With the NZ contest scene dormant at this time of year and big changes in my life and career it’s time to mix it up a bit I reckon.
So join me as I surf, work, eat, sleep and shit anything and everything surfing.
Hope you enjoy The Grovel!
After a month of working frantically in my new role at KSM as the ad & marketing guy I had helped wrap up issue 119.
It had gone to the printers and in the lull before the deadlines and stress began again I decided it was a well overdue surf I deserved to celebrate.
The east coast had being getting plenty of swell and I thought I’d head up north mid-week and score a few for myself.
A few mates, Dave, Jimmy and Dan were keen for the trip too.
Dave doesn’t surf but is always keen to road trip as he’s retired and he was keen to check out some land up north.
Dan has surfed a handful of times but has caught the bug since we surfed up at Mangawhai late summer and I gave him a few tips and got him standing.
Jimmy spends a lot of time underwater as a deep sea welding diver but after getting into kite-surfing in Oz was keen to have a crack at the real deal.
Truth be told I was keen to just surf and get a few fun waves for myself, I’d missed some quality surf recently and didn’t like the idea of playing coach all morning.
But, they’re good mates and I always like to share the joy that surfing brings me and they were super keen so it was on.
We hit the road at 5am with a truck full of enthusiasim, coffee, wetsuits and mini-mals.
There is something un-nerving about throwing a large red soft-top board amongst your quiver of shorties for a surf trip.
We hit the spot I had thought would deliver the goods as first light broke and were greeted to 2-4ft of groomed fun east coast peaks.
To say I was stoked is an injustice.
I was fuckin elated! And we had it to ourselves for the next three and half hours to top it off!
I got so many waves it was ridiculous and the lads had a great time trying to master the art of staying above water and not below it.
Dan would just look at me every time a wave came through and say “this one”?
If I didn’t want it he’d just go it. He didn’t make many this day but his energy, froth and stoke on being in the water was contagious. The guy reminds you why you surf. For fun!
Jimmy feared non to well on the red rocket but his ability to paddle out just as the best set wave every half hour loomed on the horizion was un-canny.
At one stage, after two solid hours of surf and a twenty minute lull I pondered calling it a morning.
Jimmy had decided to join us out the back again, paddled out in the rip and just as he reached us, the biggest set wave of the morning stood up and unloaded on us all.
I duck dived under laughing manically knowing that the boys had copped it on the head.
It may seem shithouse to say that but as surfers we all enjoy seeing our mates doing time like we once did.
Getting flogged and swallowing a bit of saltwater is good for the soul I think.
We drove back home and as I settled back into my work for the arvo, I couldn’t help but smile a big shit eating grin from ear to ear.
I’d just had epic fun waves with only me and mates out and their laughter, enjoyment and smiles reminded me why I enjoy to surf.
Because you feel like the happiest, luckiest fucker on the planet when you get a few good waves, while the rest of the world rolls on and has no idea..
G.
n.b. The cool cats at SABRE Vision Sunglasses have given me a pair of shades, The MADNESS to giveaway to celebrate the re-launch of the blog.
Best picture of your “MADNESS” face to
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