Page 2 of Ride the Wave

But Kieran isn’t an idiot and he knew that a bit of press would do wonders for the charity he founded, so he approached me last year with the idea of an interview about, well, everything: his career, his history, his relationships. Once we’d talked through how it would work, I didn’t hesitate to write to Toni Walker atStudioto offer her the exclusive. I got a reply within two minutes and it was a big, resoundingyes. No surprises there.

Toni’s exactly the no-bullshit-type editor I like working for and, luckily for me, I’m the type of journalist she likes to work with: I’m passionate about what I’m writing and I’ve never missed a deadline. She’s commissioned me to write several high-profile pieces about sport celebrities, but recently has tried to convince me to consider expanding my portfolio.

I guess that must be what is going on here with this handsome beach model she’s presenting me with. It’s going to be hard to say no to interviewing this dark-haired, half-naked Adonis, but I’m determined to stay focused on what I do best: sports journalism.

‘He isn’t a model,’ she says to my surprise. ‘He’s a pro surfer. A former pro surfer, I should say. He retired a while ago. His name is Leo Silva. You heard of him?’

I shake my head.

She quirks a brow. ‘And here I was thinking you were a sports expert.’

‘Surfing isn’t exactly my thing.’

‘Well, you might want to make it your thing,’ she suggests, clasping her hands in front of her on the table. ‘I take it you know the name Michelle Martin.’

Of courseI know Michelle Martin. She’s the Australian media proprietor who owns Bind Inc., the international umbrella company of many media titles and brands, of whichStudiois one. But most people know her because of a TV show she did years ago,Pitch, a documentary that followed her and her core team for a couple of months in her London offices as her largely-print media company battled to stay relevant in a digital world. Her ruthless opinions and tendency to interrupt people with a curt, ‘Boring! Next!’ became iconic.

She’s always had a fiercely unapologetic, powerful and demanding reputation, but her popularity has dipped recently thanks to interviews that went viral for all the wrong reasons – mostly clips of her giving sneering responses to reasonable questions. She also likes to share her sharp opinions on social media and snap back at anyone who thinks differently, hurling personal insults without any thought.

‘Yes, I know Michelle Martin,’ I confirm. ‘We’re sitting in her building.’

Toni taps at her screen with her long, red, manicured fingernail. ‘Leo Silva is her son.’

‘This surfer is Michelle Martin’sson?’ I glance back at his picture. ‘Whoa.’

Toni fights a smile. ‘I know.’

‘I’m not sure I knew she had a son. Maybe it rings a bell…’

‘He hasn’t appeared in any of her TV work, she never talked about him in front of a camera, and he’s not affiliated with her company,’ Toni explains frankly to clear up my confusion. ‘They haven’t been on the best terms.’

‘Oh. Did you say he’s in Portugal?’

‘That’s where he’s been hiding since he left Australia twelve years ago on his retirement from pro surfing at the age of twenty-four. Michelle’s assistant tells me it’s where his father resides. He stuck around to help with Leo while he was growing up, but moved back home to Portugal when Leo bought his own place at eighteen.’

‘Okay, so Leo did well for himself early on, then.’

‘There was a time that Leo Silva was the World Champion, a huge surf star.’ She leans forward conspiratorially, resting her forearms on her desk. ‘But he was also a notorious party boy: booze, drugs, famous flings. He was a tabloid favourite on the other side of the world. None of Michelle’s rags, of course. His wild behaviour wasn’t a great look for his mother, who was busy building her empire there and overseas. Fucking Christmas for her rivals. They plastered his antics all over their platforms.’

‘I bet.’

‘He lost his sponsors and damaged Michelle Martin’s reputation by association at the time. You know how the business sharks think, especially of a woman back then: she couldn’t handle her out-of-control son; what else couldn’t she handle?’

‘Okay, you’ve painted the picture. Fame, fortune and wasted potential. What’s the hook? Why do you want this feature on him now?’

Her lips curl into a gratified smile at my impatience and curiosity. We both know she would be asking the exact same questions.

‘Leo was meant to be the next Kelly Slater,’ she says. ‘But his partying streak destroyed his career. Then he… disappeared. Retired early and fled overnight. No more parties, no more press, and no more surfing. Strange, right?’

‘So, what happened?’ I ask, unable to fight the urge to gaze at his image. ‘He woke up one morning and decided to just… give up? Did something happen to him? Why leave the country altogether?’

Toni lifts her finger, pointing it at me. ‘These are the questions I want you to answer and more, Iris. What is his story? Why has he been hiding away all these years? And why has he chosen to come back now?’

‘He’s surfing again?’

‘Here we come to the hook of our piece. Yes, and he is, in the words of his mother’s publicist, a “changed man”. In case it wasn’t obvious, this feature was pitched by Michelle’s team. Difficult one to say no to, if I’m honest.’

I grimace. ‘We’re doing an article at the behest of the magazine’s owner.’

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