DESPITE growing up on a farm on the Central Coast, Samba Mann was always destined to live most of his life in the water.
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Now a Lake Cathie surf coach, the 40-year-old will mix it with some of the best surfers from around Australia this weekend (November 14-15) at the Australian Open of Surfing festival.
Mann will join several Hastings grommets including Kayle Enfield and Jack Swan as they vie to win prizemoney and gain momentum going into 2021.
"My dad was a guitar teacher, but I fell in love with surfing when I was a kid," Mann said.
"I grew up on a farm with horses and the next thing you knew I had a board under my arm and I always tried to find a way to get to the beach no matter what.
"I was obsessed with surfing and would do anything I could to be out in the ocean and on a wave."
The goofy-footer competed at world junior level against renowned Australian surfing identities such as Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Dean Morrison in the early 2000s.
While their careers took off on an upward trajectory, Mann wasn't as fortunate.
"Those guys were the best in the world and were getting paid a lot of money so as a young grom you always try and keep up with them," Mann said.
"But when I got on the QS they kept soaring ahead and I didn't keep soaring."
After dipping his toe in coaching at the age of 22, Mann then took a disabled Australian surfing team to America where they claimed a silver medal in December 2017.
It was that experience that gave him as much joy as rubbing shoulders with Fanning, Parkinson and Morrison as a youngster.
"It's amazing watching people like that with their disabilities who love surfing and when they hit the water they paddle straight out," Mann said.
"Some have prosthetic legs they have to attach for surfing, so it's pretty amazing to watch.
"You question any injury you've ever had because you watch what they have to do day-to-day and I've always had a lot of respect for that."
While he admits he is now slowing down, Mann admitted he was looking forward to mixing it with some of the up-and-coming surf talent from around the area this weekend.
The competitive juices still flow as strongly as ever.
"I love competing and I've never lost that edge," Mann said.
"I've got that competitive desire and having coached some of the kids around here - it will be good to go up against the young boys like Kayle and Jack and see if I can still beat them."
The Port Macquarie Open is a mobile event with proposed event locations at North Haven, Bonny Hills, Lake Cathie, Lighthouse Beach and Town Beach.
It is the highest profile event the Hastings can host outside of the world tour.
"It's great to see these events in Port that give the kids an opportunity to surf against the big guys and the top athletes in this country," Mann said.
"I try not to set myself any expectations these days because I'm feeling the aches and pains a little bit, but it would make me just as happy to see some of the local groms make it through their heats than it would mine."
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