You're my heroes. By the time you're reading this you will have no doubt already have reacquainted yourself with the brine. You deserve it. I hope you got some great waves and still have some of that salty buzz zinging on your skin right now.
Almost five weeks ago lockdown seemed like an impossible ask. I honestly thought you wouldn't do it – mainly because I thought I wouldn't be able to do it either. But collectively we've pulled together and resisted the Southern Ocean's ridiculously attractive autumn lures. I'm proud of us as a group. I'm surprised and inspired by the strength of our community spirit. For a pack of selfish individuals, we're pretty bloody good.
I tried to explain it to a non-surfer the other day: Imagine someone was poking your eyeballs with a shard of bamboo each time a wave broke and all you have to do is jump in the water to stop it. But you can't – not in lockety lockdown ... oh, no. Each new swell, a new shard of bamboo. It gets to the point where you just can't look at the ocean anymore, can't smell it, can't hear it. Just pining for a quick dip. Some saltwater to ease the bamboo stabs across your eyeballs. A slow descent into some hideous type of depression creeps across – we all went there. Refused access to the remedy. The salty, sweet smellling cure-all.
But today, the floodgates open. Part-time Pete can resume his place as the surfingest man in New Zealand, grown men can return to dominate Kiddies corner and some of the toughest men and women can weep gently into the ocean once more.
This is next level. Level 3 – let's not stuff it up. I'm not sure I can go back. Two-metres and that stands for all of us, snakes included. Heroes ... all of you.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We spent some time in Whangamata recently and caught the legendary shaper Pete Anderson riding an asymmetrical board ... we managed to pin him down to find out why he thinks they're "unfinished business", how he's stayed at the top of his game for 36 years and where he sees surfboard design heading. You can watch Pete Anderson's 25-minute film right here. Enjoy.
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