Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries:
I've always admired Luke. Almost 25 years ago I met him when he was the art director of New Zealand Surfing Magazine. I'd just taken over the role of editor and Luke was always good fun, easy to get along with and super talented. His command of art direction meant that all our words and pictures came to life within the magazine's pages.
He also ripped in the surf. I remember one surf between deadlines at Karekare near Piha where we had a 3-4 foot swell running and it was throwing with the type of intensity that gives the West Coast its reputation. It was hard work but Luke made it look easy as he navigated along most of the best waves of that session.
Luke, now 51, was born without a left hand. But he still out-paddled most of us. So it was cool to see him turn up in Dunedin this past week with his good mate Thomas Oki.
Thomas is 48 and has just finished his Master of Architecture Engineering and lives in Christchurch. These days Luke is a filmmaker and designer based in Auckland. He also looks a lot like Kelly Slater.
"I nearly got autographed on the Goldie once when I was there when the comp was on," he laughs. "I was running down the beach and people were pointing at me. I was like, 'No, no, no. You've got the wrong guy."
In 2017 Luke represented New Zealand at the Adaptive Surfing World Championships, which was held in La Jolla, San Diego.
"It was an awesome event," he recalls. "The surf was shit, but the whole vibe was really cool. We surfed blacks which was a highlight for me – it gets so heavy."
He said the adaptive surf scene in New Zealand was struggling.
"It needs funding," Luke explains. "It just can't all be volunteer run. I'd love to see it flourish – it could be a really good umbrella."
Luke said there were a handful of adaptive surfers in New Zealand who could qualify for World Championship events.
"They're quite spread out around New Zealand," he offers. "I know there are a couple of people in Christchurch and a couple in Auckland. There are a handful who might be ready to qualify through."
Adaptive surfing includes 5-6 divisions. Luke is in the standing, upper limb division.
He was born without his left hand and described it as "just a random thing".
"It could have been the spray," Luke considers. "We lived in Pukekohe at the time my mum was pregnant with me and she remembers those planes. But nothing ever came of it and it would be hard to resolve."
In Dunedin, Luke is riding a mid-length board. I give him some grief for weaving away from performance boards, given he still rips.
"I have a shortboard, but I just struggle with it," he smiles. "I'm trying to get something short, but with a lot more litreage. I need to find the right balance. Maybe I'll just get a twin fin. I'm here to enjoy my surfing. Just enjoying it into my retirement."
Luke and Thomas didn't get the best waves this past week, but they had a lot of fun exploring Dunedin's sights, bars and restaurants. And it is always cool to catch up with them.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS Looking to hit your Xmas shopping out of the park? You'll need this link right here and here's some limited-edition art to blow your loved one's socks off.
Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries: