World Junior Champion Gabriel Medena on his way to winning at Piha this January- pic CPL
I’ve been helping out Greenroom Productions with TV edit of the Quiksilver ISA World Juniors held at Piha in last January this year. Man- I cannot believe how fast this year has flown, since those crazy days of having to shoot every day, regardless of the conditions. Being one of the contracted photogs for the ISA was a real honour, but holy heck they worked us. Sitting in the edit suite with Chris Kirkham from Greenroom, trolling through their gigabytes of footage, he’s had to condense into a 30 minute TV programme which was brutal, but it also got me thinking about what a stellar year the New Zealand surfing community is having. While the World Juniors at Piha is no doubt the biggest thing to happen in NZ surfing wise probably ever, there is also a lot happening for our Kiwi flag flyers overseas.
We’re sitting in the suite, which I suspect- not ironically is actually green, chatting about Blair Stewart’s epic performance at the Teahupoo Trails, this evolves into animated banter about Billy Stairmand’s victory of the 6 star WQS in Spain and that epic Haka footage:
- which then leads into how well the trio of Billy, Jay Quinn and Ric Christie are doing, at the time of writing Ric’s sitting at 77th on the WQS- this is a big deal. The boys have a website set up, which has been plugged on surf2surf.com before and it’s totally worth saving as a favourite, all 3 surfers are regularly adding comments and behind the scenes images; here’s that link http://suitcasesurfers.com/blog/.
The WQS is a ball-buster morale wise, and this has always been an issue for Kiwis trying to give it a solid punt. You’re on the other side of the world, cut off from friends and whanau- generally the waves are pretty damn average for these events- while you’re hearing about how fun the waves are back here, and the bank account is haemorrhaging Euros. It is soul crushing, which I know, cry me a river right? These fellows are surrounded by some of the most beautiful women in the world wearing nothing but a string bikini bottom, and very night is party-time....yeaaah it sure sucks to be them huh? But the point is it’s hard to keep focussed on the job at hand.
An oldy but a goodie, Jay Quinn on his first ever Indo boat trip 10 years ago, as featured in the book PhotoCPL.
Jay Quinn’s now the elder statesman of our travellers; I asked him what’s the difference between this season in Europe and the previous;
“It seems that I am the old fella these days! Yeah- we have found some momentum for sure! We don't drink during the week and make a routine. The rugby ball is a huge part of it for sure. Our results speak for themselves for sure. We have a winning formula and it is here to share for all the kiwi lads.”
And then there are the Kiwi women. Paige Hareb is currently sitting 9th in the World...dude...the Taras Terror is one of the ten best women surfers in the world! She’s sitting 6th on the WQS ratings too, so she’s looking the business to be on the World Tour for a 3rd year on the trot. And then there’s the Mason sisters, as much as the Aussies STILL keep trying the claim them, Kiwi passport holder Arini Mason is the 2010 ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series Champion, she won it in 2006 too. But wait there’s more, her ‘lil sister Sarah is nipping at her heals hard, Sarah, who also represented NZ for the World Juniors at Piha, came third in the overall ratings of the ocker’s junior series.
For years it’s been a huge source of consternation among NZ’s surfing community, why haven’t we got a bunch of surfers competing at the elite level, sure there’s been the freaks like Allan Byrne, Ratso and Maz...un-incidentally Ratty is also still flying our flag as the ASP’s European Head Judge- a deserved and fought after position. Yep, seems to me this year has been a real consolidation of a lot of people’s hopes, and who knows, once Bobby Hansen has had yet more surgery on his shoulders [they keep dislocating], he’ll be recharged and making up the 4th musketeer for next year’s world assault.
2010
07:02 pm
Another solid instalment from surfing version of johnny cash.... onya Creepie! see you in the "green room" oorrrrr the "black room johnny?" :)
- Posted by NapalmNinja
2010
08:15 pm
seepage you legend. keep doing what yo do so well. You talk about the journey of some of our competitive surfer, your journey also needs to be acknowledged. Stay a log racer dont go to Newton!!!!
- Posted by spark
2010
10:01 am
Support networks. It is as clear as day.
- Posted by kelly moana
2010
12:47 pm
dropin blowass punk
- Posted by occy
2010
01:47 pm
JF- the ISA's is a launching pad for careers, in fact Jay Quinn won the world junior title, just the year before it became the ISA's so it is bloody relevent and apparently 21 countries seem to think so too. I get what you're saying about our resources, but in a way that is exactly what the ISA's are there for. And are you really saying Gabriel Medena isn't at the elite level??? Kelly- quite right
- Posted by CPL
2010
10:58 pm
They need more $$$ so they don't have to ruff it too much and can feel like professionals, but NZ sponsors are not big enuff companies too be able to feed more $$$ into the WQS crew. More $$$ means more confidence and maybe then they don't have that fear: what am i gonna do after my surfing career ???
- Posted by Samson
2010
12:59 am
@CPL the ISA is not the launching pad for careers, the Pro Jr and QS are. What prepares groms for a pro career?, grinding it out on the pro juniors, having a dig at QSs, and getting wildcards in the THE SHOW. Where did we all hear about Gabriel Medena? at a pro jr (20/20). What is launching his career ? wildcards and the best surfers in the world rating him. He would have all that if he hadn't shown up at Piha NZ has very limited resources and you have to pick you battles, I've no idea how to make it happen, but providing a support network for QSing boys and girls should be the priority. It frigen works! Resources going to ISA takes away something from that. The pie is only so big.The ISA is a pretty cool thing, all the surf nations in the world getting together. An ISA world title is a great achievement and I wish all of our competitors who go to them all the best. I'm simply stating that success on the world tour is the ultimate in competitive surfing, and it very very hard . All the harder without the support of a few of you fellow countrymen/woman on the journey with you.@Kelly monana You definitely have the skills to have more than go around on the QS and would be great to see you get the kind of support that is needed.
- Posted by jf
2010
08:59 am
what you're saying is correct JF...if the ISA's at Piha actually took away resources. Whereas what it has done is opened doors, from an administration point of view, surfing now has a relationship with Tourism NZ, Auckland City and has a showcase world class event on it's CV which attracts more coin from outside of the local industry. The money to provide the infasructure has to come from somewhere right? Maybe a better way of terming it is the ISA Juniors is certainly part of the worldstage- you just have to look at hows in any of the semi finals up. Bloody good dicussion fellas! stoked you're motivated to comment.
- Posted by CPL
2010
09:45 am
Kiwis need to fly. They have to get out of nz to really feel the competitive hunger that the rest of the competition is in. They need support. The surfing industry is small. Three companies run the whole show, worldwide. Unless you have support from one of these it's goin to be harder. Look at the history of our sport. The talent is here in nz. The competitive drive is only young. With the correct support we will get there...
- Posted by Matey
2010
12:52 pm
Sweet if the pie is getting bigger , I guess I'm comparing the resources in sending a team to a ISA worlds (which are far less prestigious than the Jr ISA (ISA vs ProJr's is as separated as ISA vs WCT), top pros have to begged to go to ISA's by the Management of their respective countries) which could be assisting QS campaigners. Anywho, what is the best thing to happen in NZ competitive surfing this year (so far!) ? A CT event in Tara's with local girls doing bloody well and the Clarissa's $$ going to Waitara, the Mason sisters on the Pro Jr circuit , Blair's dig in Tahiti , hosting the ISA Jrs , Billy's win , Luke's and Damon's win on innnersection.tv , Jays second, Ricardo's rating ? Frigen great year!
- Posted by jf
2010
08:30 pm
You guys are tripin'. Jf you got the idea, don't water it down bra. If everyone in NZ had the same view, things would move along way differently. Nz is 25% there, if ya lucky. Jay will never make the ct, he rides for Volcom. Blair got an invite cos he is Billabong. Bobby did his best. Wake up. Matey said it nicely. I didn't... NZ must understand, noone really knows...
- Posted by what
2010
11:22 am
the 75% was reference to us being 75% of the way thru the year my bro
- Posted by CPL
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
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