Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries:
Competitive surfing in New Zealand has gone through some pretty tough times over the years – probably the biggest challenge has been a lack of kids coming into the sport. Behind the suitcase surfing trio of WQS contenders Jay Quinn, Billy Stairmand and Richard Christie there has been an abyss of talent. Of course there have been individuals with skills to burn, but it's hard to stay motivated when you're isolated by your talent.
True greatness appears a lot easier to reach when your peers take that journey with you. Look at Rabbit Bartholomew and the crew he grew up with back in surfing's heyday. Then look at the Coolie kids – a group of rippers from Coolongatta, Australia, who just pushed and pushed each other so hard they eventually reached the pinnacle – in fact it's an anomaly that Coolangatta has produced more Surfing World Champions than any other place on earth. For Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Dean Morrison their raw talent was supercharged by the fact they competed against each other every day and every step of the way. That bond still drives them today in their early 30s. It's a common theme in all sports.
In New Zealand there haven't been any really distinctive pockets of rising talent for a few years now, but that is about to change. There's a new guard building with a surge of grommets reaching their teenage years and that age when their newfound independence also means chasing quality surf gets a little bit easier. We've witnessed it firsthand in Mount Maunganui, Raglan and we're just starting to see it form in Dunedin with surfers like James Murphy, Jack Mcleod, Elliot Brown and a handful of others starting to raise the bar. Better still, there is no gap behind them – there is another wave of second-generation surfers nipping at their heels. That's a great signal for the future of this sport in New Zealand. It's a pretty amazing time to be a grommet.
Lots of south swell on its way ... plan your sick day here.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS Warren Hawke is a much-celebrated surf photographer from Christchurch and he is about to release his book: NZ Surf - Captured By A Surf Lens at a series of events throughout the country. Check out where you can meet this legend here. First cab off the rank is Kaikoura tomorrow night.
Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries: