SUMMER ISSUE Yarn with Sam Wells
To New Zealand,
With Love
SUMMER Itchy Feet
ISSUE
ON A WHIM...
+ Much More...
+
110 Pages Of Photos
Quin Roper is one of our most underground shredders. And juudging by the photos we’ve seen of him recently, one of our best riders in the heavy juice. Good enough to scoop into this wrapping beast and attract the lens of international photographer Phil Gallagher. Quin Roper Phil Gallagher
SUMMER ISSUE SNAP
- Rider gallery.
ITCHY FEET - On a whim. EMPTY
- A gallery of empty waves.
YARN
- An interview with Sam Wells.
NOSTALGIA
- Bug Bay, 9 October, 2004.
SCOOP
- To New Zealand, with love.
ZONE
- Regional news.
SMALL TALK - With Jorin Sievers. SNEAK PEAK
004 ISOMAG, CONTENTS.
- Coming next issue.
ISOMAG, CONTENTS. 005
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 highquality 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 Paul Mossong Web Design Glen Mossong Contributors Adam Wood, Aidan Dickson, Alex Turoy, Andre Apel, Angeline Humphreys, Aurelien Vivancos, Chad Barlow, Chris Bago, Chris Garden, Cory Scott, Digga Davie, Edward Saltau, Ewan Donnachie, Frenchy, Hayden Parsons, Heath Melville, Irautza Partarrieu, Isabella Harrex, Jake Cutler, Jarad Ferris, Jeff King, Jeremy Town, John Diamond, John Rutter, Jolan Kilkelly, Jorin Sievers, Kane McMillan, Kendra Benson, Liam Shapcott, Lindsay Butler, Matt Burgess, Max Clifford, 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 Questions, comments and contributions isomag@hotmail.com
006 ISOMAG, EDITORIAL.
Max Clifford
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 009
Apparently Todd “Bones” Hardie gets a bit of a hard time from his mates for making some extremely random calls. However, his call to sit on this bank while his mates floundered around on the left put him in the driver’s seat to dish out some insults for once. Todd Hardie Ryan Isherwood
010 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 011
Sam Martin scooping hard somewhere out west. Sam Martin Kane McMillan
012 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 013
If this photo doesn’t prove that Mitch Frew surfs ‘The Reef’ better than anyone, then maybe this video of the same wave will. Mitch Frew Chris Garden
014 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 015
Duncan Smith up to his usual tricks on an extended family holiday in the Islands. Duncan Smith Angeline Humphreys
016 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 017
As well as being good at pulling into dredging kegs like this one at St Kilda, PMK is a talented musician who has just released an epic little album. Download it for free at www.onsombil.com Paul McLennan-Kissel Chris Garden
018 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 019
Max Clifford on the road yet again, this time setting up at the famous G-Land. Max Clifford Unkown
020 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 021
Paddling out and getting pitted on your first wave, all before you have even duckdived is one of those rare accolades that not too many people can lay claim to. Exiting a barrel with your hair still dry is truly an unusual experience and is one Aran Naismith obviously hasn’t achieved here, as his sodden locks threaten to block his view. Aran Naismith Ryan Isherwood
022 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 023
Despite being mid-winter, a few lucky bodyboarders managed to ignore their shivering blue limbs and enjoy waves like this for a full six hours - a Deep South record. Hayden Parsons Edward Saltau
024 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 025
Apparently this day Cody’s fellow nursing students were learning how to insert tubes into the body. Cody must have read his timetable as “insert your body into tubes.” Cody Smith Chris Garden
026 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 027
Liam’s narrow stance allows him to fit perfectly into a little Gold Coast funnel. Liam Shapcott Adam Wood
028 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 029
The air forward - while simple in theory is one of the hardest moves in bodyboarding and one that has never yet graced the pages of ISOmag. Trust Duncan Smith to be the first. Duncan Smith Angeline Humphreys
030 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 031
Sam Wells moments before being ground into bird food for the ever-present seagulls. Sam Wells Ryan Isherwood
032 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 033
Heath Melville proves that there’s more to Kaikoura waves than the fat walls of Mangamaunu. Heath Melville Unknown
034 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 035
Here’s hoping summer produces plenty of fun days like this. Hayden Parsons Chris Garden
036 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 037
Photog Ryan Isherwood reckons Aran Naismith “fluked” getting this one during a session that proved to be difficult to nab a goodie. Time to buy a lotto ticket. Aran Naismith Ryan Isherwood
038 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 039
Duncan Smith all too comfortable in this South Pacific pit as he performs the classic look up. Duncan Smith Angeline Humphreys
040 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 041
Cody pulling up hard on the nose to sneak into an early-morning bombie. Cody Smith
Chris Garden
042 ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY.
ISOMAG, SNAP: RIDER GALLERY. 043
Chris Garden
044 ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM.
ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM. 045
Just go! It was a lazy Friday in mid-September. Myself and Mitch Frew had just returned to town after a less-than-amazing surf up the coast. A deep low was sitting in the Southern Ocean and was already throwing massive lumps into Tasmania. Earlier in the week I held high hopes of the system producing some size for the south of the South Island, but as time progressed it looked as though it would all head up the Tasman, delivering to us no more than cutting gale-force winds and a couple of snow-bearing fronts. As we sat at home that evening, lamenting what could have been, we casually checked the buoy predictions for the New South Wales coast. It looked good to say the least with four pulses of swell over the coming week, and favourable winds to boot. “Let’s see how much the flights would be”, I suggested, not ever really thinking much of it. Nervous laughter followed, as we came across a flight from Christchurch to Sydney for a mere $180, leaving first-thing the following morning. We couldn’t, could we? A quick check of our diaries, calls to our bosses and a frantic hunt for the passports and we were on our way an hour or so later amidst plenty of laughter and unrestrained excitement. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do – spontaneously chase a swell across an ocean, but had always written it off as being too costly, or too hard to work around my life’s vague commitments. And then just like that we were off, on a whim, leaving the cold behind for ten days of wave chasing along the east coast of Australia.
Mitch Frew Chris Garden 046 ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM.
ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM. 047
Life on the road
It’s something inherent, something in the blood of us as bodyboarders – the ability to rough it and to do whatever it takes to get to the waves and to make every dollar stretch that little bit further. Whether it be during road trips out of our local town, or in journeys through exotic parts of the globe, every bodyboarder has a story of tough times on the road.
Mitch Frew Chris Garden 048 ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM.
It’s what makes us who we are, and what defines us as travellers. As the saying goes - it’s not about the destination, it’s the journey – and it’s the strains and struggles of that journey that make the end point that much more fulfilling. The day dawns fine yet again. The galahs are squawking as we stumble from the car and squint into the sunrise. A light offshore fans a clean four foot of swell out of the south and we grin as a solid set unloads on a little-known Central Coast reef. Out there! It’s day seven on the road and we’ve somehow grown accustomed to sleeping in our little rental Corolla. We’ve existed for the last week or so on baked beans, chips and bread with the odd piece of fruit thrown in to fight off the scurvy. Nevertheless, our health seems to be suffering, with Mitch breaking out in a full-body rash and my feet inflating so much that they don’t fit my jandals. The trials and tribulations of life on the road, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM. 049
Mitch Frew Chris Garden
050 ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM.
Oh yeah, the waves!
It’s no secret that Australia has amazing waves, some of the best on the planet so it would seem. Having spent some time here before, we both knew that there were plenty of spots that would be working in the given forecast and we weren’t to be disappointed. We couldn’t get out of the airport quick enough, having witnessed eight-foot lines rolling into the coastline on our aerial approach into Sydney. Over the course of the next week we travelled up and down the coast, clocking up a couple of thousand kilometres and scoring quality waves every day. From angry wedges to perfect reeling reefs to chunky slabs, the Tasman Sea threw us all sorts of great sessions, often, somewhat surprisingly, without much in the way of crowds. And for every great surf we had, we heard of another five spots that were ‘going off’ in that same swell. Australia truly is the land of sun, sand and surf. As co-editor and photographer for this fine magazine, I have been persistently worried about the exposure of Aotearoa’s waves, especially with such a large population of hungry bodyboarders only a three hour flight away. A week in Australia however, went a long way towards putting my mind at ease. Sure we have our good breaks and good days, but if I was to put myself in an Australian bodyboarder’s shoes, I would find it very hard to jump on a plane to surf, if I can say it, predominantly average waves, with water temperatures approaching half that of Oz-land.
ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM. 051
Mitch Frew Chris Garden
052 ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM.
ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM. 053
Mitch Frew Chris Garden
Homeward bound
As the swell finally died away, and our holiday neared its conclusion, we headed back to Sydney for a couple of days of living large in the city, catching up with old friends, and a good dose of partying. The tail-end of a New Zealand winter seemed further away than ever, and it wasn’t without a degree of regret that we boarded flight NZ187 en route to reality. Travelling is a funny thing, very much about living in the moment. Within a couple of days of returning home, we had settled back into life, into the daily grind perhaps. Australia seemed like a distant memory and we were once again checking the charts for the next swell to hit our icy shores. For me personally this trip was an uplifting lesson in spontaneity, and a reminder of the value of freedom in one’s life. So take a week off work, look at the charts, grab your passport and go! Trust me, you won’t regret it in the slightest.
054 ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM.
ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM. 055
Mitch Frew Chris Garden
056 ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM.
ISOMAG, ITCHY FEET: ON A WHIM. 057
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 059
These guys have it sorted. One on the left, one on the right. Ryan Isherwood
060 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 061
Anyone that knows this spot will know that this is well beyond what was previously considered its maximum size. Chris Garden
062 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 063
The subject line of the email that this photo was attached to read “Casual 8ft’er”. We’ll leave it at that. Edward Saltau
064 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 065
One last set of snowy beach shots. Enjoy your summer. Ryan Isherwood
066 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 067
It’s not easy to get in this position when shooting water, especially while swimming against the flow of an outgoing river. Props Ryno. Ryan Isherwood
068 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 069
As Sam Wells states in his interview in this issue - “There are some legitimate bodyboarding waves in this country”. This one’s only been surfed a few times ever. Chris Garden
070 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 071
The race to the peak for the first wave of the day. Chris Garden
072 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 073
Razor straight lines grinding down the shingle. Ryan Isherwood
074 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 075
Most bodyboarders in countries other than New Zealand find relief from chilly winter mornings by getting suited up as quickly as possible and getting into the water which is more often than not a few degrees warmer than the air. Not in southern New Zealand however, which might explain why these guys are reluctant to suit up despite seeing this bomb. Chris Garden
076 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 077
Going left at Dinner Plates was considered suicide a few years ago. That was until Aussie nutman Brendan Newton casually stroked into some blatant closeouts there a few years ago. These days, the lefts still grind off unridden due to it being extremely unpredictable. Hard to believe looking at how perfect and makable this one is. Edward Saltau
078 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 079
“Cobden tiphead, the number one choice of wave for the stand-up community in Greymouth. Usually a drifty and frustrating wave, but sometimes it can pump.” - Blaketown local Jolan Kilkelly shares his thoughts on the other side of the breakwall. Ryan Isherwood
080 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 081
Reckon this guy will get back out in time to nab one of the last waves of this set? Chris Garden
082 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 083
Some Indo veterans reckon the earthquake that caused the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami greatly affected many of the reefs, making some spots hollower and some disappear altogether. The 2010 Christchurch earthquake, while massive, didn’t seem to alter the quality of this slabbing Canterbury reef. Ryan Isherwood
084 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 085
It’s rare to get both sides of a rivermouth pumping at the same time, as the river obviously has to flow out somewhere. Here’s an example of the norm. While the lefts reel off without a drop out of place, the right side cops the flow and creates waves that virtually stand still. Unfortunately they are often impossible to catch. Ryan Isherwood
086 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 087
Empty perfection. Chris Garden
088 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 089
That faint island in the background is one of the last islands before Antarctica, making this one of the most southerly waves on the planet. Chris Garden
090 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 091
Dinners wrapping up as the light fades in the Deep South. Edward Saltau
092 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 093
Crispy peak. Chris Garden
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 095
If there wasn’t snow on the hills, you could almost guarantee there’d be a dozen guys on this peak. One of the advantages of winter. Chris Garden
096 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 097
Beautiful arena complete with a fun little reef and no one else around. Aurelian Vivancos
098 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 099
Evil Reef looking not so evil. Chris Garden
100 ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES.
ISOMAG, EMPTY: EMPTY WAVES. 101
www.steez.co.nz PHOTO: Kane McMillan
102 ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS.
Dunc Smith Sam Wells Mitch Frew Chad Barlow Damo Mackellar
ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS. 103
Ryan Isherwood
Sam Wells
Sam Wells doesn’t need an interview. He is one of those characters that everyone seems to know or has heard of. His gargantuan statue and wild antics ensures he is always the bright red-headed beacon among the crowd, and has become somewhat of a legend amongst New Zealand bodyboarders and surfers alike. He will be forever known as one of the most raw, outspoken and unique personalities our sport has ever seen. Oh yeah, he’s a damn good bodyboarder too. To your everyday citizen, Wellsy is just another link in the chain of the mundane nine-to-five lifestyle, wearing his spit-shined shoes to a sales rep job that pays the mortgage and supports partner Lauren and baby Max. Unbeknown to them, however, they are in the presence of one of the best tube riders walking the planet, and a man with an alter ego which reeks of such homoeroticism that will test even the most tolerable of men. His 43.5” boards give you an idea of the size of his frame and his much published ‘limbs’, which he often puts on display when you least expect it. It’s fair to say that style, power and balls weren’t evident in Wellsy’s bodyboarding in the early years. Around the time when the focus of bodyboarding shifted from ‘comp surfing and spins to the beach’, to ‘style and power in waves of consequence’, Wellsy admittedly was getting left behind. While his peers were accelerating by surfing bigger and better waves, Wellsy’s focus on competitive bodyboarding, at a time when competitive bodyboarding wasn’t cool, pushed him to the bottom rung of the New Zealand bodyboarding ladder. “Yeah I was a fucking sad piece of work when I first came on the scene. Funnily enough that’s when I had the healthiest comp results. I was all about competing and thought that 1st place actually meant that. Boy was I wrong. A trip to the Australian GOB comps in 2000 really 104 ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS.
opened my eyes that competitive bodyboarding was heading in one direction and I was heading in the other and I realized that I had to go home and start from scratch.” Easier said than done though. Wellsy attributes his brand of bodyboarding back then to the waves he had on his doorstep. New Brighton, Taylors and Meatworks – some of the most feeble breaks on the planet. How was it possible to progress in waves of that calibre? “Instead of learning how to harness the power of a wave, I was learning to create it, which left me high and dry when real bodyboarding waves came my way” With the support of his Mum, who would video almost every session - rain, hail or shine, and regular trans-alpine train trips to the heaving wedges of Blaketown, Wellsy’s riding began to change. Within a year his bodyboarding had made a dramatic turn around, aided greatly by watching the talented Blaketown locals such as Ben Smith, Adam McLean and Andrew Low. “These days I’m not really a tricks man. My focus is on good solid fundamentals like scooping, tube riding and carving in heavy waves. I’d rather watch someone draw out a perfect carve than a Brazilian-style ARS.”
ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS. 105
Chris Garden
106 ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS.
With those fundamentals down-pat, Wellsy looked to apply them to a greater variety of waves. Almost every weekend he would drive solo eight hours south to the Catlins in his 4WD van where he found the variety he was after. Around that time he was introduced to his soul mate - Dinner Plates - and they have enjoyed an intimate relationship ever since. No one has come close to the dominance Wellsy asserts over that patch of reef. He pioneered paddling in behind the peak when it got over six foot, and to this day he is the only wave-rider who actually rides the place how it was meant to be ridden. “I guess it’s just chemistry. Since my first surf at the place I’ve been blown away by how perfect it is for bodyboarding and I’ve always felt in sync with the joint.” In recent years the relationship seems to be more long distance, only catching up for a quick fling a couple of times a year. This sparked rumours that Wellsy had given up bodyboarding, but, in true Tiger Woods fashion, Wellsy was having an affair with an abundance of newly discovered curvaceous slabs around his hometown. But no one was buying his calls of epic waves around Christchurch. Quality waves and Christchurch was considered the greatest of oxymorons, and it took the teamwork of Wellsy and ISOmag photog Ryan Isherwood to silence the critics.
“The gay thing is that for my first 11 years of bodyboarding, I didn’t know I had these amazing waves on my doorstep, nor did any other cats.” “There are so many good waves about an hour from my house that pump on different conditions that could have provided me with world class waves at least twice a month for all that time!”
ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS. 107
Ryan Isherwood
108 ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS.
Wellsy obviously looks back with a lot of regret at missing so many potential sessions, and is adamant that he won’t let any up and coming groms fall into the same trap. In doing so, he shares his opinion on the future of the sport in New Zealand. “The state of the youth scene here today breaks my fucking heart.“
“My advice to the groms out there is to move somewhere with good waves.” “Get in touch with one of the good guys there and go surf with them. If there are any groms in Christchurch keen to progress, then get in touch, I’m keen as shit to mentor some kids.”
Wellsy then went underground. He stopped competing. The trips down south and to the West Coast were a thing of the past as he got stuck into the grind of a working man’s life and feasted on his secret slabs while the rest of the body boarding world remained oblivious. In 2004 he caught wind of a new style of competition – the Isolated Challenge, and just like that Wellsy was back with the ultimate goal of winning it and cementing his position back at the top of the pecking order. Things didn’t work out that way though. Every year something would stop him from winning… in 2004 he broke his hand after smacking fellow competitor Ben Smith in the head after a prank tuned sour, in 2005 he broke his tailbone after a 27-metre rock jump attempt went wrong and in 2007 he somehow missed two of his heats in pumping waves and finished dead last. The one year he did stay out of trouble though was 2006, which arguably had the biggest, most perfect Dinner Plates out of all the Isolated Challenge events. Wellsy absolutely cleaned up.
ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS. 109
Ryan Isherwood
That win put Wellsy back on top, got him some solid sponsorship and an invite to the Shark Island Challenge. New Zealand had high hopes – our best big wave rider competing on a wave that suited him to a tee. When the heat draw was announced, undoubtedly the most stacked of the whole contest with Mike Stewart and Ben Player, most supporters back home still had faith that Wellsy’s skills would get him through. But did he share the same confidence in himself? “Not at all. That contest was a bit of a joke. I went over early to get to know the wave before the contest. I was confident after some good days out there but the swell was east every time. I had seen the report the day they had it and thought there was no way they’d run it so took off surfing a couple of hours up the coast. In the line up some local kid asks me if I’m going to watch the comp today – I shit myself, went straight in and bolted back to Cronulla, arriving twenty minutes before my heat. The swell was from the south and the wave had completely changed. Player stitched me up big time. That dude knows how to get all up in your head.” Despite the recent birth of son Max, Wellsy insists his bodyboarding and wild antic days are far from over, with a clear plan to push the limits of bodyboarding in New Zealand. “I have a goal of getting some shots that showcase how good New Zealand can be. There are some legitimate heavy bodyboarding waves in this country and I want to get them out there and generate some interest and awareness in them.
“95 percent of the shots that come out of this country are three foot and below, and I want to change that.” Fingers crossed this goal comes to fruition sometime soon. Until then, Wellsy will be going through the motions of family and boyboarding life in Christchurch. Chances are, however, you’ll hear yet another crazy Wells-induced story just around the corner.
110 ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS.
ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS. 111
Ryan Isherwood
112 ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS.
ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH SAM WELLS. 113
Bug Bay, 9 October, 2004 Photos Chris Garden
Bug Bay is an interesting wave, if not a little frustrating. It’s a wedge that has perfect shape and breaks all the time, but is plagued by usually being too fat to be a high-performance bodyboarding wave. It also seems to max out at about three foot most of the time. This particular day was unusual in that consistent four foot sets were rolling in and throwing out hollow drainers onto a rare shallow bank. The large crew had spent the weekend floating down river rapids near Queenstown, and were gagging to get into some real waves on their return.
ISOMAG, NOSTALGIA: THE GOOD OLD DAYS. 115
Stu Bassett Chris Garden
Rob Banfield Chris Garden
116 ISOMAG, NOSTALGIA: THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
Mitch Frew Chris Garden
Chris Garden
ISOMAG, NOSTALGIA: THE GOOD OLD DAYS. 117
To New Zealand, with love. Against all advice and common-sense, Australian pro bodyboarders Adam Luehman and Ewan Donnachie spent an agonising couple of weeks in the middle of winter reluctantly searching for waves. But they weren’t completely left out in the cold as they lucked into a couple of fun days when the mercury rose above zero.
118 ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE.
ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE. 119
To New Zealand, with love. ISOmag asked me to write a few words regarding my last international sojourn to the fine, fine land of En Zed, where the grass is green, the scenery breathtaking, the women sparse (at least in Dunedin… in winter… during university holidays) and the waves… well, we’ll get to the waves. But this is new territory for me. I enjoy reading your fine publication and think reading is an admirable pursuit. In fact, it could be said that I’m generally a fan of the English language. However writing is something I’m not entirely familiar with. Especially writing for a bodyboarding magazine. I’m far more comfortable tackling a heavy slab than creatively putting ink to paper. Except in New Zealand. Goddamn, I was at no point comfortable in the water over there, but again, we’ll get to that later. I think my last literary composition was a love-drunk, hand-written masterpiece, passed folded under the table to its unsuspecting female recipient. I think she laughed at it. Either way, it got me nowhere. I’m keeping to that format today. Let’s hope it achieves a better result… Dear New Zealand, Hi, how are you? I think you’re really pretty! I visited your Southern Island a few months ago with my Ozzie friends Adam Luehman, Alex Turoy and Dan Nicholls. Adam is an aerial maestro, one of the most exciting young guys to watch, and the folk that usually document his silly exploits over in West Aus are Al on the lens, and Dan behind the film rig. How we all wound up in your neck of the woods is somewhat of an oddity. No, actually, let me rephrase… how we wound up in New Zealand during WINTER is what truly baffles me! And in the most southern part of the South Island too. Oh New Zealand, we definitely do not do things by half measures it seems. Truth be told, I’ve been checking you out from across the way for some time now. From across the Tasman actually. Quite a long way really. You’ve always looked so beautiful and interesting (I bet you get that ALL the time!), but also so mysterious and daunting. I’ve never known much about you, no-one over here seems to, especially when it comes to your waves. I can pick up most magazines, flick through and see spot after spot, know where they are, how to get there, what swell, wind and tide combo they need. But you, you remained an enigma for a very long time. Previous issues of ISOmag had me both captivated and bemused. I wanted to see you, to understand you… but had no idea where to start. I think that’s what I like most about you NZ (I can call you NZ can’t I?!); you’re not easy like those other countries. You’re different! The catalyst for this trip was a man known only as ‘Goose’! I’d contacted him earlier in the year, expressing my intrigue. In true NZ fashion, he was back to me within a few days, beaming at the notion of hosting a few Oz fellas, but bearing bad tidings of what was to come in the ensuing months. Cold he said, cold like you’ve never known. Wind, rain, snow, sleet, ice, frost, white death. You get the idea. Waves too. Big waves, powerful waves, good waves. But cold. Seemed I’d left my inquiries fashionably too late, that the good times had passed and I would have to wait for the freezing climes to do the same before it would be worth my while venturing over.
120 ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE.
I took his word for it and turned my attention towards other beauties. South Oz, South Coast, Java I whored myself around for months on end before one day checking my email. There was a message in my inbox. It spoke of forecasts not to be missed, of back-to-back swells that were not only solid, but varied in direction with flawlessly offshore winds accompanying each. “But it’s the middle of friggin winter”, I said to myself. One Skype call later though, and I was sold. It sounded too good to be true. After all, I reasoned, it’s only cold. Pfft cold, cold never hurt anyone did it?!? I called Tim at Riptide, Shane at Limited Edition and together we started to make it happen. A couple of days later and I was standing at Dunedin Airport in the pitch darkness, trying to chisel thick ice off our hire car windscreen with a plastic spoon. And yep, it was cold! Now let me just say NZ, I’m not usually one to pass judgement based on hearsay. I’m far more inclined to get to know a girl personally, spend some quality time with her, form my own opinion. However, from everything I’d heard, it was hard not to form a good opinion of you. You had me captivated before I’d even laid eyes on you in the flesh. We heard of heaving slabs, of offshore islands housing Shark Island-esque beasts, of grinding rivermouths, of seals, sharks, kelp, and, in particular, of legendary beach breaks. I believe the term “best in the world” may have been bandied about. Best in the world?!? Why not? The evidence was certainly fairly compelling. However, we also heard rumours about a certain dark side that you posess, NZ. Apparently your waves can be a real bitch. Sometimes you’re incredible and really put yourself out there for your ‘friends’, show them the best time, do what needs to be done to leave everyone smiling. However, if you don’t know someone, if it’s the first time you’ve met them, you tend to make their life a living hell. You’ll give them the (very) cold shoulder. You’ll make them drive everywhere and never go to them. Sometimes you’ll even tell them to come meet you at some remote location, hours and hours away… and not even show. You’ll erratically snap through every emotion under the sun and generally settle on ‘nasty’. You’ll tempt them, tease them, tell them they’re DEFINITELY gonna get some, wear a Britney Spears-inspired, primary school-sized uniform, complete with knee-high socks, gratuitously miniature plaited skirt and white blouse, unbuttoned to the navel, billowing in the artificial wind, revealing a white, lacy push-up bra and firm, pert pair of… jeez this writing thing is getting away from me… And then BAM!, you’ll slam the dorm door in their face, leaving them stunned, standing outside in the… yep you guessed it… COLD! Now it would seem that perhaps I have some kind of emotional connection to the aforementioned scenario, that I’m a little jaded, a little over-sensitive. Well that’s because she did this to me, to us. That being said, we still had an abundance of great times. We scored several super fun sessions out Dinner Plates and one of Dunedin’s beachies. We met some absolute legend local fellas, were privy to the warmest hospitality and were fortunate enough to be shown to many of the area’s best waves. We went snowboarding, ate heaps of quality food, drank enough coffee to wake the dead, sampled the region’s premiere basement-distilled bourbon and vodka, had a freakin fun night out in Queenstown and saw scenery that literally left me speechless. All in all, it was an awesome trip, and NZ, I like you… more than a friend. I will return to your shores, probably many times more. Hopefully I get to know you a little better, get to understand you, see what makes you tick. Perhaps you’ll relax around me, let your guard down and allow me to truly experience all you have to offer. I enjoyed the time we spent together this year, but know this, I want nothing to do with your winter ever again. Most girls I know are best avoided for approximately a week of every month. Yours is a four month period that I’m definitely staying in Oz for! Lotsa love, Ewan xoxo
ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE. 121
Ewan Donnachie Alex Turoy
122 ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE.
ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE. 123
Adam Luehman Alex Turoy
124 ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE.
ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE. 125
Ewan Donnachie Alex Turoy
126 ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE.
ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE. 127
Ewan Donnachie Alex Turoy
128 ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE.
ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE. 129
Ewan Donnachie Alex Turoy
130 ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE.
ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE. 131
Ewan Donnachie Edward Saltau
132 ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE.
ISOMAG, SCOOP: TO NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE. 133
134 ISOMAG, ZONE: REGIONAL NEWS.
Nth Not any epic days but quite a few days of fun waves around of late. It’s good that Shippies is so close as the east coast hasn’t been up to much. A few good days over the long weekend way way up north were enough to keep the love alive… but only just! Big daddy Dowman is currently over in the land of Oz as part of the New Zealand team. Last reports had him dipping out in the third round of the main event. The big red dog, aka Max Clifford, is also back up north kicking around waiting patiently for Shippies to do its thing again. He’ll be all over it! Summer is finally here, as I had my first surf in boardies last weekend. It’s good to live up north, the Dunedinites are probably still in 4/3’s and hoods! - Blackman
Akl S.P.R.I.N.G. Like its namesake, the season throws the book at ya. Wind, rain, wind, sun, wind, rain, calm n glassy, sea breezy, wind, rain, wind wind wind...such is life here in the 09 - a thin strip of land sandwiched between the ever-changing Tasman and the mighty Pacific. The waves have responded accordingly. There have been a couple of epic sessions go down lately. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that I scored pretty much a top ten KEG this year! The day before had been the kinder surprise of the year. Myself, Frosty, Davey B & Brandon scored some epic kegs and ramps on a wedging left for a good couple of hours and were all quietly enjoying the bullshit sunset that was unfolding before our eyes until the silence was rudely interrupted by a man in a grey suit who fancied himself a seal or two (thankfully not us). The next day there was a chronic crowd in the lineup so Max and myself decided to have a crack
at getting a couple of kegs at a wave that wasn’t really doing it, but showed some serious promise when a gem came through. Lowey’s been creeping around the West Coast again (seriously still killing it). Me and Dave scored some super fun Coro gold the other day. Brendon scored a few bowls a couple of nights ago out west with Junior Coff. The after-work surfs are definitely on and summer has shown us her face for the first time since winter upped and left a couple of months back. Next time I write, springys (almost boardies I’m hoping) will be the norm, and hopefully more epic days are ahead with a La Nina-inspired summer ahead and many a smile on the dial of any boogers willing to stuff themselves inside some low tide drainers at their local! - JK FM
ISOMAG, ZONE: REGIONAL NEWS. 135
Bop
Rag
Well, summer’s come early with the driest spring on record for quite some time, temperatures to match that of mid summer and it’s only December. Reports of a 6m Great White spotted in the bay have livened things up a bit. Weather or not it’s true you can’t help but let you’re mind wander as your sitting in the line up. The last three months has been more of the same really, heres hoping for some nice tropical low pressure systems this summer... Sausages on the BBQ. Umbrella in the sun. Mmm, banana smoothies. Mega hot sand. Eggs for breakfast. Rash from the boardies. - Paulie
J Fez has gone AWOL.
136 ISOMAG, ZONE: REGIONAL NEWS.
Wtgn
The Lonely Planet panel who voted Wellington as being the fourth best city in the world was clearly devoid of swell-riding enthusiasts. Spring for waves in the lower north could be summed up in adjectives such as “terrible,” “appalling,” or “dreadful.” (shift+F7 = thesaurus). But for the respect of verbosity, I’ll attempt to gloss over that adjective with a few verbs and a handful of nouns. While all the normal hot spots have entered the realms of mythology, Breaker Bay has been the only thing keeping the local boogs sane. East Coast transplants Ahi Newby and Hayden Middles have absolutely owned the heavy right on the few occasions that they’ve dusted off the lids. Hayden’s huge ARS off the main peak on a recent swell had the Knowone kooks jealously cursing the boy’s talents. Paul Greelish has made the most of any ripple reaching Breakers and claims a day when a surfer rode from the outside rock all the way onto the sand (unheard of!). However, before you outsiders think about dropping by to sample some love at Breaker Bay, take a moment to consider the huge Great White that was caught fifty metres down from the peak. This monstrous, man-eating fish even made the front page of the Dominion.
Duncan Smith arrived back from the islands with his style more smooth and flowing then ever. Shame he’s only been in the water a handful of time since his return. Even so, his first surfs back saw him push Benny Mac all the way to a deserved 2nd at the Taranaki competition. Yours truly managed to bring home the DK crown and tour at the same event. Danny Waugh and Dan Charles stumbled upon a new river mouth over the hill, that closely resembled another more famous haunt. However the perfect 2ft sets were not enough for Danny to bust any of the massive split legged inverts he’d been working so hard on in his bedroom. Rumors… did someone truly see NZ legend Andrew Lowe creeping the streets of Wellington early one Sunday morning? Did Richard McKenna truly last a whole day without saying “worst ever”? - Cuda
Paul Mossong
ISOMAG, ZONE: REGIONAL NEWS. 137
Chch
To put it bluntly, the waves this spring have been horrible. Weather patterns have been all over the show with southerly fronts bringing little or no swell and a lack of northwesters making finding somewhere that’s offshore much harder. The best swells have all come from the east this spring and it’s getting hard to remember the last time we saw a solid groundswell from the south up the coast. Despite the conditions, some of the boys have managed to get their grovel on at Taylors Mistake on the odd punchy swell. Aran Naismith has got his amp back after many days spent up the mountain snowboarding at the beginning of the season. Hodgy has been working hard on a dairy farm in Ashburton the past few months, but hasn’t stopped him chasing the few swells that have been on offer.
Heath Melville is back home in Kaikoura after an extended period in Ireland. He played host to myself and Wellsy on a mission up those ways and proved to us how well he knows that coastline. Although its hard to admit, we surfed Gore Bay after the failed Kaikoura mission. A super fun rip bowl enticed us out there, and there were actually good waves for the first hour or so before the tide ended our session. All in all it’s been a tough time to find waves so fingers crossed summer has more in store. - Ryno
Finally ye old faithful Blaketown has been producing the goods after a three month spell of shitty banks. The last 3 - 4 weeks, has seen unusual fine weather and pretty good banks at Blaketown. There’s been a middle bank which has worked on a mid tide in the three foot range and just recently a corner bank opened up on the lower side of mid tide. The small booger population of Greymouth has been into it. Wayne Ryan, Ben McPaike, James Southorn, Matt Kokshoorn, Jade Morrison, Tezza and myself have all had some sweet days of waves recently. Good times. The water is super warm too, springsuits all the way. Tezza and myself were also lucky to score a shorey day at a relatively unknown spot on a moderate south swell. Real fun session. As I write this report the Pike River Mine tragedy is into it’s third day and I feel so frustrated and anxious just like the rest of the West Coast populace. My heart goes out to all the families of the boys down there. There are a couple of stand up mates down there that I’m feeling really bummed about, Kane Nieper and Glenn Cruize. I’m praying for a miracle. -Joltan
138 ISOMAG, ZONE: REGIONAL NEWS.
Chris Garden
Just when you thought we had a relatively easy winter, spring comes and dumps a few inches of snow on the shoreline. Didn’t stop a few nutters having a go at some average icy waves though. It was also cold enough to give Garden pneumonia on his return from Australia, and another couple of stints in hospital. The weeks following the big storm brought back to back solid swells down south. When it finally settled down, most beaches seemed to have pretty fun banks. Blackhead in particular has had some of its best banks in years. English geezer Rob Smith is calling Dunedin home for the next three years doing a bit of research here
and there. No doubt you’ll see him searching for waves on his scooter during a hail storm. John Kris Martin is back in town, renting the gimp room at ‘Hotel Oxford’ and making the most of cheap nude massages from Ben MacKinnon. Ben is massaging anything that moves in order to save up for his hectic travel and contest schedule over the summer months. It should be a pretty successful one too as he’s been ripping extra hard lately including a 7th in the Aussie Nationals. Rastas Stephenson has moved into town and has moved into a seedy pad with Mitch Frew, Tim Slutton and Gardy. Rastas achieved more in one week than all of us put together by
scoring a car, job and girlfriend in a matter of days. Middles (the wave, not the Wellington metrosexual bodyboarder) has come back to life and has been good enough for a few of the old crew to blow the dust off the lid. Veterans like Joe Ropata, Mark Patton, Luke Haselmore and Brent Slocombe are all getting amongst it. Summers finally here! Time to pack away the hoods, kidney belts, gloves and booties. Notice I didn’t add 4/3mm to that list. Damn you Northerners! - Goose
ISOMAG, ZONE: REGIONAL NEWS. 139
Liam Shapcott Adam Wood
140 ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH LIAM SHAPCOTT.
ISOMAG, YARN: INTERVIEW WITH LIAM SHAPCOTT. 141
Jorin S Name: Jorin Sievers Nickname: Joz Age: 34 (But might as well be 24) Hometown/current town: Tauranga, but I currently live in Auckland (I always say this to save face with judgemental South Islanders) Job: Web Producer How did you you get into bodyboarding: My parents got me a pink Broady “Crystal Flex” beast to ride knee-high dribblers as a 7-year-old in the 80s. Somehow I managed to keep the stoke through to my teenage years battling the tyranny of never-ending Mount Maunganui flat spells. I saw my first Riptide (about issue #3) at the age of 13 and it all started to make sense. I haven’t wanted to ride any other wave vessel since then. Travel: I’m hooked on it. I’ve been to almost 40 countries now. For years I sacrificed everything to save and travel. I’ve surfed 70% of the best surf-boasting countries in the world, but think I’m slowing down on the obsessive search now. I also write travel stories and take photos for magazines and web sites (including my own: www.freedomrun.net) when I get the chance. I can’t encourage people enough to see the planet we live on. Nothing gives you a better perspective on life than seeing how it is lived all over the world. Travel is the ultimate school of life. Favourite waves: International: Supertubos (Portugal), El Gringo (Chile), Lakey Pipe (Indo). NZ: PK Bay and a not-to-benamed Auckland west coast wedge that Andre and I have been surfing a shit-load over the last year Favourite NZ riders: Port Waikato super-grom Willy (Go boy!), B-mac (of course) and ummm... Frewy (coz he’s such a cute dude). Best surf trip: This is a tough question. I’ve been on so many international wave hunts. However, in many ways, my 2009 trip to the South Island was unforgettable. I had three months cruising the entire island, checking out every isolated corner of the mainland with my good mate Dion. We were living in the Big Red Bus the whole time, staying wherever we wanted, stealing unsecured wireless internet connections from outside people’s homes, chasing the swell; living the life! I got to meet most of the South Island booger crew, who made me instantly feel like a long lost booger brother. I was taken to all the best Catlins waves. I stayed in the top paddock at Skiddies for a week. I attended the Dion Wells Memorial and the Blaketown challenge comp. I got molested by Garden and hugged passionately by Frewy. It was just such an honour to meet everyone and surf the coldest high-performance waves in my own homeland. Can’t wait to go back! 142 ISOMAG, SMALL TALK: WITH JORIN SIEVERS.
Sievers ISOMAG, SMALL TALK: WITH JORIN SIEVERS. 143
Jorin Sievers Jen Van Blerk
Favourite movies: Bodyboarding - Enough Said. The first booger vid I ever saw. Lanson goes nuts on an air forward. Favourite board: I had a great Toobs Player a few years ago. Looked after me real well at Lakeys in Sumbawa. Best thing you’ve seen in the water: Surfing all alone at Hendos in the Far North. I was surrounded by 20 Dolphins and surfed with them for about 15 minutes. We’d all catch the same wave together - one Dolphin either side of me and one right beneath me. They got all excited when I’d do spins. Music: Lots. All the time. Favourites: Kyuss, NOFX, Bob Dylan (seriously) and some twisted Breaks and Psy-trance that most people have never heard of before. Best barrel you’ve had: I honestly couldn’t say. Every time I get a decent barrel it feels like the best barrel I’ve ever had! That’s what I love about them. Best move you’ve pulled: My first (and only) Air Forward at Punta Roca (El Salvador). Oh... and running Sam Peters off the Tora road earlier this year in my Big Red Bus of Doom! Nah - just jokes - he freaked out at the mere sight of my immense wagon and drove himself into a ditch. True story! Thoughts on the BBSNZ tour: It’s all about the people. Full stop. I just attend to make up the numbers in comps and take pix of everyone ripping. Much respect to the crew who spend so much time and effort making it happen event after event. You guys are amazing. 144 ISOMAG, SMALL TALK: WITH JORIN SIEVERS.
Hero/inspiration: Nobody really. I believe you should blaze your own path. Be your own hero. Do things in your life you’ll be proud of achieving, then you can look back with pride. Best night out: One of the many all-night Psychedelic dance-fests on beaches or in forests I’ve attended over the years. Seriously, I’m a big-time hippie at heart and love cutting some dancefloor shapes, barefoot in nature. I know most people probably think it’s seriously uncool, but they don’t know what I’ve seen and experienced on dirt dance floors over the years. Chicks: My lovely tattooed girlfriend Jen Fear: Public speaking. I’d rather be dominated by a monster reef slab on the head than talk on stage in front of a bunch of strangers. Words that you live by: 1. Buy the ticket, take the ride. 2. It’s not GOOD or BAD. It just IS. Aside from bodyboarding, what else are you into: Photography, travel, percussion instruments, being the kind of tight-wad that would make Chris Garden proud. Favourite thing about NZ bodyboard scene: The never-ending circle of Man-love. The fact that you can still get an epic wave all to yourself if you know the conditions and the breaks well enough. Oh... and the angry seals. They rule.
ISOMAG, SMALL TALK: WITH JORIN SIEVERS. 145
Mitch Frew Chris Garden
Sneak Peak Next issue, out March 1st. Traditionally, Sneak Peak is a chance to have a look at what is going to appear in the next issue of ISOmag. To be honest though, we have no idea what’s in store for our next instalment, such is the nature of a New Zealand summer. Down south they sometimes don’t even get a summer, with cold front after cold front overstaying their welcome. Will the predicted cyclones bring the abundance of waves in the northeast of the country alight? Or will this be yet another myth year? Will the West Coast produce those consistent, long-period swells groomed by the summer nor’easter as it so often does? We can’t pick it, so here’s hoping your summer is full of good times like this. We’ll hopefully have a mag full of summer snaps like this for you at the start of March next year.
146 ISOMAG, SNEAK PEAK: COMING NEXT ISSUE.
ISOMAG, SNEAK PEAK: COMING NEXT ISSUE. 147