June 30th 2026: Jack Tyro

I started photographing surfers way back in 1993 in the mostly deserted lineups of Wairarapa and Southern Taranaki. At the start, I'd photograph my mates, and before long, I was photographing the best surfers in the country.

Over the years, I have seen the ups and downs as athletes chase their dreams. It's such a challenging sport to crack, and only a tiny few will make it to the world tour.

Athletes like Raglan's Billy Stairmand are rare. He takes the punches and gets up each time with a smile on his face and revitalised ambition. He is focused completely on his goal to be the best he can be. He's also one of the nicest humans you could hope to meet. I always thought that being a nice person played against athletes in sports, but I'm starting to see it differently.

When I first met Jack Tyro, he was just a young teenager with a freakish ability to surf well on any type of board. He was also such a nice kid that you just wanted to help him along with his goals in life. He'd never take anything for granted and would always be thankful for anything he received. I've watched him move between a shortboard and a longboard with absolute ease, like an artist might change brushes.

Jack moved to Dunedin recently to study at uni. He also brought his contagious energy, fun and laughter with him. But his goal is never too far from his mind: to become world longboard champion. 

Last week Jack was awarded the World Surf League season wildcard for the WSL World Longboard Tour, making him the first Kiwi to qualify at that level since Paige Hareb and Ricardo Christie competed on the WSL World Championship Tour way back in 2019. 

The 2026 WSL World Longboard Tour has four stops and starts in July at Huntington Beach, California, before heading to Bells Beach in November, La Union in the Philippines in January, and culminating at the title-deciding event in Surf City, El Salvador in March 2027.

This week, we sat down to share Jack's story and learn about how his guiding star is leading him to great things. You can read the full story over on NZ Surf Journal here.

See you at the beach, Derek

PS We're bringing back our winter special: buy any of our limited edition 1 x 1m framed prints in June, July or August, and we'll hang it for free*. This was really popular last year – nothing beats buying one of our artworks online and having it hanging in your home or business shortly after without having to lift a finger. Check out our favourite artworks right here. 

* Offer open to anyone living in Otago. Some travel costs may be incurred.