A quarterly New Zealand Bodyboarding publication
Blood Diamonds on the High Seas
EUROVISIONS Back in August, Matt Diamond flew halfway around the world to join a bunch of mates on his brother’s yacht in Indonesia. Arriving mere hours before a perfect swell hit, he went on to catch what many are calling the wave of the season at Supersuck in Sumbawa. For more about this extraordinary journey (and wave) see page 68. CHRIS GARDEN
MATT DIAMOND
Small Talk TIM PHIPPS
2012
BBSNZ NationalTour
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ISOMAG – NEW ZEALAND’S BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS ISOmag – New Zealand’s bodyboarding magazine ISOmag aims to bring you the best quality images and in-depth articles with a specific focus on New Zealand bodyboarders, waves and the unique New Zealand bodyboarding lifestyle. Our goal is to produce a high-quality quarterly publication that will help promote and gain international recognition for New Zealand bodyboarders, photographers, writers and designers. Editors Chris Garden and Hayden Parsons Design / Art Direction Paul Mossong Web Design Glen Mossong
Contributors Adam Wood, Aidan Dickson, Alex Turoy, Andre Apel, Angeline Humphreys, Aurelien Vivancos, Brendan Dorman, Chad Barlow, Cherry Bomb, Chris Bago, Chris Garden, Cory Scott, Dan Gray, Digga Davie, Edward Saltau, Ewan Donnachie, Frenchy, Greg Hodgson, Hayden Parsons, Heath Melville, Irautza Partarrieu, Isabella Harrex, Jake Cutler, Jarad Ferris, Jeff King, Jeremy Town, John Diamond, John Rutter, Johnny Chambers, Jolan Kilkelly, Jorin Sievers, Kane McMillan, Kendra Benson, Liam Shapcott, Lindsay Butler, Matt Burgess, Mark Thompson, Max Clifford, Mitch Frew, Paul Mossong, Phil Gallagher, Rob Gurney, Ryan Isherwood, Sam Brooks, Sam Peters, Sam Powyer, Sam Wells, Shane Kelly, Tauru Hugo, Thomas Jaud, Tim Hutton, Tim Johnston, Tim Jones Questions, comments and contributions contribute@isomag.co.nz
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16 PHOTOGRAPHS. BLOOD DIAMONDS ON THE HIGH SEAS. ONE WAVE WONDER. 15 EMPTY WAVES. EUROVISIONS. SMALL TALK. NOSTALGIA & REGIONAL NEWS + A SNEAK PEEK.
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ISOMAG – NEW ZEALAND’S BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE
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ISOMAG – NEW ZEALAND’S BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE
Floyd is making a habit of missioning to this far north slab whenever the charts line up. LINDSAY BUTLER
FLOYD SMITH
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This shot sums up just how tight Dunc Smith rides. Most riders would have at least some spray shooting off their inside rail in this situation. Not Duncs - as always he’s as smooth as a salesman’s spiel. RAFA CONDE
DUNCAN SMITH
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Early morning dream bowl somewhere around the East Cape. STEVE MARKINSON
HAYDEN STEWART
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Wellsy wrestling his way through an offshore slab. HEATH MELVILLE
SAM WELLS
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The early bird catches the worm. Mitch bet this flock by a whisker to lock into the wave of the day. CHRIS GARDEN
MITCH FREW
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Many of our readers have probably already caught up on the filth that went down at Sam Wells’ stag party. For those that haven’t, we’re not about to start here. Rinsing himself clean the only way he knows how. RYAN ISHERWOOD
SAM WELLS
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Anyone that knows JK and has seen him surf knows what’s coming up next - serious water displacement. DIGGA
JEFF KING
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A side-line view of Wellsy racing. RYAN ISHERWOOD
SAM WELLS
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Don’t be fooled. That rock is closer than it looks to this wave. Lose an edge and expect to get up close and personal with. BRAD DENNISON
LUKE JORDAAN
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The nose lift stall is something you don’t see very often these days. While the new school guys are aiming for maxim speed, the older generation, like Brendon Ashton here, are happy to use this timeless move to get them where we ultimately all want to be. RAFA CONDE
BRENDON ASHTON
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Even though the sea floor around Kaikoura drops off steeper than almost anywhere in the world, the place is still cursed for having fat point breaks. Apparently this is one of the first pits Heath has ever had in his home town. DAN GRAY
HEATH MELVILLE
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Most towns have a wave that is the focal point for bodyboarders. In Dunedin that wave was St Kilda. Since its demise a few years ago the town’s bodyboarders have been somewhat displaced. Goose loving being back home in time for Christmas. CHRIS GARDEN
HAYDEN PARSONS
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One from the album of the annual Smith family holiday to the islands. ANGE HUMPHRIES
DUNCAN SMITH
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Life in the Navy ain’t all what you hear in the stereotypes. It puts you on the doorstep of some of the world’s best waves. Papamoa’s Matt O’Dwyer on location in Indonesia. PEDRO
MATT O’DWYER
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Aidos gunning for greener pastures. CHRIS GARDEN
AIDAN DICKSON
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A sperm’s journey en route to the female egg is one that is thwart with danger. Millions of the little guys perish negotiating the fallopian tube with only the strongest surviving. Mitch Frew proving he is the most worthy of the seamen in the water as he attempts to navigate through the tube at a new wave called Fallopians. CHRIS GARDEN
MITCH FREW
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Blood Diamon on the High Seas Back in Issue 3 of ISOmag, we profiled Northland bodyboarder John Diamond, and his mission to sail his 39ft yacht, Rhombus, around the world. Back then he’d just completed a lap round some of the South Pacific islands, scoring good waves along the way, and was parked up in Australia, earning some money to fund the next leg of his journey. In August and September this year, ISOmag photographer Chris Garden joined John, his brother Matt, and a bunch of others on Rhombus for a jaunt around Indonesia. They scored back-to-back swells for the whole two months as they sailed around some of the world’s best waves. The stories and photos could fill a few issues of ISOmag, but for now, here’s a few Indonesian excerpts featuring the blood brothers Diamond. and photos by Chris Garden } {Words
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John Diamond Supersuck, Indonesia 3:59pm, 19 August 2011 Camera: Canon 7D, Lens: Tokina 10-17mm @ 10mm. 1/1250th, f8, ISO 200. After the intense barrels of the swell’s peak the day before, we weren’t expecting too much from Supersuck this day. From the yacht moored across the bay, the swell looked inconsistent at best, and with upwards of 30 guys on it, our crew wasn’t overly excited. As we motored over in the dinghy, however, it became apparent that the waves, although smaller, were impossibly perfect, with razor-edged lips grinding for a couple of hundred metres along the shallow coral shelf. After picking off some scraps, John finally lucked into a deep set and got up on the knee. I don’t think anyone gave him a chance of making it. Supersuck is almost too fast most of the time, and getting up dropknee doesn’t help your chances. I was swimming with my fisheye maybe a third of the way down the line and he came flying past me in the barrel at warp speed. Every eye in the line-up was focussed on the back of that wave, expecting John to pop up amongst the whitewash with a bright red reef tattoo as testament to his risk. What must have been a good fifteen seconds later, a drop-kneed speck pulled out over the shoulder of the wave, far on the inside. Never before have I seen anyone make a barrel that deep and long on the knee. Not in real life. Not even on video. Judging by the ensuing applause from every species of wave-rider out the back, neither had anyone else. Ridiculous.
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Blood Diamonds on the High Seas
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John Diamond Scar Reef, Indonesia 7:06am, 8 August 2011 Camera: Canon 7D, Lens: Canon 100-400mm L @ 260mm. 1/1000th, f5.6, ISO 250. Why is Indonesia frequently the number one travel destination for surfers and bodyboarders the world over? Is it the relentless, long-period Indian Ocean swells? Or those perfectly barrelling lefts that reel off in crystal-clear bathwater? Is it the colourful and slightly edgy culture? Or maybe even the free-flowing Bintangs and hedonistic nightlife of Bali’s Kuta? For many it’s likely a combination of all of the above. From the perspective of a photographer hailing from the typically-cloudy south of New Zealand, however, Indonesia also offers lighting so perfect that you can’t help but take half-decent photos. This morning, I had the luxury of a short sleep in. The boys had been getting amongst six foot Scar Reef since daybreak, but I waited for the sun to peek over the Eastern horizon before dragging myself from my slumber. With a bowl of fresh tropical fruit in one hand and my camera in the other, I stumbled up onto the deck of Johnny’s yacht and snapped this shot of the skipper tucking into a tasty one in the exquisite morning light. Those squally southerlies and grey flatness of the roaring forties seemed unfathomably far away, and would remain a vague and unpleasant memory for my next two months in Indonesia.
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Matt Diamond Donuts, Indonesia 9:48am, 18 August 2011 Camera: Canon 7D, Lens: Canon 100-400mm L @ 100mm. 1/1250th, f6.3, ISO 125. I first heard of the wave ‘Donuts’ more than a decade ago, when watching a video called The Experiment. It showed a pubescent Mitch Rawlins tearing apart a fun little slab across the bay from Supersuck. Having watched that section time and time again over the years, I was looking forward to checking out the setup and even having a dig at it myself. Donuts is a strange wave by Indonesian standards. For a start it’s a rare, short right-hander in a land of the long-peeling lefts. It also lacks a bit of the perfection often associated with surfing on tropical reefs. Mostly though, what distinguishes Donuts from the majority of Indonesian surf breaks, is the lack of crowds! There’s nothing better than surfing fun waves with only your friends out, and that’s what we had at Donuts every session. This wave of Matt’s was one of many playful little barrels that he sampled on this particular morning. Actually, I’ve got several shots of Matt on different waves that look virtually identical! I can’t remember exactly what happened on this wave but it would have gone something like this… Set looms on horizon, breaks on outer reef at twice the size, wraps round to the inside, drains off the shallow shelf, a quick paddle, push over the ledge, setting of line, weave through the barrel, ride out on the foamball, hit the wrapping end bowl, scurry out of the way of the next wave of the set, a short paddle back to the take-off. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
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Blood Diamonds on the High Seas
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John Diamond Scar Reef, Indonesia 1:54pm, 8 August 2011 Camera: Canon 7D, Lens: Canon 100-400mm @ 235mm. 1/1250th, f6.3, ISO 160. We had arrived at Scar Reef the evening after a 24 hour sail from Lakey’s with a bunch of feral Tasmanian boogers who were staying there and were up for the mission. Our anchorage couldn’t have been more perfect… a short paddle from the lineup and looking directly into the barrel. We couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the poor souls staying on land who faced a twenty minute paddle across the lagoon every morning. After an epic morning of surf, the wind turned onshore and the crowd headed back to their bamboo huts. Back on the boat, the boys enjoyed a feed and chilled out for a while, expecting that was the end of surfing until a potential evening glass-off. As the tide dropped, however, the inside section of the reef started throwing out some good barrels, despite the onshore. John was on it in a flash and I took the dinghy across to try to get some good dropknee shots. For the next couple of hours, he had the lineup to himself – the hordes of surfers staying onshore oblivious to the barrels on offer.
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John Diamond Donuts, Indonesia 8:04am, 11 August 2011 Camera: Canon 7D, Lens: Tokina 10-17mm @ 10mm. 1/1250th, f5.6, ISO 200. After a couple of epic days of surf at Scar Reef, the swell dropped away so we started on our sail back to Lakeys to drop the Tassie boys off again. The plan was to hit a wave called yo-yo’s the following morning. Yo-yo’s faces south so picks up all the swell on offer. It’s a pretty average wave by most accounts, but we thought it might offer up the odd section. We sailed into the bay over the hill from Yo-yo’s with the intention of anchoring up for the night. On closer inspection, however, we noticed that the dying swell was wedging off the rocks right around, making for an uncomfortable anchorage. We decided to head back up the coast, to the sheltered bay containing Supersuck and Donuts. As we sailed past, we saw some nice little barrels grinding along the Supersuck Reef, so hit that until dark. The following morning, the ocean was almost flat, except for a couple of fun-looking nuggets at Donuts. It was only two foot on the sets, and at home, in sub 10 degree water, we wouldn’t even consider heading out, however, as the tropical sun heated the air to match that of the water – a balmy 28 degrees – we jumped in for a splash. I decided to shoot with my fisheye, and hoped to link up a reverse or little boost in the glassy conditions. After we lined up this photo, John and I swapped jobs. Within 15 minutes John yelled out that my camera was broken. After a short stress-out, I realised he had just filled the memory card… over 700 shots! Talk about trigger happy! After a couple of hours splashing around, we up-anchored and started the overnight sail back to Lakeys.
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Blood Diamonds on the High Seas
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Matt Diamond Supersuck, Indonesia 11:56am, 18 August 2011 Camera: Canon 7D, Lens: Canon 100-400mm @ 265mm. 1/1250th, f6.3, ISO 160. I often wonder why I take surf photos. Why am I happy to sit (or swim) while my friends are getting barrel after spitting barrel. Why have I spent thousands of dollars on equipment? Why do I spend countless evenings sorting, editing and sending photos? Asides from the desire to take images that make people stoked, my motivations are mostly selfish. Simply put, I am addicted to the memories that are brought back to the surface, whenever I look back at a photo I’ve taken. To most of you, this is probably a fairly standard Indonesian surf shot… and I’d agree: A near-perfect left-hand barrel, blue water, boardies etc etc. I’d imagine a good deal of you would give your right arm to trade places with Matt right now… screaming through a tropical barrel with your mate hooting in the channel. To me, it’s all that and a whole lot more. Here’s a few random memories that spring to mind from this photo alone… meeting Matt earlier in the year in Guatemala and not being able to party with them because of a bout of food poisoning… the relentless equatorial sun, and how it looks like the sun has slipped behind a thin cloud for a few minutes of relief… the couple of big freak sets that got nervously close to picking up the dinghy along with me and my camera gear… Ben (claiming in the foreground)who works on super yachts in Tahiti (lucky bugger)… the shallow and sharp Supersuck reef and the time a couple of weeks previous where I pulled into a low tide barrel only for it to go completely dry, and the subsequent reef rash… the hotel/restaurant on land where we had a few cold beers and a massive feed of fresh fish after this session… the deceptively empty line-up and the reality of the 40 surfers waiting out of sight to the right… and so on and so forth.
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Words and photos by Chris Garden
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Luke Jordaan; The Island, Otago; 19 August 2011 I arrived in Christchurch from South Africa with no idea of how good the waves in New Zealand get. After a fun two foot surf at Waikuku but nothing else much for two weeks, I was frothing to get out of Christchurch and experience more of New Zealand. I was really stoked when Denny invited me along on the mission down south. I had to get there in under 24 hours, and bus times were looking dodgy but luckily Heath was heading down from Kaikoura (after clubbing a few seals), and I got hold of him just in time. Twenty minutes later the car was packed and it was go time. The first day of the trip we scored some really fun waves, and scoured the surrounding coastline for potential but by the afternoon the conditions weren’t looking too good. An unexpected phone call from Benny Mac, and the decision was made. The guys were amped for this spot, and all Brad said was that it was one of the heavier waves in the country which puts things in perspective. We rolled up to this wave in Brad’s boat and were greeted by a set of seriously round barrels exploding onto the reef. There was a big piece of partly-submerged rock right in front of it too. The wave was damn heavy. Nerves subsided a bit when Wellsy broke the silence shouting “I want some of that!” and paddled straight out. He was taking off deep and going for broke, laughing most of the time! I was easing my way onto the inside, trying to grow some balls. This was my second wave of the session, and to be honest, I could have been deeper. I paddled into it a bit late, and had to push over the edge a bit, but the drop turned out all good and felt frikkin sick! Denny sacrificed surfing for the sake of the mission and skippered, which meant Heath could get the shot (risking his camera equipment). It was a full-on team effort. Benny mac, Sam and I traded pumping waves for two and a half hours before heading back to shore.
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Matt Diamond; Supersuck, Indonesia; 18 August 2011 I’m sitting in a dingy Columbian hostel with a fever. John lee, my brother, is online and sending me pics of his latest waves in Indonesia. He has sailed his yacht from New Zealand and has been in Indo for two months at this stage. With August swells, Chris Garden on photog’ and John Lee getting bombs, the photos look mad. It’s 2pm and between sweating my tits off, drooling over these new photos and mates coming home spinning yarns, fizzing on Columbia’s finest, jealousy of my brother’s exploits start to set in. The photos are so appealing, in fact, that they shadow my current situation no matter what angle I look at it from. I choose to live a little and check some flight prices. The world is a small place when you don’t mind spending a few dimes and sitting on a plane for a while. The thing that ended up making me press the little red ‘book now’ button was John. He had been in Indo for a while and apparently, if i were game enough to come right this instant, I could catch one of the best swells of the year. I boarded the first of four planes, nine hours after booking it. Fidgeting in plane seats and eating their frozen-dinner-like meals, the next two days trickled by as I flew westwards across the Pacific Ocean. Scents of excrement and ripe fruit smothered me like a wet towel as the exit doors of Denpasar airport opened. Back in Indonesia. Epic. Meeting up with Ben ‘jerry curls’ Mason, Tim ‘steeze’ Phipps and Scott ‘ze zki inztruktor’ Boyd is an added bonus. They are to join the surf crew on Johnny’s boat. We spend one compulsory night out in Kuta, slugging back Arak whilst listening to early 2000’s dance tracks, avoiding Shazzas and enjoying the European contingent. I wake early morning with what feels like a bowling ball trying to escape my skull. Dismissing the incessant pressing on the back of my eyeballs, we gather the troops and catch another plane. Then a cab. A ten hour cab. As per John’s instructions, late at night we arrive at what we thought was a whore house… ‘Supersuck Hotel’. In fact it’s a surf hotel parked on the beach in front of Supersuck, one of the best barrels in the world.
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Getting on the boat and catching up with the bro and Gardy was awesome. Three good surfs the first day was also more than I was expecting. The boat was moored in front of ‘Donuts’, a right-hand slab as heavy as it its big. We could surf here in the mornings until the tide was good for Supers then come back for the arvo surf when the wind was lashing at Supers the wrong way. The swell hit. Midway through the second day we were all surfing Supersuck when the swell started jacking up visibly. More and more bombs started rolling through and people all over the show were getting long, shallow barrelling lefts. A crowd had turned up for this swell but it is fully manageable and the length and quality of the wave is worth the small wait. I was fluffing around gasbagging and waiting my turn, when the set of the day loomed on the horizon. Everyone was forced to paddle frantically out to sea. Thinking back, I’m not even sure if anyone managed to get the first wave, due to the erratic paddling needed in getting out to it. The second wave a surfer took off on and appeared to kook the drop. No one had time to see if he had made it because the third one was already upon us. A surfer to my left and much further out was in the sweet spot. He turned and paddled hard but as the bottom dropped out of it, a glance down at the shallow reef waiting for him proved too much for the man. He missed it. I cursed as I saw this because the wave was going to be nuts. I flicked myself around, sunk my board, and bounced into it. A late drop isn’t ideal but neither is letting a gem that you’ve flown halfway around the world for, go by unridden, I fell from top to bottom, thankfully landing with enough speed to scoop under the throwing lip. Sound turned foggy as I set a line, hoping that I wasn’t too deep. From then on it was like an Olympic running race, full sprint. I pull myself forward and gunned it. Everything is moving fast as hell and for a moment I think I’m going to get toasted as everything goes white and the foamball envelops me. The wave was so damn long. After the spray had cleared I had time to enjoy the watery cave that enclosed me, before coming out safely, far on the inside. My mates in Columbia thought they were getting a buzz two nights ago from white lines… pfft, that’s nothing. I’m amped to be back on the boog and getting good waves. This one wave at Supers was defiantly worth the trip from the other side of the world. A few of the boys at the hotel were saying it was the best wave they had seen come though all year, so I’m stoked that I was there to get amongst it. Gardy getting it on digital ‘film’ is also a mad bonus. All in all, being on a boog and getting slotted kicks arse! Hope you’re all getting good waves, wherever you are!
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Eight seconds further down the line on the same wave that graces this issue’s cover. Perfection. CHRIS GARDEN
MATT DIAMOND
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WE MAKE FURNITURE, PAINT PICTURES, DRAW AND PHOTOGRAPH. WE ALSO DO GRAFFITI, STENCILS, DRINK ALCOHOL, SMOKE GANJA, SELL DRUGS, KNIVES, MACHINE GUNS, URANIUM AND KIDNEYS, AS WELL AS MANY ENDANGERED PETS, LIKE KOALAS, SEALS AND DOLPHINS. (DEAD OR ALIVE. RARE OR “A LA PLANCHA”, DEPENDS HOW YOU LIKE IT…)
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ISOMAG – NEW ZEALAND’S BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE
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ISOMAG – NEW ZEALAND’S BODYBOARDING MAGAZINE
A lot of the reefs along the cold east coast of the South Island seem to have a pretty active seal population. It could be the gently sloping, eroded rocks that make these waves so good that also create a good entry and exit point for the seals. Tip of the day - where there’s seal colonies - there’s bodyboarding waves. Give or take. RYAN ISHERWOOD
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The lights are on, but nobody’s home. CHRIS GARDEN
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Thou shall not pass! RYAN ISHERWOOD
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Bottomless pit. CHRIS GARDEN
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Who wants some? HEATH MELVILLE
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The sort of lineup that you’ll only find in New Zealand. RYAN ISHERWOOD
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Once upon a time, days like this at St Kilda were a pretty regular thing. These days you’d be lucky to see a day like this once a year. This was the best day of 2011. See you next year. CHRIS GARDEN
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With his main photographic subject heading south, Ryno has no one left to shoot in the amazing waves that Canterbury can dish up from time to time. Get used to scenes like this. RYAN ISHERWOOD
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While it never really got macking this winter, fun days like this ensured that those who battled through winter were rewarded. CHRIS GARDEN
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Cold comfort. HEATH MELVILLE
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Go with the flow. RYAN ISHERWOOD
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Just over the dunes from St Kilda is a fun park called “Happy Days.” Easy to see why. CHRIS GARDEN
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Going it alone. RYAN ISHERWOOD
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It’s pretty easy to see why they these formations are called ‘head’ lands. CHRIS GARDEN
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Some of the pits on offer for the competitors of this year’s Dion Wells Memorial competition at Aramoana. CHRIS GARDEN
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It’s funny how life works out. Maybe it was a blonde Euro girl that somebody met in The Cooks. Maybe it was three wave-starved months travelling across America. Or maybe it was an excuse not to go back to the realities of home. Whatever it was, there came a point in time where I sat laughing in a Paris hostel listening as Richard McKenna and Danny Waugh explained that the reason they took so long to travel from Barcelona was that they had booked their flights for the wrong month. And that’s where all this began. It’s a tough life, but somebody has to do it. Seven weeks in a brand new Peugeot travelling through Western Europe chasing waves, good-times and adventure. And now, sitting here on a dreary London morning looking back, I can confidently say we found those three key ingredients in abundance.
EUROVI Words by Sam Peters. All photos by Danny Waugh.
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WAVES
I’m going to step out on a limb and say that based upon my surfing experiences, Western Europe has the best beach-breaks in the world! Every spot we spent some time at had a beach nearby where you could always find thumping pits close to the shore, or some irregularity in the coast that would cause Atlantic swell lines to break up and wedge into perfect ramps. One particular wedge in Northern Spain stands out as being the best bodyboarding set-up I have ever surfed. An offshore island bends the swell so that by the time it breaks on the beach there are waves hitting each other at 90 degrees. It was only 3-4ft, but the ramps were phenomenal and the beatings even more phenomenal. Danny Waugh ended one session short, spluttering on the beach that he had just had a worse hold down then he ever had at 8-10ft Mexico! Richard was the standout bodyboarder in the water in France. Years of perfecting his style at the world famous Morgan Street in Wanganui have definitely paid off and his aerial attack in the heavy French beachies was right up there with the best I have ever witnessed. Danny got struck down with a nasty ear infection in France (the only bright-side being that we had a makeshift photographer for a few days), however he hit his stride in the Portuguese praias and snagged some memorable pits and boosts. Christchurch playboy Ben Hodgson joined us for a week in Supertubos and he relished the opportunity to escape from his bedbug riddled “WOOFing” farm and cool off with some tidy DK tubes and snaps. 106 ISOMAG / EUROVISIONS
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Everything in life is in a balance and while we did score some epic waves it was at times marred by intense locals. In France we had to deal with the “Doobly-doo-f*$ks.” These generally weren’t locals, more French surf scene consumers, trying too hard to stand out in the lead up to the ASP contest. As we journeyed further south through Spain and Portugal we began to notice the fiery Latin intensity and passion in the water. This was most apparent on the mid Portuguese coast where Richard managed to have half a dozen local bodyboarders screaming at him and pointing to the beach after he called one particularly arrogant kook off a set wave. From then on it was almost impossible to catch a wave without being burnt or yelled at. Thankfully Ben Hodgson was able to douse the flames by explaining in Portuguese that we were not “Australiano.” In saying this, however, we did meet some incredibly friendly and helpful locals along the way and as much as I despise negativity in the water, I’m sure I’d behave similarly if the shoe was on the other foot.
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ADVENTURES
Beginnings
We picked up our car in the middle of Paris and within five minutes were caught in the maddening vortex that is the Arch De Triumph round-a-bout: 10 lanes of uncontrolled traffic careening wildly in every direction. A high consequence bumper car attraction! With sweaty palms and beating hearts we escaped the craziness of Parisian traffic and began embarking on our big adventure. After 11 hours driving we made it to the coast and slept under a blanket of stars in the sand dunes near Hossegor, with the roar of the ocean as a lullaby.
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Car Troubles
Peugeot Euro lease is an amazing company to deal with and I highly recommend them, however due to our own stupidity we did have some issues. One morning with a terrible hangover in San Sebastian, Spain, we stood forlornly in the rain staring at the empty space that had once been our car. After a big debacle, we eventually paid our $300 NZ towing ticket, only to get the car back and realise that it was sitting on its arse. Turned out the tow-truck driver had “accidently” ripped the suspension out. However, trying to explain this to the parking infringement personal (yes, they’re the same the world over) in very limited Spanish was nigh on impossible. Another moment during a 10 hour stint behind the wheel, someone decided that the car needed petrol instead of diesel. By 2am we had a broken overflow pipe on the tank and were all extremely high from sucking lung-fulls of petrol fumes trying to syphon it out. Such events are now illuminated by the warm glow of hindsight and I can only laugh looking back.
Climate
In our seven weeks we managed to experience every season. Spain and Portugal were hot, although due to cold Atlantic currents, the water is very chilly in Portugal. Richard managed to develop severe tanorexia in Southern Portugal. One morning after Danny and I told him he was looking particularly pale he disappeared out the door with just his towel and some oil. 9 hours later in the fading light of evening I noticed a pair of shiny white teeth walking across the carpark in front of our apartment. However it wasn’t all sunshine and hot tanned dudes. We left 36 degrees in Valencia and within 24 hours we were shivering in our jandals in heavy snow in the alps between France and Switzerland.
Dutch Extreme Team
No, not some kinky act in an Amsterdam brothel, but I do need to mention one of our final days in continental Europe. We made the most of a friend’s free passes to an epic indoor snowpark near Rotterdam. We were totally unprepared and it was quite a spectacle watching Danny fly over tables in his skinny jeans, or Richard hitting the box wearing no gloves and a thin hoody. From there our Dutch connection took us out to the coast where low and behold some epic little waves were barrelling next to a science-fiction-like pier. Was a bizarre experience surfing in the mist and rain of Holland only minutes after boarding in the flattest country in the world!
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GOOD TIMES
From the topless wonders on the French beaches, to the street partying in Spain; from the Aryan goddesses prowling the Dutch nightclubs, to the fine wines and cheeses of Switzerland: There was certainly no shortage of good times. Europe is everything you’d imagine and more in this respect. I also must mention a new dance move that Richard McKenna perfected in Holland. It involves a lot of fist pumping and x-rated miming. I have never laughed so much! Well, the national anthems have just started for the world cup semi-final and I suddenly feel a little nostalgic. So with home beckoning I’d like to close with this little gem from the book of Richard McKenna quotes; “One of the things I miss most about home is going fishing with my Dad and the sweet smell of the two stroke engine.” Here’s to all roads ahead yet to be travelled and the sweet smell of home that will always be waiting.
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Small Talk TIM PHIPPS A mild interrogation of everyday New Zealand bodyboarders to fill the gaps. Name: Timothy David Phipps Nickname: Tim. Age: 27. Hometown/current town: Whangarei, NZ / Palm Beach, Gold Coast, Australia. Job: Electrician. How did you get into bodyboarding: My parents took me to the beach a lot as a kid. Dad had a massive old Scott board that he would carve on both knees in his speedos. The double knee and the speedos not so much, but the bodyboarding stuck. Travel: As often as possible. Had an epic trip in 2009 mixing up waves in the likes of Chile, Brazil, Hawaii and California with snowboarding in Canada and partying all over. Favourite waves: South Straddie Island. Favourite international riders: Hubb. Favourite NZ riders: Their massive heads will probably sink the good ship Rhombus, but the Diamond brothers are charging. Best surf trip: First trip to Australia with a few friends when i was 16. It was the first time out of the country without my family. We spent two weeks based in Thirroul, NSW, jumping on and off the train in our wetties, getting pits and causing havoc up and down the coast. Favourite bodyboarding movies: Right now. Pull the plug is in the player and I’m eyeing up pull the plug 2. Favourite movies: Almost Cheese and Crackers. Favourite board: It’s flat at the moment so I’d have to go with my new Liquidforce wakeboard. Wave of your life: A left hand pit off the wall at the spit on Melbourne Cup day last year. Everyone was watching the races and it
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was just me, a friend and a few guys out. Best thing you’ve seen in the water: My brother swimming next to sharks in Fiji. Music you dig: Mixed bag… Wu Tang, The Bravery, Kasabian, Shabazz Palaces, The Black Keys. Hero/inspiration: My Grandad is an amazing dude. He’s the kind of guy who seems to know everything, has done everything and been everywhere. Best night out: Too many to remember one. Chicks: Just One. My Beautiful baby’s mumma Tiffany. Regrets: No time for regrets. Favourite brew: Heineken, even more so after a friend informed me that they tilt the E’s on the logo back to make it look like a smiling face, therefore, without knowing it making you feel better... Check it out. Short term goals: Get home to New Zealand to see all my family. Long term goals: Give my son Zak all the opportunities that I’ve had in life. Words that you live by: “This too shall pass”. When shit gets bad it’s always going to get better. When things are good, be thankful. Aside from bodyboarding, what else you into: I just built a 4 ft mini ramp in the back yard so I’ve been skating a heap and since the surf has been flat for so long I’ve been getting out on the boat a lot: wakeboarding, fishing and crabbing. Most of all I’m a new dad and loving it! Zak is growing up so fast that he changes every day.
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TIM PHIPPS CHRIS GARDEN
Small
TIM PH
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Clowning around in California Words and photos by Goose Back in 2006, Andrew Low and I somehow made the New Zealand team for the ISA World Surfing Games that would take place in California. It was pretty funny, cause we were actually living together that year in a dungeon overlooking Dunedin’s top grovel pit - St Clair beach. Even with the beach at our doorstep, Lowey never surfed. He was usually too busy working, studying, or more likely… waiting for my Mum to come and visit. But that’s another story… When the team was announced Lowey hit comp mode. “I’m gonna surf and train like a mad man” I heard him say. By the time departure day had rolled around he had been for one run, two surfs and a hundred ‘alone time’ sessions in his bedroom. Traveling with Lowey was hilarious. You had to watch him like you would watch an ADHD toddler in another country, you know, making sure he didn’t get lost in crowds, checking to see he had his passport all the time, things like that. Despite being an absolute clown on land, Lowey takes his comp surfing very seriously. Even though he was raised on the heavy wedges of Blaketown, and surfs them better than anyone, it’s shitty contest surf you’ve got to watch him in. I wouldn’t say he’s a groveller at all, but he surfs shit waves pretty damn good, and makes it look good too. Plus, to my surprise, his mind is wired for competitive tactics. After all, this was his third world games - a feat not achieved by many riders around the globe, so you could say he’s got considerable contest experience.
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His goal was to make the top 16 but that was going to be tough with riders like Andrew Lester, Uri Valadao and Amaury Laverne to contend with. In the early rounds Lowey did what he had to do and cruised through his heats. He caught the attention of a few people and became a bit of a crowd favourite, but not for his surfing. Everytime he was getting ready for a heat the beach commentators would give him a bit of shit. “Next up we have Andrew Low from NZ. With his jarhead haircut and pasty white skin, you won’t miss this guy in the water.” Lowey loved it though. Before the comp they had a big opening ceremony where the New Zealand team had to do the Haka. Lowey practiced it in our room every night and took it so seriously he’d nut out if I tried to take a video of him. On the big day he did OK, apart from doing the actions in reverse to everyone else in front of a crowd of thousands. Lowey actually starred in the one of the heats on the contest. In a heat that would see him break into the top 30 if he progressed, he faced some pretty stiff competition from an Irish rider. Down to the last minute Lowey needed a solid score to progress and used his tactical knowledge to ensure that he would get the bomb wave if it ever came. It was pretty tense and amazing to watch Lowey control the lineup with his tactics. Sure enough, in the dying seconds the wave came and again, he did what he had to do. Once he got to shore you could see how pumped he was, thrusting a tattooed fist into the air and was surrounded by his followers. That was the end of the line for Lowey. The next heat the competition was a class above anything Lowey had come up against, but he was satisfied with his place in the mid 20’s. With the comp over he had the chance to relax a bit and live the California dream. First stop was the theme parks where his first time on a roller coaster was one of the funniest things we’d ever seen. Absolute terror. He brushed it off though and took out the daily line dancing concert, winning more fans along the way. Halloween was just around the corner and as they do in the States, all the houses were getting right into it. Lowey became obsessed with skulls during this trip and had to get his photo taken with every skull he saw. One night in a bar they had skull ashtrays and Lowey wore one on his head all night. Back in Greymouth, Lowey hit the headlines and became a bit of a local celebrity. With the rumour of the World Bodyboarding Games starting up again Lowey has hinted at a comeback. Watch out world! All joking aside, I reckon he’s the best ambassador ever for New Zealand!
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MAX CLIFFORD
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ZONE
REGIONAL NEWS. NTH
AKL
By Blackman
By JKFM
Up north is heating up! Weather-wise anyway, almost back to boardies up here and it can’t come soon enough. There’ve been a few days of waves up here through the end of winter and into summer, with both coasts doing the job. Way up north Hendos on the east and the reefs on the west have served up a few days and back down here there has been good days at Oceans as usual, with a few sneaky days at Bayleys as well. Ol’ faithful Shippies has had a few days, nothing really epic but worth the drive at least.
Thirds. The last three months can easily be broken up into such categories...one month worth of pumping waves on both coasts of the 09, one month of solid swell mixed with rideable days and the odd sandbank forming here and there so that the onshore days aren’t a complete write-off and one month of haouli onshores brah, no banks anywhere and total springtime misery.
Sadly, predictions are for a hot dry summer with a minute chance of cyclones, hopefully they get that one wrong and we get a few coming through, close enough to bring swell but not so close they rip us apart! That said, no waves means more fishing so not the worst outcome ever!
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There have been some absolutely pumping days out west and east, with one session out west being purely boogers for four hours...pretty unheard of in Auckland... usually because of the glut of sheep stand-ups that tend to follow the boogy shepherds wherever they find waves. Next day was cranking, but the line-up was littered full of blow-ins and negotiating the flock is truly an art form in order to get the waves you want. It’s always good to see new faces out the back, including a couple of girls on the lid! One basque boogy, Nico, who’s on a year-long visa to NZ was thoroughly enjoying the waves on offer one day. Us old-schoolers are still sifting around getting
DUNCAN SMITH KANE MCMILLAN
shacked and popping out the odd backflip when the occasion presents itself...nice one Joz! So yep, the usual springtime howling onshores and variable temperatures are keeping everyone honest at this stage...but summer is totally threatening to break out of its wintry prison and begin to scorch this northern island locale. Warmer temps means more water time, sun screen and… mozzies. Oh yes.
By Mr Sims
Early October saw a couple of lovely NE ground swells
that unlike your classic northeast cost swells, got bigger, more powerful and pushed in for longer than was predicted. I managed to score a series of waves in one day, from heavy wedgy shoreys, to long fast and hollow “freight train” pits. definitely a day not to be forgotten! With a bunch of ‘almost’ swells, we got some nice banks at my local beach which provided some much needed tube time and some lazy lay back DK sessions. At the end of October I traveled back home to Greymouth for a week and had got some fun wedges. Whilst surfing one evening with Mr Kilkelly, I was sitting in the rip waiting for him to paddle back out to me when I felt something fondling my fingers. Hmmm that’s an unusual oceanic sensation I thought. I lifted my hand to reveal a large long and very much foamy condom wrapped around my finger, eeeek! Much to the amusement to Jolan. I can only hope that it was a thick sea foam that had filled the tip. ISOMAG / REGIONAL NEWS 129
JEFF KING DIGGA
The last few weeks have seen some 2-3ft long period swells with average banks, but with the water reaching 17degrees, king fish and snapper starting to school, garden’s are cranking, and with the anticipation of the first cyclone swells, things are looking good. Fingers crossed that bloody oily mess stays south of us, but with the beautiful Fijian waters starting to push in from the south east we are all a little concerned. Also our heart goes out to those Bay of plenty wave enthusiasts who have had there waves and beaches Blackened by the big chuck of steel sitting off their coast. With some sweet swell over that critical time it must have been a nightmare not to be able to surf your local areas.
BOP
RAG
By Pabs I should really be fired from this job, having only been home a little over a week from 2 months overseas I can’t say what’s been happening in with much accuracy. Although I did hear a container ship got stuck on a very well charted patch off reef off Mt Maunganui a month or so ago causing one of the biggest enviromental disasters this country has ever seen. Better leave it as that for now and get the rest of the mag layed up and online. Till next time, au revoir.
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East Coast By J’Fez One and a half decent swells, 40+ days of two foot. The Spring trend this year has been short-lived swells that arrive overnight and dissipate by the next day. Yep, Spring’s waves have been well below par for the Gizzy region. A few banks along the coastal beaches have worked reasonably with the small conditions and a couple of peakier days did provide some hollow love, yet the sets have always been inconsistent and as temperatures rise, so do the crowds as the ‘summer surfers’ return in droves. Ma’waii broke for a day, though slightly off-angle and with the usual circus. Piles was empty, big and onshore for a morning.... notable sessions few and far between. In saying that, I guess, at least there was a little something most weeks even if it was a weak two foot. Roll on the summer cyclones, track east please!
By Dunk
Not too many waves have been going down, with most boogs being away overseas. Ahi was killing it one day with some big boosts and acid drops before he got king hit, forcing him out of the water. Pete Weber has been scoring heaps. That’s about it!
bad as expected – we’ve actually had windows where we have surfed for 3 to 4 days straight. We’ve even had a few ‘OAD’ days, that’s code for ‘Offy-All-Day’, Jol-Tan slang. A few awesome days in a row that definitely triggers my addled memories was surfing DTB Blaketown banks on a north swell around the 2-3 foot mark. These kinds of waves epitomise ‘fun’ for me. Tezza was all over these banks like nappy rash as was Aran Naismith who made the pilgrimage. Speaking of blow-ins, Cody Smith stayed at my whare for seven weeks while he was here on placement for his nursing course. Cody claims that he never got any ‘pumping’ Blaketown and we would have to agree with him. I’m sure he has fond memories of scouring the coast and surfing some super fun waves though. Cody’s such a solo soul surfer if ever I’ve met one. Good luck with your endeavours Codes. The return of the Jedi! Blaketown dread knights, Dylan Russ and Adam McLean have once again called Greymouth home. Rumours have also included Kurt Neilson returning. Ads looks like he never left – recently seen scooping into some corner banks on dead low with his insanely good style. A change of the guard occurred when the Blaketown Bodyboarders Club met recently with Ben McPaike taking the helm as the club President. Amazing things will happen I’m sure. We’ve committed to running three club comps this summer. First one on the 17th of December, blow-ins are welcome to compete.
CHCH West Coast By Joltan
Summer? Haha, yeah right. Most people know that Greymouth doesn’t actually get a summer until late JanFeb-Mar. The last three months for surf haven’t been as
By Ryno
All of the city beaches have now been deemed safe to swim in again so it’s back to a long waiting game for a swell worthy enough of surfing. The local comp machine Aran Naismith has returned home from the Aussie Nats. He had little to speak of on the actual event but assures me he is now best friends with Thom Robinson and apparently landed a double backflip at Aussie pipe. ISOMAG / REGIONAL NEWS 131
This was backed up by Ben Mackinnon who said ‘It was at least eight foot.’ Ads McLean has left town to return to his former glory as a Blakos legend and has a sweet job lined up in Grey. Look out for some serious ripping as the man himself confessed to being just as pumped to be able to shred Blaketown again as he was about the move. Long-serving Christchurch local Sam Wells now resides in Dunedin but slipped a sneaky rivermouth session in a few weeks back and I managed to finally lock in a few photos. Now bring on these summer east swells!
Deep South By Shroom
It’s been a pretty quiet spring down these parts. Usually a pretty suss time as the banks recover from a winter of having their sand stripped. There were of course some sick days in the mix. As you’ve probably seen, St Kilda has probably been the pick along the south coast with big, heavy pits and some steady banks for once. May it long continue.
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A couple of boomer east swells hit during spring but all the usual spots sucked balls. It does sound like a lucky few snuck into some gold during some small windows of opportunity; but on the whole, those much anticipated east swells didn’t really deliver. As usual a few guys have come and gone. Aidos has returned (I’m pretty sure I say this every issue) and has a few months off to do nothing but chase waves. Frewy returned from a dry stint in West Australia and has been ripping on a stick since his return. Gardy’s back and has been riding more than shooting for once. Old school Stu got mega skunked in Bali, with the highlight being seeing Ben Player at a restaurant. He somehow didn’t see Eddie Saltau though who was there as BP’s personal film dude, and they managed to luck into the best Padang in years. Lucky. Wellsy’s stag-do was “loose az”. Plenty of drinks, dicks and drugs. Not to mention third degree burns, a tattoo gun and adult nappies. The wedding followed the same theme with the invite list looking like a line up from the old Isolated Challenge events. Good times! There have been a few big shark encounters lately. Too many actually, and a few guys are a bit spooked out at the moment. To add to it the sea lions are at an all-time agro with a few bites being dished out. Surfing in the south ain’t all fun and games I tell ya! Watch ya toes!
EVENTS:
BBSNZ North Island Champs BBSNZ National Champs BBSNZ South Island Champs
3-6th February (Waitangi Weekend) 2012 6-9th April (Easter Weekend) 2012 19 – 22nd October (Labour Weekend) 2012
5* Rated – Northland 5* Rated – Gisborne 5* Rated – Dunedin
DIVISIONS:
Open Men, Open Women, Dropknee, U18, Senior Men, Amateur. • Each event has a 4 day competition period in which to get the best conditions. All events are mobile around the region they are held in. • These are the only 3 rated BBSNZ Events. Best two results from the three events will count towards your BBSNZ Ranking. • Running on the IBA Super Tour Format. Divisions with enough entires will surf Three (or more) Rounds, and then go from there to round of 16, quarters, semis etc depending on number of entries. Along with the BBSNZ National Tour we are about to go out to a number of the clubs around New Zealand and look to start assisting them with local clubs competition to starting building bodyboarding competiton from the grass roots up in NZ. If you have any questions in regard to the 2012 BBSNZ National Tour please email us at bbsnz@xtra.co.nz
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Sneak Peak Next issue, out March 1st. Following on from the Indo barrel-fest of this issue, the Diamond brothers sail westwards, and with the help of facebook and google earth, find their way to what can only be described as bodyboarding paradise - a heavy left and right in a picturesque little bay in the middle of nowhere. Run-ins with the local police mean they’re not allowed to sail away for several weeks. Their punishment: day after endless day of perfect uncrowded waves! With any luck, we’ll also have a little feature on those who like to get up on one knee, and photos from kiwi travellers in The Canary Islands, The Philippines and the South Pacific. Meanwhile, the water is warming up nicely back in Aotearoa so we’ll have all the best images from a good old kiwi summer for you. By the time your festive season hangovers wear off, ISOmag number nine will be just around the corner, free to your desktop on March the 1st, 2012. CHRIS GARDEN
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