Raglan gets a bit of a bad wrap at times for its crowds and aggro. But this past weekend it was like some kind of happy reunion. Locals from way back had all migrated to the flanks of Mt Karioi like some kind of Covid-19 muster call. They came from the east coast, the deep south, Australia and even the other side of the world. All drawn back to escape entrapment from some part of the world that might just take an extreme view on the pandemic.
The gathering was stirred up even further thanks to a punchy long-period swell that lined up across the points this weekend. It was described by many as something going pretty close to a 10 out of 10. One guy even put his surf into a lofty top five of all time. That's impressive.
What I found even more impressive was catching up with long lost mates between sets, then hooting as they showed wave after wave that they hadn't lost a shred of ability or passion. While it was still crowded everyone knew each other and maintained a really cool, respectful vibe ... mostly.
I've always thought of Raglan as our own version of the North Shore. It's volcanic flanks and boulders, its green, green bushland and blue seas, and some of New Zealand's real surfing kaumatua. They earn respect not only with their surfing, but with who they are and how they handle themselves out of the water. They bring aloha to Raglan and, together with a long list of friendly faces ... that's a pretty special thing.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We still have a few signed copies of our new book Surf Dreams available for pre-order (delivering November 3). And if you haven't supported the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust yet then here's your chance.
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