This past week was a tale of two halves. Firstly, the expanding daylight hours saw Keo get out for a before-school surf. Okay, mostly it was too dark for photos, but by 6:45am we had enough light to capture a few sets. Keo had the lineup to himself, which is awesome ... and confronting at the same time. Like always, he managed to pick the best set waves from those on offer. Remi was just stoked to be invited on an early mission. The sun rose, appearing briefly through a slither in the cloud bank. Three sea lions said hello.
By Friday, we were ready to head into the hills. Mt Cardrona is always a good option, and it did not disappoint.
The Mini Pipe World Champs were on. That's a big title for an event that has the fun dial turned up to maximum and with all egos checked at the gate. The dress code dispels any notions of grandeur. A banana was among the better riders, then a guy dressed like a businessman with a Benjamin Franklin tie, and one snowboarder ripped the pipe in a bear suit, which made total sense. An older guy, close to my own age, wore a leather jacket. I was envious. Then a guy in leopard print pants and jacket outshone all others.
While Zephyr Lovelock sent it bigger and with more intensity than most, he was a young buck competing among snowboarders my age (same as his dad's, Kelly), and a newly minted 10-year-old celebrating her birthday with a younger sibling. The age range was incredible. One tiny kid who announced to me they had walked the pipe 13 times already had won two beanies and a pair of gloves. That stoke was real.
Then Zephyr, after dominating the Mini Pipe World Champs in athleticism and fancy dress (in my opinion), won the snow skate race that was a straight line shot at a ribbon at the end of the pipe. His dive across the line would have made Aaron Smith proud. His celebrations were fitting for such an auspicious occasion.
But none of this show was for Zephyr, or the Mini pipe World Champs, or for Cardrona. This was, hand on heart, a moment in snowboarding that will see its future assured in New Zealand.
See you at the beach, Derek
PS Want to photograph the best of the Catlins, stay, dine and edit with a professional photographer to guide you? We still have a few spaces left on our inaugural Catlins Photography Workshop. Full details here. Starts October 8 so get in quick.
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