Powering Dane Henry. The Ambassador Interview.

Fresh off being crowned WSL World Junior Champion, Australia's Dane Henry is riding more than just momentum. In this interview, he opens up about the buzzer-beater moments, the setbacks no one saw, and the mindset that carried him to the top of the world. From food poisoning and mental spirals to finals-day pressure, life on tour, and staying powered while chasing the ultimate goal, this is a raw look at what it really takes to become a world champion.

Dane! You’ve recently been crowned WSL (World Surf League) World Junior Champion. What was the very first thought that went through your head when you heard the final buzzer?

I remember really vividly my first thought, I kinda laughed and thought, “far out, I’m the bloody world champ.” It was a crazy feeling as I have been dreaming of this winfor so many years and in that moment, I had a wave of relief wash through me as that buzzer sounded.

You have won ISA (International Surfing Association) world titles before – how does this one stack up?

 I’ve had three experiences now, the first was my 2024 ISA U18 world title and that one was the most emotional, I couldn’t stop crying all afternoon as it had been a massive comp and everything came out all at once. Then my second ISA title which was in the 2025 opens division was an odd feeling as I came in feeling like I should go and get ready for my next heat, this showed me what kind of mental state I was in that allowed me to get through that comp and get the win. For my WSL world junior title the feeling was pure happiness, having my coach and mum there with me was so special and the relief of winning that comp gave me happiness that I have never felt before. All of these experiences have been equally special to me.

Looking back, what was the toughest moment on the road/path to this title?

While I was in the Philippines I had a few setbacks along the way, the night before the first round I was up all night vomiting my guts out from food poisoning and had a gnarly fever all day the next day but I still managed to win my first-round heat. Also, the first week I was over there I was staying alone and a few of my boards weren’t going great which lead to me go down a bit of a mental spiral which I have never experienced before, I ended up going back to the basics and overcoming that, which I think helped me to be in that winning mindset needed to win those big events.

Was there a heat or decision prior to, or during the event that defined your championship run?

 Absolutely, the semi-final I had was a really important one for me. Having three lay days leading up to that got me more fired up than I have ever been for a heat (plus other motives), but to get a buzzer beater in the last 10 seconds really solidified my winning mindset as the ocean chose me and I knew that that would carry on into the final where I felt unstoppable.

Big global events can be intense. How do you manage pressure when everything’s on the line?

I’ve now had experience in finals on some of the biggest stages in Junior and Opens surfing and I have learned a lot from those moments, taking notes on what I was feeling in the moment and remembering those feelings for the next time I’m in that situation. I personally love the pressure of those moments, I think I have gotten semi addicted to that feeling so whenever it comes up in a heat, I’m more eager than ever to get the job done and show what I am capable of.

How important is preparation versus instinct when you paddle out? It seems you train hard, but surf on instinct…

For me it is a constant balance of both. I work extremely hard before competition to get my body and mind in the right place so that when the comp starts, I don’t need to second guess my preparation and can focus more on my instinct in the water.

You’re constantly travelling, training, and competing—what does a “normal” day look like for you on the road?

I keep it pretty simple, every day before a comp I’ll go out for a early morning surf at the comp site, then come in and grab some breaky, head back to my place and put on a TV show or some YouTube for an hour or two, then either miss the midday surf and go for lunch, but if it’s good I’ll head out, come in for lunch then head back out in the evening for a quick one. I do love maximising downtime around comps, probably too much screen time but if I have a good TV show to watch it really calms me down and chills my body out.

What’s one thing fans don’t see or realise behind the scenes of life on tour?

Travelling actually sucks! (Laughs) A lot of people come up to me once I’m home and ask where I am off to next and it must be so amazing travelling all over the world, which it is, but planes, airports and plane seats live in my nightmares, I don't really know many professional athletes that love hopping on a plane, and the ones that do are always in business class! (more laughs) The more time I spend away from home the more I miss home which is why being home on the Gold Coast is so special for me now and I don’t take it for granted.

Who or what pushes you to keep improving, even after a win like this?

I have a deep internal drive for greatness that pushes me after every big moment to keep it going.

Also, the thought of winning an open WSL World Title and becoming a world champ is enough to give me goosebumps which gives me even more drive to get to that point one day.

How do you reset mentally after a loss or tough heat?

I have learned to lose through my short career which has helped me to make the most of the heats where things don’t go my way. I see losing as an opportunity to learn, last year my first six months were straight losses, I had a few comps that I made silly mistakes and I swore I would never make those mistakes again, those losses have helped me win my last few comps as there have been moments where I could have done the same silly thing but I remembered what the mistake was and corrected it in the moment.

What does this world title unlock for you moving forward?

This world title unlocks a new and exciting journey for me on the challenger series. I'm going from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big lake, this makes me all the more hungry to rip in as the underdog on tour and test my surfing against some of the best.

What are you most excited about as you step closer to the Championship Tour?

I’m keen to go to some new places like Ballito (South Africa) and Saquarema (Brazil) as I’ve been watching a lot of highlights from the challenger tour and I feel like it suits my surfing quite well. Hopefully Pipe is still on the cards for this year’s challenger, and I get some time out there with only a couple guys out.

Between filming heats, staying in touch with coaches, and downtime, how important is your phone while travelling?

For me and a lot of other young competitors I think most of us are semi addicted to our phones so they are really important while on the road. I do almost everything on my phone especially on planes watching TV shows, keeping in touch with everyone and most of all listening to music.

Have you ever had a moment where running out of battery nearly cost you something important?

I haven't had a time where it has cost me something important apart from maybe leaving my girlfriend accidentally on opened (laughs) but I’ve had a couple times where my phone dies just before a long flight and I pre-downloaded my favourite movies and I had to settle for only French speaking movies on the back of the seat!

How does having reliable power on the go (like mophie) fit into your competition and travel routine? And what’s your fav mophie product?

I always have a mophie power bank on me. My rotation is: wireless PowerStation with a stand for the plane so I can watch everything on my phone, the PowerStation Plus with integrated cables and traditional PowerStation for on the go, and then the Speedport wall charger for my home base so I can charge four different things at once and they all charge to full in about 30 minutes.

What does Power On mean for you?

Power On to me means to always be at the top of your game and to lead the way with speed and power. I try to do this in and out of the water and having mophie backing me and sharing the same mantra, gives me confidence that I am always powered on.

Thanks Dane. Power On.