About 22 years ago there was a group of surfers in Whangamata that were leading the way in competitive surfing. They were some of our first second-generation surfers. They were kind of like royalty. Their dads were guys steeped in the rich heritage of the sport in New Zealand: the Taff Kennings and Bob Davies of this world. The guys who first breathed life, one way or another, into our own unique kind of New Zealand surf culture.
Their kids were Lynden, Ben and Jos Kennings, Chris and Daniel Davie, Matt Scorringe, Scott Casey ... the list goes on ... They were all rippers and went on to lead the industry in lots of different ways. Mostly, they left Whangamata to do so and in the wake that followed came an eerie abyss in Whangamata's surf talent pool.
Apart from the odd individual, that group spirit, and the momentum it creates, never really happened again.
Until now.
Some 20 years later and our first third-generation surfers are taking to the sport in swarms in Whangamata. They may only be around 10-12 years old, but they're creating a momentum that, when fueled by the structure that the community has in place, will ensure Whangamata surfing surges steadily back to the lofty days of the late '90s.
And some of those earlier heroes are leading it with their own families. Ben Kennings runs grom Thursday sessions that can see more than 100 kids come out of the woodwork to give surfing a go. Even Whangamata Area School is making a difference. Led by hard materials teacher Dylan Care, the school manages the Whangamata Surf Team and is about to launch the Whangamata Surf Academy – a specialised programme aimed at giving the most talented surfers a fast track in the sport. It's a leaf out of Raglan's book – a leaf that every surf community in the country could do with nurturing.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS Next week, Mount Maunganui; almost flat most days of the year, but this little gem of a seaside town punches well above its weight in surfing circles. We're going to find out why.
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