know, 10 odd years or so now, and it was definitely great to see her up there, and great for our program, and great for the sport in Australia as a general rule.

BEN WATERWORTH: Well, you finished 18th in 2006, 8th in 2010. Now, given it seems you improved by about 10 places every Olympics, Holly, surely that means that gold is guaranteed next year?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Well, you know, fingers crossed.

BEN WATERWORTH: I want to ask our five questions to wrap things up in just a second, Holly. But before I do, Sochi, a very unique location for the Winter Olympics, right in the Black Sea, very diverse climate. I saw a preview of it recently where it saw you could go swimming at a beach one minute, and then you're at the snow the next. It looks very interesting. But have you had a chance to check out Sochi yet, see the venues and kind of preparation for the games?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Yeah, we had our test event there in February. I mean, despite the fact that the village opened up or anything like that yet, where we were, where the pipe is, we've got the pipes and our grills, and the air is all there, and the site is great. I mean, the mountain is magnificent. So, you know, fingers crossed I got it all finished and put on a really good show.

BEN WATERWORTH: I'm very much looking forward to it. And actually, just before I get to our five questions, one thing that has been brought into the media recently in terms of Winter Olympics, our greatest ever Winter Olympian, Dale Begg Smith, has gone missing, Holly. Do you know where he is? It's funny. It's kind of like they should release a book. Like, instead of Where's Wally, it's Where's Dale? And they just travel guides out there or something, maybe. Who knows? We'll find him. We wrap up every interview, Holly, with a set of five questions. These will be the easiest questions you'll answer in your entire life, starting off with question number one. Holly Crawford, what is your favourite type of cheese? Charlesburg, yes. That's getting a few answers recently, actually. I need to get some. I haven't had that in a long time. Is that on the training regime? Is that kind of on the, you know, the dietary needs for a snowboarder? Most definitely. There you go, kids. Listen to this. Eat your Jansburg cheese. Question number two, are you a folder or a scruncher?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Both.

BEN WATERWORTH: Both. You're a scrollder. I need to add that as an extra category, a folder, a scruncher or a scrollder, because I think scrollder, they're coming up with that. There's a, you know, it's a scrollder revolt. Let's call that. Question number three, growing up, Holly, what was your dream job?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Probably what I'm doing now, thankfully, you know.

BEN WATERWORTH: Brilliant. I love hearing people who kind of go on to achieve that. Was it always sort of the Olympics in terms of that, as an athlete, you wanted to reach the Olympics, or was it just kind of that snowboarding?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: It was more the snowboarding. Well, I think when I was younger, my best friend and I, I think originally wanted to be lifties or something like that, and then I moved into snowboarding structures, and then lo and behold, I snowboarded for a living, and she takes tours in Niseko, Japan. So we're doing quite well.

BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, absolutely. I'm sure then as soon as you heard that snowboarding was being included in the Winter Olympics, it was just a bonus.

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Yeah, definitely.

BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, absolutely. Also growing up, Holly, who was your childhood celebrity crush?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Probably River Phoenix.

BEN WATERWORTH: I think we've ever had old River answered for that one. That's an interesting one. Sadly missed, actually, River, isn't it? Are you a fan of his, a fan of Joaquin, his brother? You know, do you like some of his movies?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Yeah, you know, I've had a look.

BEN WATERWORTH: Not with that B, when you turn into a rapper for like a year. That was interesting. The final question for you today, Holly Crawford, what is your worst habit?

HOLLY CRAWFORD: Probably biting my fingernail.

BEN WATERWORTH: Now, I'm finding out from people, I'm trying to find out, I should say, about the fingernail biting. Now, is this something that just is a habit? You just can't really explain why you do it? Because I'm always intrigued why people do do it.

HOLLY CRAWFORD: I think, interestingly enough, it started because my sister bit her nails. And my mother had given me some of that horrible stuff that you put on children's nails to stop them biting it. And all I wanted was that stuff to put on my nails. But because I'd started biting because of that, she refused to give it to me.

BEN WATERWORTH: Wow. There you go. That's an interesting way of looking at it. That's an interesting one I've heard there, Holly. That's a good answer. Well, of course, the Sochi Winter Olympics are happening in February next year. And we obviously wish you all the best for those in your training and obviously recovering from the injuries. And it's been an absolute pleasure chatting with you today here on the Brinkin Edge Radio. Holly, best of luck. Greater chat there to Holly, and of course, as I said before, she did go on to compete in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. And for those wondering how she did go, of course, we did get a medal when it came to snowboarding with Toro Bright winning the silver, but Holly, she ended up finishing in 14th place overall in that half-pipe. So, I was directly wondering how she went, and we hope to see her in Pyeongchang next year, of course, and as I keep saying, maybe we'll get her back on the show, track her down, and we can have a bit of a chat how our lead-up's going into 2018. More of these still to come. We've got a couple more to give you, and we're looking forward to bringing those to you as well. And head to our Facebook page, Off The Podium Podcast, see what's happening there, and remember to subscribe on iTunes. Raiders, give us feedback. You know the drill. We've said it to you about a million and one times, and we'll say it to you about another a million and one more times along the way as well. We're out of here. Thank you for tuning in to Off The Podium, and we'll speak to you next time, wherever you are listening to us, here on the program.