Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries:
Christmas came early for surfers in Dunedin last week. We haven't had a great North swell for about three months, so when the buoys started pinging this past Wednesday it was echoed by the sound of tools dropping right across the lower South Island.
The entire North Coast turned into a playground for Thursday and Friday with a close-period wind swell groomed into playful peaks and walls by the light offshores. Murderers hit capacity at 6am on Thursday and the lumps at Aramoana quickly morphed into almond-shaped barrels. By 6pm, Aramoana was at capacity, but the vibe was incredible. The North Coast just seems to bring out the best nature in everyone – I swear even the big black bull sea lion that swam under me looked stoked.
It was a veritable pre-Christmas feast up there amongst the walls of Aramoana. Just enough to remind us all how amazing that place really is. I hope you got some.
Looking equally as stoked is Ricardo Christie, of Mahia Peninsula in the North Island. The talented surfer has just become the second-ever Kiwi to qualify for the World Surfing League (formerly known as the WCT). He had to wait for a complicated algorithm to play out at the Billabong Pipe Masters at the weekend before he could officially pop the cork. That cork is well and truly popped now, but that's just the beginning of the hard work for Ricardo as he prepares for the season ahead. It's going to be a great year for New Zealand surfing.
It's Christmas in two days ... here's a quick glimpse at what Santa has in store for us all: click here.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We have just added a review section to www.boxoflight.com and have added reviews on the gear we use. You can check out our thoughts on the Canon Eos 5D MkIII, heaps of lenses and even Jeff Clark's Quatic Inflatable Surf Vest. Enjoy!
Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries: