More from The Q&A: Guilherme Marchi

Guilherme Marchi is a bull rider, which in and of itself makes him an interesting character.

But there’s so much more about the Professional Bull Rider tour’s defending world champion that is fascinating. Here’s more from The Q&A with Marchi: 

Jenni Carlson: Did I read somewhere that you like surfing?

Guilherme Marchi: At 8 years old, my mom and dad bought a restaurant and hotel on the beach. We stayed on the beach for almost 10 years. On the beach, the guys play soccer and surf.

JC: That’s the life.

GM: I surfed a little bit, and I loved it, too.

JC: How are the waves?

GM: Good waves in Brazil, and they have a lot of competitions. A lot of guys from here go over there. Nice waves. Nice, big waves.

JC: So, bull riding and surfing … you must love challenges.

GM: I’m just into sports. I like to play basketball, soccer. I never played football, but I’d like to learn. Everything I do, I do well. I try to do the best.

JC: Are you a thrill seeker, too? I mean, you ride bulls for a living. Do you skydive or anything like that?

GM: I did it once. It’s very fun, too. Crazy. We go to Denver in January, and you have a chance to ski. I’ve never skied, but I’m going to try next year.

JC: You were the runner-up for the world championship three times before you won it last year. To finally break through, did you change something, do something different?

GM: Last year, I was very comfortable. This year has changed a little bit. I have the title now … and everywhere I go, everyone wants you to ride good and it’s very tough. Sometimes, you draw good bulls. Sometimes, you draw harder bulls, no-good bulls. But I still ride 60 percent right now. It’s not bad. The guys say, “Oh, Guilherme, he won last year. He’s a little lazy now.” This year, I try hard, but it’s different than last year.