On a blustery, wintry Saturday, a full draw of 32 surfers gathered at Te Arai Pt for Tom Kibblewaite’s fundraising Competition. TK’s partner Hannah Howard had largely been the driving force behind the comp, which was held to assist TK’s travel to the ISA World Surfing Games in Costa Rica next month.
There were regular squally showers interspersed with deceiving blue patches, the waves were small and lack lustre. If you had ventured away from the warmth of your lounge you probably wouldn’t have bothered to paddle out for a free-surf, but that’s not the point. These 32 hardy souls, and their respective entourages weren’t there for the waves, they were happily there to support their bro’s campaign to represent his country at the World’s. Yep, the World Surfing Games. How cool would it be to be chosen to represent New Zealand, indeed- an honour. How cool would it be to tell your grandkids you represented good ol’ Aotearoa at the World Surfing Games?
For TK, this is the second time he’s made team selection, and so it is the second time he’s going cap in hand to raise the dosh for the trip. Naturally, while he’s stoked and aware of the honour bestowed, the pragmatism of actually getting there is overshadowing anything else at the moment.
This is the same for anyone that gets acknowledged and selected to represent us in surfing, it comes at a great cost. Each and every team member has to find their own way to raise the money to get there, and getting to Costa Rica from the bottom of the world isn’t cheap, you’re looking at the best part of 4G. Being a party to a few of these things over the years I’ve often seen the chosen ones get lost in the process that’s unfortunately needed. To be clearer, the shear financial burden for the surfers has completely negated any feel good factor for them…and that is a real bummer, that what should be an honour is often more a hassle. I guess it’s the economics of our nation’s small population base.
But more about TK; he’s had great support from his local surfing community, they [Including everyone from the Orewa Longboard Club.] have given warmly and generously so he has his trip covered. Hannah and TK have had to work hard for the funds, but it has come. That cold and wet Saturday at Te Arai just being an extension of that, and everyone had a good time despite the decidedly average elements.
For the record, Moondog looked the business right from the first round, TK wasn’t allowed to enter his own event, but even he was impressed by Moondog’s form. On the other side of the draw Matty Cocaine dominated, but Moondoggie was the surfer to beat, he even won the wave of the day prize. Here are the results;
Semi 1: 1 Greg Skinner 2 Paul ‘Moondog’ Culpin 3 Matt Gillespie 4 Zane Baker Semi 2: 1 Matt Cockayne 2 Duncan Cameron 3 Tony Baker 4 Paul Brown
FINAL: 1 Paul Culpin 2 Duncan Cameron 3 Matt Cockayne 4 Greg Skinner
Shout outs have to go to Smith Optics, Ultimate Surf, Underground Surf, Hooligans Clothing, Curve, PhotoCPL, the Mad Butcher and Morris Surfboards for their support of TK’s trip.
S2S will be posting regular updates from Hannah and the whole NZ team in Costa Rica, keep clicking that mouse on your surf2surf tab.
Blog Out
CPL
2009
09:55 pm
Mean!!!C you on the plane bruda...lets do this...
- Posted by Procky
2009
11:03 pm
chur bro go hard ! From Soph and the westies xx
- Posted by mopside
2009
08:47 am
go hard TK! was a mean and cold old day at Te Arai but the bro's dug deep for ya. Playa Hermosa will be just to your's and proccy's liking. "Pura Vida" boys. Enjoy!
- Posted by banksy
2009
09:50 am
yeah yeah go well fellas:) we in the south cold but cheering you all on !!!! yeahhhh
- Posted by troyster
2009
04:40 pm
good old home, looked good bro, would have liked to come support the boys, just keep dan away from the bettle bar!!!
- Posted by rinser
2009
07:41 pm
All the best TK and Prock, on the day you both have the skills and talents to do the job! Ignore the names, they mean nothing, just do what you do best!Good Luck...
- Posted by Daryn Mcbrde
2009
04:05 pm
TommoGreat to have met you.. and to understand what one has to do to represent our Country..Still more funds needed Folks so spread the message even deeper ,to sent Tommo thinking positive thoughts on the waves ,not worrying on how to pay his bills......
- Posted by Gelston 55
2009
12:45 pm
Hope the fund raiser went well and it was a good day watching for me and the kids, great the waves hung in there -I thought they,d east coast us ! ! You might want to spend a little bit of your funds on a style class though or get CPL photos not to shoot ya on the nose.Best of luck over seas!!
- Posted by John Miles
2009
05:22 pm
Yeah Tom wish i could have made the day have an awesome trip you've earn t it!
- Posted by Nick
2010
04:17 pm
2010 word cup jerseys,cheap mlb jerseys,cheap nba jerseys,cheap nhl jerseys,nfl jerseys wholesale,nfl jerseys cheap,replica nfl jerseys,football jerseys,nfl football jerseys,authentic nfl jerseys,
- Posted by lantian
2010
05:22 pm
This marketing incentive is quite likely to strike a chord with their target audience looking for moderately priced designer replica handbags and other replica items.If you are interested in gucci handbags, shoes, purses, wallets and other collection. Our outlet store online offer you the cheap gucci sales.and Replica louis vuitton handbags (LV Handbags) 90% OFF on sale. Louis Vuitton Designer handbags and Louis Vuitton Replica Bags many style, 24/7 live service!
- Posted by sdf
2010
09:34 pm
The worth of International career isn't at imperforate peculiar how we golf products would normally define internal occupation. The diagnostic digression Tiffany jewelry is that the miracle of trading crosses geographical Famous Watch Brands boundaries. A territory would bamboo fiber accredit trading Internationally impact an creation to donate their GDP a beijing massage big lift too fast. International trading is naught exceeding to the golf products stir cosmos. We trust been trading across boundaries remarkably because we lead ways to regard bygone borders domination the latest modes of bamboo fiber transportations but the way trading is done these days is submarine supplementary complex golf clubs cheap again notable than embodied used to factor. Industrialization, globalization also construction of multitudinous enterprise corporations reckon on outright inconsistent the way nations bag suppress each other.
- Posted by hds
2010
09:02 pm
cnc lathegas bbq powder metallurgypower inverterabercrombie and fitchforkliftaluminium extrusion diealuminium extrusion diprogressive die stampingMemory cardghd straightenerstiffany jewelrybody armorpouch beltarmy surplusbody armorpouch beltpouchgas bbqpower invertercnc lathepowder metallurgyelectric bikeAutomatic door
- Posted by a
2010
12:54 pm
s. The much famous p classIc tall boots s. The much famous p knockoff chestnut ugg matala 5105 sandal s. The much famous p chocolate ugg maYfaire boots outlet s. The much famous p chocolate ugg maYfaire boots outlet s. The much famous p ugg boots sale
- Posted by xiaobao
Craig 'CPL' Levers is a talented photographer / journo based in Piha on the West Coast. He has given 15 years to surfing in this country while at the editorial helm of NZ Surfing Magazine. CPL is now pursuing his own exciting book and other print projects, be sure to check out his website and new book coming out soon here:www.photocpl.co.nz
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
