{"id":124835,"date":"2026-02-17T08:09:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T21:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/?p=124835"},"modified":"2026-02-18T12:06:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T01:06:29","slug":"watch-arch-whiteman-in-round-of-96","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/watch-arch-whiteman-in-round-of-96","title":{"rendered":"WATCH: Arch Whiteman in ‘Round of 96’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2018Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when Arch Whiteman blew most of his savings on back-to-back Round of 96 losses during the QS events in Krui and Nias last season, he ditched the rest of the competitive year and spent the last of his budget on redirecting his flight home, back to Sumatra. He chased slabs with his mates and started shooting for a new edit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result of that trip meant much more than any contest placing, Arch used that time to rediscover his love for the sport and reconnect with his \u2018why\u2019. When he threw the jersey on again six months later at the QS 2,000 in Newcastle, he surfed his way to a 3rd place finish \u2013 his best Quey result to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his time off, the 23-year-old from Avalon on Sydney\u2019s Northern Beaches backed up his Sumatra footage with a couple of all time sessions at home. Throw in his debut trip to Hawaii at the start of this year and you have all the ingredients for his latest edit \u2018Round of 96\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Arch seeking comfort in getting coned at home. Photo: Guy Williment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the title implies a light hearted poke at his contest results, there is some serious surfing on display with the goofy-footer showing he is no slouch when it comes to getting coned or laying it on rail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We caught up with Arch to find out more about the project and his goals for 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell us a bit about the title \u2018Round of 96\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been doing the QS in Australia and Asia the past couple of years and last season I put all my money into it, dialed in my equipment and then proceeded to get knocked in the Round of 96 at both Krui and Nias. Nias, in particular, I had an absolute stinker and finished my heat with one wave and a total of 2.83. The conditions kept changing between pumping tubes and then onshore turns. I felt pretty confident as my backhand is a strong point and then I just got completely in my own head and caught neither.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I came in from that heat and just thought; ‘What the fuck am I doing? I\u2019m absolutely blowing it.’ I wanted it that bad, but it was almost too much that I was completely in my own head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much does it hurt losing early in a QS event?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It absolutely sucks. Especially because I felt like my surfing was there and then I went and got a 2.8 in 25 minutes of pumping Nias. When results aren\u2019t going your way it genuinely feels like you\u2019re pushing an immovable object up the steepest hill ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do you think things didn\u2019t go your way?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think I was just so nervous because I wanted it so bad, but that made me seize up and my surfing became so safe and rigid. I was so scared to fall or make a mistake that it completely knocked my confidence. I think I also lost sight of why I was doing the whole thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does the money side of things factor in your head when scenarios like this are happening?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, fully. I remember at Nias I was sat in the water doing the numbers in my head thinking that 2.8 was a $1000 wave or something crazy like that. You could do a three week trip to the Ments with some of the money surfers spend on chasing the QS events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n