There’s a lot to be said for getting an early start under experienced guidance when it comes to beginning to surf. Living near the ocean with consistent surf to develop in can be another massive enhancing factor, then there is the obvious factor of genetics that seem to favour certain sports. While our latest rising grom, Westen Hirst, has grown up around the ocean since birth and rubbed shoulders constantly with great surfers, there is an obvious genetic pass on that has seen his surfing develop faster and more technically than any of the other groms which have grown up in the same environment. You see Westen’s dad is none other than Troy Hirst who was for years our youngest ever National Champion winning the title in 1993. Through his NZ Team exploits, representing at the World Grommet Titles in the early 90’s, Troy fell in love with Indo, travelled there for years and then met and married his now wife and a few years later Westen was welcomed into the world. Troy is based in Indonesia managing a surfboard factory, and these days spends his spare time nurturing his son’s development and sharing the stoke of surfing. But as they say, ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’ Westen, as his old boy did, is busting down the doors as a grom, and turning heads in every lineup he rides. Look out for this kid cause he’s going places!

Name : Westen Sulhan Hirst

Age: 8 years old.

Where are you from?

Muriwai beach, Auckland. But I have lived in Indonesia since I was 9 months old, my mum is from Lakey Peak, Sumbawa.

School? Widiatmika,  Jimbaran, Bali.

How did your first surfing experience come about ? When and who with?

I first started surfing in Lakey Peak beach break with my friends we used to play around swimming and diving on the inside break at Lakey Beach. I was about 3 1/2 years old, my dad made me a board that was the front end of a mini-mal, it was about 3ft long and very easy to stand on, my favourite move was to do superman dives off it into the waves.

Tell us about the local surf conditions, how often you get to surf and where are your favourite local breaks?

I live in Jimbaran, Bali, so there are so many choices of waves from beaches to reef breaks, I love them all. But I guess I surf the beaches mostly, like Halfway and Padma in Kuta, they are the closest to my house to get to after school. I surf all weekend with my dad and probably about three days a week after school, my mum likes to play beach volleyball so we go to the beach quite a lot.

My favourite break in Bali is Uluwatu, there’s so many good sections to hit or get barrelled on. But the best waves are from my other home Lakey Peak and Lakey Pipe in Sumbawa, I love to surf them with my friends.

 Your dad was the New Zealand Champion and represented his home country New Zealand, you are lucky that you will have two countries that should you reach the position of being able to represent which will you choose? 

I don’t know but at the moment I only have a New Zealand passport so I wanna come back and do the NZ Nationals when I’m a bit older. But Indonesia is my home at the moment, I don’t know I’m too young to know yet, maybe I can do both, haha.

You got to come to New Zealand last summer and spend some time at your dad’s home break Muriwai/Maori Bay what did you think of those places and NZ in general?

The waves are fun, but cold for me, lucky Rip Curl gave me a really good wetsuit. The first time I surfed I couldn’t feel my ears, and it was really hard to get out the back, there was so much duck diving, but the waves were fun to surf. I like NZ and I always have so much fun with my cousin and the food is really good. I wanna go surf where there’s lots of long lefts like Raglan and Whangamata, my family live there so maybe next time I can visit them and surf there.

Not only have you had dad to inspire you but in the village of Lakey Peak there are also many amazing local surfers and also all the visiting surfers, who inspires you the most and why?

This year Mason Ho was at Lakey and he is crazy, he can do everything, barrels, airs, and he is very funny, he was so nice to all us groms I like his surfing.

I also met Gabriel Medina and went surfing with him he was amazing, so fast and doing the biggest airs and he is a goofy also, I really wanna surf like him.

My uncle Dedi Gun and Oney Anwar when they are at Lakey, they always push us and tell us how to get better. Bronson Meydi my good friend is so good, he is the best grom in Indo, the local Lakey groms are all good they are all getting to be really good barrel riders, that’s the first thing you learn to do at Lakey. My friends Luky, Afrizal and Gilang we all push each other to get deeper barrels it’s fun.

You’re only 8 years old and you have been charging reef breaks for a few years now, how do you feel on the big days surfing over shallow reef? 

It’s okay I’m not really worried about the bottom, more of the big waves. It’s okay up to about 6ft but then I’m scared I’m gonna get smashed, I like it when it’s 4-5 ft it’s good.

What else do you get up to when not surfing? 

I love to go skating. Bali has so many good skate parks and bowls. And I also like flying kites, me and my friends are making a 3-meter-long kite at the moment, it’s good to fly them close by my house, I also play football and are starting to do Karate.

Who do you surf with most?

I have many different surf friends here, it depends on what beach we go to but I surf mostly with my uncle Putu and Bronson Meydi, he is from Lakey to but lives in Bali. Also Varun Tundjung, Dhanny & Dhea Widianto, Tania Izquierdo, Cinta Hansel, Tenshi Ishii, Ryuki Wiada, Ketut Agus. There’s lots of kids in the Kuta area, we all surf together and then play on the beach.

What does surfing mean to you?

Surfing is so much fun I love to get barrelled and have fun with my friends at the beach, we are always happy.

Where would you like to take your surfing? 

I wanna be a pro like Medina and John John if I’m good enough, we will see.

Your best surf competition achievements so far?

This year I have won two U12 Rip Curl Grom search events.

Life’s highlights? 

Just growing up in Bali, it’s so much fun I love it! Surfing with my friends, we always have the best time.

Your favourite surf breaks and why?

That’s easy Lakey Pipe it’s the best to get backdoor barrels and all the groms take it over. We all yell at each other after barrels and just have fun, we actually made some little club rooms on the beach from drift wood and we hang out there and surf all day.

Ever surfed overseas? and where? 

I have only surfed at Maori bay and Muriwai in New Zealand but we stopped in at Australia and surfed at Currumbin Alley and Palm Beach. I wanna travel lots more in the future.

Your dream surf trip?

To go to Hawaii and surf Pipeline and school holidays surfing at Lakey Peak.

Shout outs to your biggest supporters:

Thanks Mum and Dad you are the best! And to Rip Curl Asia, Carve Sunglasses, PSI Surfboards, Sunzapper Sunscreen and Life On The Juice, they really support me I am so thankful to them all.

Follow me on Instagram:  westen_hirst 

Photo caption:  What were you doing at 8 years old? Not hauling off the bottom of an eight foot wave over razor sharp live coral I bet! 

It’s safe to say that opinion is born of perspective. Whether that perspective is born from ignorance for example or from a place of experience, respective opinions are bound to differ. That being the case the hand shaper’s opinion is likely slanted via a perspective gained while creating surfboards by hand shaping them. It’s only natural for somebody in this position to be of the opinion that hand shaping is the only way to go.

You will often find the 100% hand shape claim a point of difference in social media posts, for example. Only this morning I saw an Instagram post by a young creative shaper I admire and follow. The post contained a photo of a surfboard showroom with a window into an adjoining shaping bay with a caption to the effect that looking through that window was the only way to guarantee your stuff is hand shaped. Clearly a view that shaping machines are not cool! Surfing is a very “touchy feely” pastime and emotively charged words go a long way in capturing our imaginations and in turn opening our wallets.

In the case of a shaper that designs their surfboards in a specialised surfboard design programme which is then cut on a machine, the perspective will be quite different. Interestingly very few shapers openly push the use of computers and machines as a way to win you over. An exception being, Channel Islands Surfboards South Africa installed an APS 3000 shaping machine behind glass for all to see in a shopping mall in Durban. Technology out in the open.
Clearly there is a chasm of perspective difference between two human beings when one shaper hand shapes every board and wouldn’t dream of using a machine for fear of selling out and another shaper who has spent years learning the language of numerically controlled machines and software programs who wouldn’t dream of shaping a board by hand, deeming it an inefficient way of producing a shaped board which by the very nature of it’s creative process has limitations when it comes to meaningful design progression. Sounds harsh? Please read on.

Like most things in life there is a lot more going on when you start to dig a little deeper. In terms of surfboard manufacturing, hand tools were used exclusively until the electric planer became the tool of choice in the 1950’s. Another electric tool was likely already in use at the time being that of the electric router’ used in conjunction with a profile jig (sometimes also referred to as a profile machine). Other machines such as pantographs were subsequently developed to copy and replicate boards in multiples. Computer controlled shaping machines didn’t come about until much later. The first was invented by Michel Barland in France and was in use in Europe by 1984. Globally though, hand shaping was more the norm until Miki Langenbach developed his APS3000 machine in the early 2000’s. Advances in design software, coupled with its ease of availability is really the key to the widespread adoption of this technology.

Meanwhile, shapers around the world had become skilled in the art of accurately  sculpturing surfboards in double quick time using a hand held electric planer, as well as self made sanding blocks and a fairly minimal kit of hand tools. Physical stamina played a big part. It’s not too hard to imagine someone that has spent 40 years or more perfecting their technique, skill and knowledge proudly standing behind their life’s work and declaring: “100% hand made”. The same goes for the glassers, sanders and other veterans of the surfboard industry. After all the work is hard, the hours long, the pay shit, the conditions either dusty or fumy and often both. Interestingly there are those that feel their work is at its best when design software and CNC machines are involved. Behind it is a solid foundation built on years of hand shaping and record keeping, not to mention a mountain of knowledge and experience gained. Embracers of technology see the main benefits in being free from the constraints of manual labour, free to design and create its brains over brawn.
Then there’s those that hand shape all their custom boards but have some examples scanned and cut on machines so as to be able to supply stock boards for sale. These shapers are making use of the existence of shaping machines without using design software. In other words they are hand shapers using a machine cutting service to expand their production. Prior to the availability of machines, hand shapers used other hand shapers to ghost shape extra boards as a way to expand their production.
In some cases there was an army of shapers behind the scenes producing big name brands in large numbers. There have also been a small number of super human shapers that have invested time in developing a method for speed and accurately to shape large numbers of
surfboards on a daily basis. These individuals are sometimes referred to as human shaping machines because their shaping output is consistently so much higher than their contemporaries. Perhaps the best known examples of this would be Californian shapers Phil Becker and Terry Martin.
More recently and on an ever increasing basis is a new kind of player into the mix.
That of the tech savvy guy often with little or no actual hands on shaping experience who using generic board files as a base with which to design surfboards in software packages and have them machine shaped at a surfboard cutting service. While they may be tech savvy they have little or no experience, no overheads or factory infrastructure. There’s a new breed of back yard surfboard builder on the loose using computer skills to design and market their brand.

In 1975 I turned 15 years old and already had a couple of years of free form hand shaping under my belt. In 1975 Pink Floyd released a now famous album by the name of Wish You Were Here and one song that seemed to fill my head was “Welcome to the machine” I remember wondering at the time just exactly what was this “machine” and being slightly daunted by the implication of this “machine” being
part of my destiny. From that time on I went through life watching out for “the machine” and this may well have been part of the conditioning that led me to where I am now. My personal perspective comes about after shaping thousands of surfboards by hand then thousands using a profiler and around the same number using a surfboard shaping machine. Regardless of the method employed, I’m using  my hands, my heart, my soul and my integrity. Now approaching my 60 th year I ponder how my current perspective may change with the passing of time as I’m sure will be the case of our young foot loose and fancy free hand shaper from the afore mentioned Instagram post. Lastly, when it comes to perspectives I also wonder if reading this will have changed yours? Maybe Roger Waters should have the last word … “Welcome to the machine”.

It’s been quite some time since Ponsonby Road has had a core surf shop, but that has recently changed, with the arrival of environmentally responsible, Canadian made clothing and surf brand Sitka.

Managing Director Andrew Howson thinks Ponsonby Road is the perfect place for the Cabin’s newest incarnation. “Ponsonby is a hub of people from all walks of life but more importantly the level of knowledge people have on their clothing choices is really encouraging. People seem to be enthused by a company who is hands on from start to finish in the manufacturing of it’s products which is right up our alley.”

Surfing New Zealand
Whangamata, New Zealand
13 – 14 February 2016

Kennings Completes Comeback From Injury, Joins Sansom on Podium

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 15 February, 2016 – Whangamata surfer Dune Kennings made a successful comeback to the competitive arena today (Sunday 14th February) winning the second event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge which was held at his hometown break.

Kennings won the premier Under 20 Boys Division alongside Gabriella Sansom (Albany) who won the Under 20 Girls Division. The surf deteriorated for the second day of the event with a small swell under 1.0m and moderate onshore winds all day.

The wn has been a long time coming for Kennings. He first injured his knee in the final event of the Billabong Grom Series in March 2015 before getting surgery in July. Seventh months out of the water prevented him from surfing until February this year so the win today was special.

“Yeah really happy, about a month ago I knew the event was coming and I thought about it every day, trained hard and really wanted to win and got it so it is good” said Kennings. “The surf was pretty average today but I was lucky to get the right waves, make it through my heats and win the final” he added.

“It is very interesting being injured, it is one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with, I learnt a lot about myself, did different things, I didn’t even look at the ocean for ages because I would get too gutted but now I am back I appreciate it all and want to surf more than ever.”

Kennings finished with a 14.43 point heat total to win the final beating Taylor Hutchison (Rag) who surfed to his second runner up finish of the three event series. Hutchison finished with an 11.77 point heat total to defeat Harrison Whiteside (Chch) who is fresh back from competing in Australia on the World Qualifying Series.

Finishing fourth today was first-time finalist in the Under 20 Men’s Division, Matt McGregor (Whangarei).

Gabriella Sansom (Albany) backed up her win at the first event of the series with a win at Whangamata today. Sansom was locked in a close battle with all finalists and held down second place for the part of the final before her sister Bianca was deemed to interfere with another surfer and was deducted half of her second scoring wave relegating her from first to second. Gabriella then took advantage of the situation increasing her lead and surfing to an 11.33 point heat total for the win.

Despite being at a disadvantage with the interference, Bianca managed to place second in the final ahead of Claudia Fraser (Piha) in third and Abby Falwasser – Logan (Gis) in fourth.

Jonas Tawharu (Mnt) surfed his way to a second straight win in the series but not before he was pushed until the final hooter by local surfer Dylan Preston. The powerful goofy-foot surfer posted a 13.5 point heat total compared to the smaller Preston who finished with 13.2 points. Preston’s final wave fell short of the 6.3 points required when he completed an air reverse on the inside section for a 5.87.

Preston surfed to his best result of the year in finishing runner up while Caleb Cutmore (Ham) placed third with Jared Gebert (Ohope) finished in fourth place.

Kai Woolf (Gis) bounced back from a third at the first event of the series to post a comprehensive heat win in the Under 17 Girls Division. Woolf put the blow torch on her opponents when she surfed to a nine point ride midway through the heat to take the lead. She finished with a 15.33 point heat total and an easy victory. Winner of the first event of the series, Raiha Ensor (Mnt), finished runner up after being the form surfer of the division, edging out Elin Tawharu (Mnt) who finished in third place and Maaia Reid – Bennett (Mnt) in fourth.

James Ririnui surfed to his first ever win at a national level winning the Under 14 Boys Division. It was the third different winner from three events this year proving that the division is packed full of talent.

This weekend, Ririnui defeated national champion Thomas Robinson (Whangarei) after he rode to a 6.27 point ride with five minutes to go that jumped him in to the lead. Ririnui managed to hold Robinson off for the remainder of the heat. Jack Lee (Whaka) finished in third place surfing in his first final of the year and Taylor O’Leary (Mur) finished in fourth.

Stella Smith (Gis) repeated the dose in the Under 14 Girls Division winning her second straight event of the Billabong Grom Series. Smith looked aggressive in her approach going for big turns ultimately finishing with a 10.93 point heat total. Christchurch surfer Estalla Hungerford finished runner up ahead of Georgia Wederell (Mnt) in third.

Under 20 Boys Division Final
Dune Kennings (Whmata), 14.43, 1, Taylor Hutchison (Rag), 11.77, 2, Harrison Whiteside (ChCh), 10.33, 3, Matt Mcgregor (Nrthland), 7.23, 4

Under 17 Boys Division Final
Jonas Tawharu (Mnt), 13.5, 1, Dylan Preston (Whmata), 13.2, 2, Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 11.03, 3, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 9.47, 4

Under 14 Boys Division Final
James Ririnui (Mnt), 11.60, 1, Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 11.17, 2, Jack Lee (Whakatane), 9.53, 3, Taylor O’Leary (Mur), 8.63, 4

Under 20 Girls Division Final
Gabriella Sansom (Auck), 11.33, 1, Bianca Sansom (Auck), 7.23, 2, Claudia Fraser (Auck), 7.2, 3, Abby Falwasser – Logan (Gis), 5.57, 4

Under 17 Girls Division Final
Kai Woolf (Gis), 15.33, 1, Raiha Ensor (Mnt), 11.63, 2, Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 7.63, 3, Maaia Reid – Bennett (Mnt), 5.87, 4

Under 14 Girls Division Final
Stella Smith (Gis), 10.93, 1, Estalla Hungerford(Chch), 6.23, 2, Georgia Wederell (Mnt), 6.17, 3

WEB LINK

https://www.bayleys.co.nz/Listing/Northland/Whangarei/Matapouri/1811432

By Derek Rielly

It used to be tough to be an activist. You’d helicopter yourself into Newfoundland or wherever, string yourself up next to a Russian ice-breaker as it attempted to collect the pelts of clubbed baby seals or you’d pilot your zodiac between harpoon and sperm whale. Watch activists in action here! It’s different now that most of us are affixed to little computers or telephones with dazzling high-resolution screens. With a tap or a click we can announce to the world that we care about the wretched hordes climbing over Europe, that we, too, demonise the racist pigs with the black man in their sights or, in the case of this online petition, demand the WSL “end the corruption” of their judges. Noa Aikau has lodged an online petition (click here) that seeks one thousand pointless clicks. Let’s examine, for a moment. “Demand the World Surf League “WSL” to show transparency & consistency in their judging criteria! Recently the WSL judging system or ‘criteria’ has been put under serious scrutiny do to the lack of consistency in judging and lack of transparency, heat arrangements, long delays in the delivery of some crucial score results and favoritism or bias judging. These corruption problems have been part of the organization for decades when it was still called the “ASP”. Surf historians, retired judges, sports analysts and tour athletes have all come in defense of surfing and have pointed out the organizations lack of transparency in their judging criteria. Since the Association of Pro Surfers “ASP”, auto-transission themselves by changing their name to World Surf League “WSL” there has been an increase in sponsorship but also an outrageous amount of questionable and doubtful critical calls from the judges.” All of it springs from, I’m guessing, the four-and-a-bit Kelly Slater was thrown for his unmade air at Trestles. What does Noa want? A tour of throwaway airs? Here are the demands. 1. Make the judges panel internationally even. Ex. 1 Australian, 1 American, 1 Brazilian, 1 South African, 1 Pacific Islander, 1 European 2. Disclose the name of the Judges and where they are from before every transmission. 3. Have the Judges deliver the score within 15-20 seconds from the finish of the ride. Unless a replay is required. 4. Judges don’t get to know other judges scores, nor the score result needed for a surfer to get the lead on a heat or pass to next round. 5. End the corruption. Anyway, I tossed ’em at the WSL’s Dave Prodan, the media guy, for responses. 1. Make the judges panel internationally even. Ex. 1 Australian, 1 American, 1 Brazilian, 1 South African, 1 Pacific Islander, 1 European Fair point and an essential part of removing (even the perception of) bias on the judging panel. Fortunately, this has been a part of the formulation of the ASP-now-WSL judging panels for years – every men’s and women’s CT event has judges from North America, South America, South Africa, Europe, Australasia and Hawaii as do major QS events. 2. Disclose the name of the Judges and where they are from before every transmission. All judges are logged into the scoring system with their respective IDs so athletes or the Commissioner’s Office can go back and discuss scores with individuals if needed. If I’m not mistaken, the judging panel is something that is often outlined during both the broadcast and beach commentary (I know Dave Stanfield is a big fan of that particular role call) so there’s certainly no effort made to hide who the judges are. They’re the best in the world, and they’re frequent subjects of discussion and the WSL is fortunate to have such a committed and talented group of individuals in this arena. 3. Have the Judges deliver the score within 15-20 seconds from the finish of the ride. Unless a replay is required. That’s certainly the goal and it happens the majority of the time. However, the petition’s author is correct – occasionally, replays are required to ensure the score is accurate and within the scale of the current heat. Additionally, there are a number of extenuating circumstances that may delay a score from dropping – multiple surfers up at the same time is a frequent one. However, to track back to the initial point, the judges endeavor to deliver the most accurate score in the fastest way possible on every ride – it’s not only essential to the viewers at home but also to the athletes in the water. 4. Judges don’t get to know other judges scores, nor the score result needed for a surfer to get the lead on a heat or pass to next round. Fair points points and discretion and objectivity have been foundational elements of the ASP/WSL. Judges are not permitted to review one another’s scores before logging them into the system. What a surfer needs, in terms of advancing through a heat, is not a factor when scoring a wave. 5. End the corruption. I’m willing to put dimes to dollars that, in terms of international sports, the WSL judges are some of the most honorable and respectable officials on the planet. Surfing’s a subjective sport and fans are very passionate. I’m a fan and I’m passionate and I don’t always agree with every score, but I do acknowledge that I’m not a judge. The panels that score the world’s best surfing are made up of committed, talented individuals who are not only damn good surfers themselves, but have unique and unparalleled abilities in terms of breaking down surfing performance as well as memory retention for scaling throughout any given day. They’ve cut their teeth offiating amateur events, then shadowing WSL pro junior event judges, then cycling in, working up through QS events and onto CT panels. They have no regard for where someone is from, the stickers they have on their board or what the pundits are going to say when their favorite surfer gets beaten fair and square by a lesser-heralded individual. All they care about is the best surfing on the planet and, as intimated previously, the WSL is exceedingly fortunate that we have them at the helm. So far the petition has 86 clicks from countries including the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. The majority it seems, are from Brazil. Which seems odd to me, considering the current world champion is a Brazilian and three of the top seven surfers on the WSL are Brazilian. Will you sign?
The post Petition: End WSL judging “corruption”! appeared first on Beach Grit.

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“A week before I even left for the Mentawai’s my car with five boards, clothes, passport, computer, GoPro, iPad, sunglasses got stolen from my car which was parked outside a mate’s house in Eden Terrance in Auckland while I was down in Dunedin for a week. Yeah I know I shouldn’t have left most of that gear in there but nothing was viewable maybe except half of my coffin board bag but who would even know what that was, specially though dark tints. Well someone did and when I received a call in Dunedin from Police saying someone had broken in to my car, well some may say I wasn’t too happy but I thought they must have taken a couple of the bags not boards or anything. But when I called my mate Lyndon to check out my car he confirmed the worst, my car had been cleaned out. What mutts.

Long painful story short, insurance paid to replace everything but the worst was my lappy with all the photos of my son Cooper growing up, I’m still shattered about that as didn’t back them up on anything. Big lessons learnt there, rookie mistakes. With the boards lucky I’ve a few boards in zee quiver so that was no problem except there were two magic SuperBrand’s out of the five which were in the car. On the bright side I’ll have five new boards waiting for me when I get home.

I went for a quick side trip to Bali first, I was arriving on a Friday and was excited to watch the All Blacks play Oz the next day but I got delayed out of Sydney so ended up missing my connecting flight to Bali and was flying as the AB’s tonked Ozzie which would have been good to watch.

Bali was fun surfed a few times mainly to be honest on the beach, went out to Ulu’s for the first time since 99 I think. Wow firstly to the motorbike ride out there, fark what a nightmare and wow to how different it was at Ulu’s all the hotels, buildings etc. Incredibly built up now. Waves where ok except for the white helmet guy who was baining me so hard. Paddling all over the place inside around in circles but seemed to get every wave somehow. When got back to Kuta was telling Indian Nick or Chongee about him who said “oh not white helmet guy, he’s in my top three bains” so it wasn’t just me.

Rewind a bit to the reason I was coming out to the Mentawai’s. Was at a BBQ in Gisborne last December and I had seen all the photo’s and clips from the year from the Mentawai’s. Was one of the best years ever out there, swell after swell and all the spots fired. Anyways Christie Carter who owns and runs Wavepark Mentawai Resort is from Gisborne and I grew up a few doors down from him at Wainui Beach, he also was at the BBQ and we gotten chatting about the year out there and the pumping surf etc. I was like oh you don’t need a bar tender out there next year do you? Pretty much as a joke but kinda not really haha. Well turned out he said he might have a guide opening though, as one of his might not be able to make a slot. I was like hmmm really? Hell yes, we kept in touch when he went back out and sure enough I was in. Guiding guests in mid August to second week October was the slot. What a gig!

I’ve been out here ten days now, had our first group of guests though which was only six people.( Resort takes twelve max) Three couples and four of those surfed. Four Australians and two from Austria. Poor guy Roland from Austria hadn’t surfed since his last surf trip eight months ago! A real nice group of people who were frothing to get out there. Hideaways is out the front which is a pretty nice wave, hollow left on the right tide and really smash able on the high with lost of push. The winds have been South East the whole time so Hideaways,  E-Bay, Beng Bengs and Pit-Stops are the pick in this area. We has one day that was six foot at times but quite long lulls. Hideaways is strange will be flat as then all of sudden six footers will come though for an hour then stop completely for a few hours then start up again. Starting to get my head around what times in the tide are good when it will turn on. Had a couple fun days at Pitstops, such a rippable wave. You always see it in the clips when the guys are punting up a storm,  the reefs pretty mellow and it finishes on sand.

There’s waves for all ability’s out here which is one of the magic things about this region. From hollow as waves to super playful where you don’t  have to worry about the bottom.

Looks like there’s a few swells lined up so I’ll keep you posted. Praying for Rifles!”

MAZ.

Aotearoa Maori Surfing Team, Paige Hareb perform in recent events

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 31 August, 2015 – The last day of winter is always a milestone of sorts for Kiwi surfers as we dream of warmer summer waters and longer days to squeeze in more surfing. Winter has been kind to many though with a string of good swells around our coastline albeit a little quiet on the northeast coast of the North Island.

The longer days and warmer water means we can get back in to a few national events starting with the Primary School and Secondary School Champs at Gisborne at the end of September as well as the Backdoor BayBash in Hawkes Bay come the end of October.

We are also looking forward to the back half of the WSL year with Ricardo set to compete at the Hurley Pro from the 9th September as well as the final events for the girls and the guys on the WQS. We have teams heading away to the World Junior Championships in California and the ISA Masters (location tbc) plus a sole representative at the Adaptive Surfing Championship in California.

Congratulations to Paige Hareb. Paige landed an equal third at the Pro Anglet in France this past weekend. The inaugural event delivered fun, punchy surf and 1500 in WSL QS ratings points.

Aotearoa Maori Surfing Team Finish Runner Up At Melanesian Cup
The Aotearoa Maori Surfing Team finished runner up at the 2015 Melanesian Surfing Cup after claiming eight of 17 titles on offer at the event conested at Bourail, New Caledonia.

The New Zealand team faced off against hosts and event champions New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Samoa and Fiji over four days of action on the outer reef breaks.

Vissla ISA World Junior Championship
Taking place from October 11-18, the 2015 VISSLA International Surfing Association (ISA) World Junior Surfing Championship will unleash the world’s best Under-18 surfers in Oceanside, CA to compete in the name of their nation.

ISA Scholarship Applications Extended
For the ninth consecutive year, the International Surfing Association (ISA) Individual Scholarship Program is officially open to qualified, under-18 surfers around the globe. The ISA Individual Scholarship Program is a life-changing event for young surfers.

INTERVIEW: Raglan Surfer/Shaper Luke Hughes
Raglan surfer, shaper and best friend of Billy Stairmand joined in on the action at the Vans US Open of Surfing held at Huntington earlier this month where he watched his top surfer place ninth. We caught up with Luke as he and Billy were heading off to surf Trestles.

Do CNC machines create soulless boards? Is hand-shaping only for hippies?

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 21 August, 2015 - I am sure the debate over the purity of surfboard shaping has been going on continuously probably since the electric hand planer was introduced. There must have been guys sitting in their garage bickering about how the “soul” of a surfboard gets lost when people started using electric tools to do the work where elbow grease, sweat and a few block planes were your shaping tool quiver.

Well, the crew at Boardcave did some research and soul-searching to bring you the pros and cons of each board-shaping method.

The electric hand planer (like the coveted Skill 100, Clark modified Hitachi, the Accurate Planer) was not invented for surfboard shaping. Originally, they were designed as a tool to take the place of block planes, mostly used for truing up and hanging doors, or other flat areas like floors, table tops and decks.

As production demands began to grow for shapers, they had to look for more efficient tools to help get the job done faster and more accurate. In any industry, people have to adapt and explore new tools and ideas that can make their job easier and more efficient.

In today’s world, the CNC shaping machine is that fast and efficient tool, made use by the majority of shapers worldwide. An old phrase that comes to mind – “work smarter, not harder” – holds weight no matter what your job entails.

Here’s the thing with the CNC and CAD programs though, you still have to be a skilled shaper by hand to know how to design a good board on a computer and finish one that was cut on a machine.

Go Ahead, Make Your Own
One of the biggest fears about the machine, is that anyone can go and “pop-out” boards on a whim. And that this in turn could hurt the industry as we know it, taking jobs away from the craftsmen that have dedicated years into their practice.

Sure, anyone CAN do it, just like anyone CAN get a blank and some tools and hack their own board out. But in reality, you still have to have an understanding of how and why boards and design principles work. You have to know these principles and theories, and you have to be able to hand shape at a high level to get even a decent design out of a CAD file and a machine cut.

If you have never played around with a CAD file, go download a free program like Shape3D, design a board and see how it really turns out when it comes out of the machine. It is a lot harder than you think. But you’re not done there, you still have to finish shape it to perfection where the majority of skill comes into play and glass it (which is a whole other level in itself).

Machine Assisted, Hand Shaped
Now, most of the detailed shaping comes after a board has been ‘roughed out’. This is the stage that a machine cut will get you too, as opposed to taking an electric planer and doing it by hand.

It saves shapers a little bit of time, and helps to ensure that they can get better results when duplicating certain models.

You will be surprised by the number of shapers you think are “hand only” shapers. Most of them (not all, but most of them) who are coveted as master hand shapers, may still use the machine for their production schedule.

They may spend their time hand shaping and creating a new model until it is dialed in to where they want it. So the creative aspect of shaping the new model is still done by hand for many shapers. After this they can have the board scanned, or the can manually enter all the dimensions needed into a CAD file.

Other shapers (still with a deep knowledge and experience with shaping by hand) learn how to design boards using the CAD program, have it cut and finish it by hand. Either way, the creative process and “soul” of the board is still there, and they can now duplicate models for the team riders and customers.

This comes as a benefit for both the shapers and the customers riding their boards.

Never Lose that Magic Stick
If you happen to break that magic whip you’ve had for years, you may want the exact same board again. With your shaper utilizing the CNC machine, you CAN have that magic board again, and for the rest of your surfing life.

If your shaper only shapes by hand, chances are they are good enough to get it really close but it may not be exactly like that magic board. With the CNC, they can be sure they are duplicating that board for you as well as saving them time.

But please note, most shapers that have been doing it for a while are good enough to duplicate a board only by hand… and on the flip side, a machine cut board can also end up slightly different time to time due to the majority of the work being in the hand finishing the fine detail like rails, bottom contours, etc.

Added Reference Points
Another benefit of CNC machines is the increased use of volumes as surfboard parameter.

If you pay attention to what volumes seem to work for you for certain boards, you can refine each new board a little more to suit your needs. You may want two boards of the same model, but tweak the volume and foam distribution to handle different waves if needed.

Like we mentioned in our “Are you surfing the wrong board” article, pro surfers can feel the difference within up to a half liter change in volume. This comes in especially handy for them when they surf around the world in a variety of waves. Knowing a surfer’s ideal volume helps to make those small adjustments in a board to maximize the potential for each individual wave they are going to surf.

The machine has to been seen as just another tool for a shaper, it is not replacing the shaper or shaping skills by any means. It actually can help make a shaper become more well-rounded in their approach as well. They have to learn how to design or tweak a good board in a CAD program, only adding to their skill set.

To add to that, using a CNC machine actually helps with the longevity of a shapers career. As they get older, lugging the electric planer over blank after blank can take a serious toll on a shaper’s shoulders, elbows and backs.

Always appreciate however, that the majority of shapers who use the machine have put in years and thousands of boards shaped by hand before they adapted to using a machine.

Machines with Morals
Another controversy over the machine has been the possibility and ease of one shaper copying another’s design. It was feared that someone could easily get a hold of your master file and start pumping out the exact same board that you have spent so much time developing.

In reality, there is nothing stopping a hand shaper from doing the same thing, and the CNC machine doesn’t have a mind of its own, so it still comes down to the integrity of the shapers themselves.

Hand Crafted
Using a CAD program and CNC machine does not mean your boards are in the category of the cheap “pop-out” boards you find at some big box chain retailers. The term “Hand Crafted” still applies with boards still requiring the majority of work to be extremely hands-on. So, there is still plenty of fine craftsmanship that goes into each and every board.

Yes, it does allow a shaper to ramp up their production levels, but the skills required to finish shape, refine and glass the board is still where the majority of the work lies. The machine is not the enemy to the surf industry, it is just another tool shapers can use that is a little too big to fit in their tool box.

What do you think about hand shaping and the use of new technologies?

Make sure you check out the Board Engine to find a range of boards all manufactured in the USA by professional shapers at the top of their crafts. Email service@boardcave.com with your details for a detailed report of board recommendations for you.

So much of our youth is branded by the vision of the iconic satanic soccer mum, the one screaming the loudest on the sideline and berating her kid and the ref on every decision made, other parents turn their face with embarrassment while the poor kid burns red like a beacon of shame – well yesterday amongst the soft tropical breezes of Tahiti under the cliched azure blue skies – I witnessed the same thing but this time it was a surfing dad.

His animated expressions and loud verbal torrents of complaints carried across the channel to our boat, like some screaming banshee and even though we spoke a different language it was plain to see what he thought about the score his son had just received. His son, current world champion, Gabriel Mendina had just been dealt an impressive 9.0 (underscored according to his dad) and he was making his views on that clearly felt. Maybe it’s a cultural thing, the Brazilians after all are renowned for being passionate about their sport, but Gab’s dad was taking it to a new level. Ok he was not chewing off someone ear like Luis Suarez with South American passion, (1) but he was the loudest person in the channel, waving his arms at the tower and cascading those around him with water.

This heat turned out to be one that would be debated across social media in the following lay days as people discussed who they felt should have won. On one hand you had the dynamic and showy Brazilian, claiming his final barrel with youthful bravado that told all who were watching that he believed that was the best wave of the heat. On the other hand you had the humble and in someways shy Hawaiian, John John Florence, went quietly about his business getting barrel after barrel.

So did John Johns layback manner and humble persona let him down on the day and does claiming a ride really influence the judges? We all like to believe that they are impartial but sitting in the channel it was hard not to think Gabriel was the winner on the day – he just behaved like a winner.

However on watching the heat summary on the internet later, I was left to questioning my original thoughts and those of the judges. At what stage do we make judgements on performance by the level of exuberance of the athlete or crowd and is a subdued performer less worthy than an exuberant one?

When do the crowds shouts and hollers come into play to the point that it influences the judges final decision? The sporting Sister Teresa in me would say ‘never,’ I really would like to think that it doesn’t but yesterday may have been an example of when it does. If John John had claimed his rides or shown an ego he is possibly worthy of, or if he had someone in the channel screaming and waving his arms would the outcome have been different? I watched the replay a dozen times later last night and found it hard to conclude who I believed was the deserving winner on the day.

All I can say is that John John Florence was humble in defeat and so was everyone in his camp, and I am not so sure the same would have been said about the Brazilian and his support crew. Maybe, just maybe, that’s what tipped the scales.

(1) Fact – you have more chance of being bitten by Luis Saurez than by being attacked by a shark – Mick might want to take those stats into account next time he comes up against a South American

From:   Surfing New Zealand
Sport:   International Surfing
Event:  2015 Melanesian Surfing Cup
Divisions: Open Men’s and Women’s, Junior Age Groups, Longboard, Stand Up Paddleboard
Date:    11^th – 16^th August 2015
Location: Bourail, New Caledonia
Websites: Surfing New Zealand

Aotearoa Maori Surfing Team Finish Runner Up at the 2015 Melanesian Cup

The Aotearoa Maori Surfing Team finished runner up at the 2015 Melanesian Surfing Cup after claiming eight of 17 titles on offer at the event completed on Sunday (16^th August) at Bourail, New Caledonia.

The New Zealand team faced off against hosts and event champions New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Samoa and Fiji over four days of action on the outer reef breaks.

The Kiwi team claimed the coveted Open Men’s and Women’s titles at the event with Chris Malone (Te Aitanga a Mahaki) winning the Men’s and Zhana Hutchieson (Te Atiawa) winning the Women’s.

“It is always a privilege and honour to represent Aotearoa” said Raglan based Malone.

“The event is more of a culture exchange between Pacific Islands with a bit of a competitive aspect thrown in but that said, it was good to come away with the win in the Men’s Division” added Malone who says he will remember the trip just as much for the performance of the team, the haka and the friendships forged as he will for claiming the title.

Fifteen year old Hutchieson was one of the most dominant performers at the event after claiming the Open Women’s Division and the Under 18 Girls Division in a final that included her three team mates.

“This was a huge experience for me, meeting and greeting with some of the different cultures such as Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia” said Hutchieson.

“I was so stoked to bring two titles back to Aotearoa, all the advice from the team definitely helped with my performances during the week” she added.

While the performances on the water were important, for many in the team, the opportunity to be part of a cultural exchange and a wealth of Maori surfing knowledge was just as important.  The team spent most nights together reciting their pepeha in front of the group as well as learning and performing the surfing-specific haka, the first New Zealand Team to do so.

One of the older team members was Taranaki based Jamie Andrews (Ngati Ruahine/Te Atiawa) who contested five divisions at the event walking away with two finals berths and one title in the SUP Surfing Division to his name.

“I am so stoked to win the SUP Surfing” said Andrews. Winning this title has given me confidence to back myself and pursue this sport further internationally” he added whilst also acknowledging the team support and camaraderie that impacted on his performances.

Additional team titles came through the junior divisions with Reef Matthews (Te Atiawa) winning the Under 18 Boys Division and Kaya Horne (Ngati Awa) winning the Under 14 Boys Division.

Kea Smith (Ngati Ranginui) opted to change her preferred shortboard for the longboard and in doing so won the Women’s Longboard Division while cousin Jamee Smith (Ngati Ranginui) won the Men’s Bodyboard title.

The team filled 21 of the 44 finals berths in the event showing dominance in the waves.  However they could not match the power of New Caledonia in the SUP Races with the host nation taking a clean sweep of the five divisions contested which ultimately led to their overall teams title.

The Melanesian Surfing Cup has been held since 2010 and the Aotearoa Maori Surfing Team was invited to the event for the first time this year.  Vanuatu was the defending champion team and have put claim to the number one spot since 2012 before New Caledonia claimed the title this week.

Please see below for final results from the 2015 Melanesian Cup held at Bourail, New Caledonia from the 11^th – 16^th August.

Open Men’s
1, Chris Malone (NZL)
2, Kai Healy (VAN)
3, Isaac Coste (NC)
4, Quin Matenga (NZL)
6, Jamie Andrews (NZL)
8, Ihaia Ngata (NZL)

Open Women
1, Zhana Hutchieson (NZL)
2, Abby Falwasser – Logan (NZL)
3, Kea Smith (NZL)
4, Pauline Kojfer (NC)
8, Indica Ratima (NZL)

Under 18 Boys
1, Reef Matthews (NZL)
2, Nick Tuhikarama (NZL)
3, Axel Alphund (NC)
4, Roger Taleo (VAN)
7, Ricardo Lucibella (NZL)
11, Quin Matenga (NZL)

Under 18 Girls
1, Zhana Hutchieson (NZL)
2, Kea Smith (NZL)
3, Indica Ratima (NZL)
4, Abby Falwasser – Logan (NZL)

Under 14 Boys
1, Kaya Horne (NZL)
2, Axel Alphand (NC)
3, Martin Puleiata (SAM)
4, Johnathan Kalsa (VAN)
5, Myka Black (NZL)
7, Josef Yungwirth (NZL)

Men’s Longboard
1, Baptiste Rabut (NC)
2, Jamie Andrews (NZL)
3, Chris Malone (NZL)
4, John Stephen (VAN)
11, Peter Smith (NZL)
13, Jason Matthews (NZL)

Women’s Longboard
1, Kea Smith (NZL)
2, Mathilde Martisson (NC)
3, Abby Falwasser – Logan (NZL)
4, Serah John (VAN)
7, Indica Ratima (NZL)

Junior Longboard
1, Mael Laleve (NC)
2, Lancelot Forte (NC)
3, Quin Matenga (NZL)
4, Jeremy Kaluatman (VAN)
7, Riccardo Lucibella (NZL)
9, Reef Matthews (NZL)
9, Nick Tuhikarama (NZL)

Over 35 Men
1, Arnaud Leveque (NC)
2, Thierry Kirsh (NC)
3, Alan TeMoananui (NZL)
4, Johnathan Scaysbrook (NC)
7, Jamie Andrews (NZL)
8, Andrew Archibald (NZL)
9, Jason Matthews (NZL)

Men’s Bodyboard
1, Jamee Smith (NZL)
2, Kai Healy (VAN)
3, Simon Pettiford (VAN)
4, Rhual Courtot (NC)
9, Ihaia Ngata (NZL)

SUP Surfing
1, Jamie Andrews (NZL)
2, Sean Hovell (NZL)
3, Alexandre Rouys (NC)
4, Chris Malone (NZL)
13 Alan TeMoananui (NZL)

SUP Technical Race
1, Titouan Puyo (NC)
2, Alexandre Rouys (NC)
3, Clement Colmas (NC)
4, Sean Hovell (NZL)
8, Peter Smith (NZL)
9, Riccardo Lucibella (NZL)

SUP Long Distance Race
1, Titouan Puyo (NC)
2, Alexandre Rouys (NC)
3, Clement Colmas (NC)
5, Sean Hovell (NZL)
8, Jamie Andrews (NZL)

Further Information
For further information on the Aotearoa Maori Surfing Team please contact Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.

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