Part-time Pete is the envy of most surfers in Dunedin. Mostly because of his attitude to life and the fact he walks the walk that others mostly just talk. And he does it all in barefeet. He reckons he's been like that all of his life – just walked right out of school as a kid and just did what ever he felt like when the sun was shining. He's done it ever since.
That suits his surfing obsession. He reckons he aims to surf twice a day most days. Sometimes, like on north swells, or when he just can't leave it alone and paddle in, he'll notch up just one surf that lasts about four to five hours. That's a pretty hefty surf for even the fittest surfer. As a result of his regime, he's very fit, eats a carefully considered diet and practises yoga.
I nearly fell over when he admitted he was nearly 56. I always thought he was the same age as me. He has two boys the eldest 22 and a very understanding wife it seems.
Each day he walks barefoot from his house to St Clair Beach – about two minutes away. He eats his carefully considered breakfast slowly, if the tide permits, and then makes his plan for the day, structured completely around the surf. He's a legend. He's the guy you'll see surfing in boardshorts through summer, walking barefoot in the snow, connected the way we all wish we could be.
I engaged him to report on a wetsuit he'd bought – the very latest technology from Rip Curl – a Heat Seeker steamer that actually generates warmth as you paddle. Wow! But does it actually do that? Here's that answer.
Part-time Pete was the perfect person to test it – who else can put a wetsuit through 300 surfs in just five months? Pete's an engineer you see, so he understands the complexities of making something like a high-end wetsuit. But, after spending some time with him, I realise that he's also completely engineered his life around surfing. And if his infinite happiness, boundless enthusiasm and zest for life is anything to go by, we reckon he's onto something.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS In case you missed it, here's what went down over the past week at the World Surfing Games in Japan. Ella Williams, of Whangamata, qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and then Raglan's Billy Stairmand followed suit the next day. Full story here. Awesome.
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