PhotoCPL

photocpl New Zealand surfing photography 1991-2008

photocplmedia

photocpl New Zealand surfing photography 1991-2008

This book is dedicated to my Mum, Marion Levers, and my Dad Ernie Levers (RIP) whose unconditional love and support have always given me the confidence to get on with it. Love you.

Published 2008 by PhotoCPLMedia www.photocpl.co.nz / photocpl@xtra.co.nz P.O. Box 33, Piha, Waitakere, 0646, New Zealand

Copyright Craig Levers All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN 978-0-473-13554-6 Printed by Everbest Printing, Hong Kong

Front cover

Maz Quinn, Mentawai boat trip, 1999

Back cover My good mate Rob Hansen and my old flatmate Steve Roberts in the Far North.

This shot was used as a Rip Curl Search advertisement in the late ‘90’s.

foreword I’ve wanted to do this book for quite some time now.

After the first 10 years of shooting photos for New Zealand Surfing Magazine, I began to realise I was accumulating quite a library – a wealth of images that represented a good portion of New Zealand surfing history. Over the next five years that library continued to grow. But as a magazine photographer it’s easy to be locked into the immediacy of an image. Getting the next issue filled becomes the means to an end, and after that fleeting use the image has no further relevance. As a photographer and a member of the New Zealand surfing community this proved to be irksome, if not entirely wasteful.

That said, this book is not primarily an attempt at a pictorial history of the last fifteen years, but rather a collection of what I feel are my best images during that time.

The definition of best in this case is; the technically strong, the ones showing the evolution of my photographic skills, images that show changes in the New Zealand surf scene, and images that highlight a contrast between then and now. They do follow a rough chronological order, but where two images just look cool together, we’ve allowed that to happen too.

With the captions I’ve kept it free, no rules. If the image stirred a comment, then that determined the amount of words used.

I’ve tried to share something either about the surfer, the situation, or how the image was shot – something that wouldn’t have been written when the image first made print.

I’ve included technical data where pertinent as well, which is a major departure from most other surfing publications. I’ve always found the majority of my fellow surf photographers quite paranoid and zealous of their trade secrets. While I appreciate the value of intellectual property, in this case I think it’s small minded. The real skill of any photographer is being ready, in the right place, at the right time. Being a surf photographer at the bottom of the world has meant a huge amount of D.I.Y., which I’ve always enjoyed, but there were also those who were happy to mentor and that’s something I’d like to perpetuate.

For anyone keen enough, or should I say foolish enough to pick up a camera, this technical data may be helpful.

There are some notable omissions; through the course of time some images have been lost by third party users or sub contractors. This has regrettably meant some of my favourite surfing subjects aren’t getting their dues.

For the layout I had the absolute pleasure of re-joining forces with my friend and former New Zealand Surfing Magazine designer Brent Courtney. Brent’s skill as a photo retoucher and in-depth knowledge of digital photo file management meant NSZM successfully moved into the digital age years before many of our international contemporaries dared. His aesthetic is as rock-solid as ever.

Craig Levers (CPL)

Cpl and Mike Spence at the HB Pro, Piha, 1993 Jay Quinn, 2003

Cpl at Raglan, circa 1998

The original team; designer Luke Darby, Budge and Cpl, 1994

INTRODUCTION

E

very surf magazine you’ve ever opened has images of surfers pushing themselves to the limits. The photographs capture not only the moment, but the emotion, skill and intensity of the situation. Some photographs capture more than just the action; they capture the entire soul of what makes up the surfer and the feeling of surfing. To encapsulate the full essence of surfing culture like this relies on more than just a great knowledge of photography; there also needs to be an extensive background in surfing itself. With the shear volume of surfing images thrown at us these days, it’s easy to become desensitised and overlook this simple fact.

You can see the difference between photos taken by a surfer and photos taken by a non-surfer. There are some exceptions, but I’m glad to say Craig Levers isn’t one. CPL, as he’s known to many, is an avid surfer who’s been skilful and lucky enough to dedicate most of his working life to the essence of his soul – surfing. The fact he surfs shows in his photography, for as a surfer it’s timing that gives the edge. Knowing how the waves break and how each individual surfer moves gives the ability to predict the perfect image. To really understand this, you must crawl into the past and find out where the surf photographer comes from, and how they feel while shooting their surfing targets.

It’s said only a surfer knows the feeling, but I believe only photography can capture that feeling. Just like surfing, that feeling doesn’t stop when you leave the water. Remember that first reo you stomped? Well, the best thing about being the lens man is having that perfect shot forever as an actual image, not just a hazy memory.

Watch a good day at Pipeline and you can have up to 200 guys jostling for position in one of the closest take-off areas known to man. Then, as one surfer emerges victorious from the pack, they’re confronted with over 30 water photographers looking for the money shot. There’s usually some sense of responsibility not to run down a photographer, but at Pipe the surfer has right-ofway, always. Meanwhile, the photographer has swum through an impact zone of massive waves exploding onto a jagged reef littered with caves and crevices, and covered by only a few feet of water. Once in position they look for the best angle and the right shot, one eye on the surfer, one eye on the falling lip. There’s plenty of wipeout footage of surfers being pitched and thrown

B Y m ata r i k i mitchell

over the falls, but spare a thought for the photographers who get reef blasted and run over every shoot-able day.

Why would anyone put themselves through this you may ask?

Only a surf photographer knows the feeling, and CPL calls it the shutter stoke.

Craig was 19 when he started work for a surf and dive shop called Super Sports in the late 80’s. He purchased his first camera from the shop for $100, a Ricoh body with a 70-210mm lens. This was Craig’s first step to getting hooked. Next came a couple of night courses in photography, including a basic course, followed by the advanced course – twice. The second time he was somewhat perturbed, as the tutor actually asked him to give many of the tutorials. But, as anyone who’s done it knows, teaching can be the best way of learning. This was probably the first time somebody saw something special in Craig’s talent. His passion grew and before long he’d converted the spare bathroom in his parents house into a dark room.

Unfortunately Super Sports went under in 1988, but Craig was able to secure work at a new shop opening on Hauraki Corner – Fat Willies. It was here his skills in surf retail flourished. Craig credits this largely to Titch Williams and the guys at Moray Wetsuits, who encouraged him along to sales courses and meetings. He took a lot of pride in his job, acknowledging and welcoming all customers, actively avoiding the scene so prevalent in many surf stores. Craig carried these traits into his photography and, later, to New Zealand’s most prestigious surfing magazine.

Being such an avid surfer, Craig would spend winters on the Gold Coast and summers working in Auckland surf shops. He avoided combining his two pastimes, knowing there was no money in surf photography. But he couldn’t resist pestering Rory Thomson, owner/operator of a photography studio next door to Fat Willies. It was through persistent questions and hanging out with Rory that Craig began to grasp the concept of commercial photography.

But just when things seemed to be sailing along so smoothly, Fat Willies closed it’s doors, and Craig found himself once again unemployed. So he did what anyone else in their right mind would do – went to Fiji for five weeks to rough it with fellow Barflies, Chard White, Todd Fenton and Nick Bain (the aptly named Barfly Boardriders was the infamous North Shore boardriders club). It

was on this trip he met some Floridian surfers on their way to New Zealand, and being a true Kiwi, Craig offered to show them around his home country… as long they paid for petrol.

Craig met up with the crew from Florida at Auckland Airport and drove them straight to Raglan. In Craig’s own words, “It was fucking pumping, bro’. Six foot and blazing.” Next stop was Shipwrecks, which also had the solid ground swell, and again the Seppos scored. The boys had already met Jenni Shanks, so Craig drove them to Whangamata to visit her, which inevitably meant they scored yet another perfect swell and another perfect left. After getting better waves in New Zealand than in Fiji, the boys suggested to Craig that he should do this for a full time job.

Craig took that idea and started his own company, Swell Tours.

This went along nicely for a couple of years; it wasn’t a massive earner but it did fit the surfing lifestyle Craig wanted to lead. Then one day Rannoch Goodwin of Quiksilver gave Craig a call that would change his life. He’d invited Australian pro surfers Andrew Murphy, Paul Hart and Kenny Dan to New Zealand for the Billabong Pro-Am, and called Craig to see if he could take them and editor/ photographer Mike Spence around New Zealand for a Quiksilver sponsored surf trip.

Mike Spence, the driving force of New Zealand Surfing Magazine at that time, was in for a real surprise on this trip. Craig had continued with his photography, but didn’t consider his work worthy of the magazine and had never even made a submission.

When they rocked up at the first stop of the road trip, Mike started to set up his gear for the day. Craig reached into the back of his van and also pulled out his sharp shooter, a motor-driven Canon with manual telephoto lens. Auto focus was still a few years off, and having a motor drive meant you were serious. Mike looked over and just yelled, “What the fuck?! Mate, why haven’t you been sending me photos?” Mike went on to publish a couple of Craig’s photos from that trip.

Mike was pretty much the one-man band at New Zealand Surfing Magazine, being editor, photographer, and ad-man… he even designed layout for a couple issues. So after three years running around the country, Mike was ready for a change of pace.

He’d acquired several surf-clothing labels, and invested in a West Auckland surf store, Arizona. With Mike’s energies shifting it was time for David Hall (DH), the owner of New Zealand Surfing Magazine, to look for a new editor.

Mike put forward three names for DH to meet and interview; Phil Smith – father of RPM Clothing founder Mike Smith, Chris Berge

(Budge) – a sports writer for the Gisborne Herald who frequently wrote about the local surf scene, and Craig Levers – a tour guide for a small unknown surf company. Mike suggested Craig basically because had a good wagon for carting surfers around and he was keen to get into the game. “You need to be keen, or you won’t get the shot,” says Mike. “100% focus on the wave tracking program and being there for the optimum conditions is the only way you’ll get the shots that blow the readers minds.”

DH contacted Craig and invited him to a job interview. Craig promptly turned him down thinking there was no way he could ever be a writer, let alone the editor. But after talking to his father, Craig tracked down DH the next day and admitted there’d probably be no harm in talking. During the interview Craig explained he’d be confident in selling advertising, as he knew most of the guys within the industry already. He’d also be confident being head photographer, but writing was not his forte. The next interview was with Budge who explained he could write, edit and shoot but didn’t want to sell the advertising. Lastly there was Phil who expressed he didn’t really want to be on the road, which pretty much ruled him out and left DH with an easy decision. With Mike’s workload being so high DH decided to hire both Craig and Budge, which lead to a great partnership.

David Hall recalls, “I was intrigued by Craig’s company, Swell Tours was a perfect name for an outfit taking people surfing around New Zealand. I saw the relatively old van, a four wheel drive L300, and thought Craig had cracked it: a great name, and a pertinent vehicle.

Then, of course, there was Craig himself. What struck me was his haircut – well, actually his hair wasn’t cut. It hung down around his waist and was held back in a ponytail. Halfway through the interview he told me he couldn’t be the editor, but he could sell advertising.

So that’s what he did, until eventually – I can’t remember how many years along – he took over as editor. I’m not sure how much we talked much about photography then, but he certainly ended up being our best photographer by a country mile.”

These were good times at NZSM. The last issue of Mike’s was a combined effort with Craig, and the boys experimented with different fonts. James Fowell was on the cover doing a cutback; Craig has the uncanny ability to remember each issue by who was on the cover. He also remembers how the surf industry slammed that issue, saying it looked as though it had been laid out using a broken typewriter. A year later Waves and ASL started using the same style for their magazines. Mike wanted to go out on a solid forward thinking note, and he can be proud that he did.

Cpl and Brent G-land 2004

Pole driven into the reef, 2004

Doug Young, 2005

Daniel Kereopa, 2002

Far North, 2004

The following issue was up to Budge and Craig alone, and in Craig’s own words, “It was a piece of shit.” One thing about Craig, he’s honest.

If he says it’s shit, it probably was. And if he likes it, you know he means it… “But the issue after that was great.”

DH explains how the changes lifted the game, “Budge and CPL completely turned the publication around, from one person doing just about everything to a much more stable and competitive format. They worked great together, with Budge creating some memorable editorial, which in turn allowed CPL to grow the advertising levels. NZSM became recognised and accepted as the advertising medium of the industry,

and pretty much a must read for all New Zealand surfers.”

It’s important to note how crucial having core surfers as staff is for any surf publication. This was to make a difference at NZSM, as time would tell. Mike Spence had been perfect, having been accepted by his peers. He’d achieved a second placing at Nationals, was always treated as ‘one of the boys’, and had passed that insiders torch along to CPL and Budge. But after three years Budge felt he’d done his time too, and decided to move on. So once again DH went looking for an editor….

Over the next three years there was an inconsistency in the editors hired at NZSM, which saw the magazine’s popularity wane with both

Lynden and Jos Kennings, 2004

Blair Stewart, Piha, 1999 Byers plug, 2003

Stock Route, 1994 Maz Quinn Nun jump, 2001

readers and industry. So, in 2000, Craig reluctantly stepped into the role of Editorial Director. DH explains a little more about what this involved, “Craig’s core skill has always been as a photographer, but he did pretty well with editing; writing to and about his audience, and turning some pretty dreadful contributed material into readable articles. By this stage he was practically managing the whole thing!”

Craig continued as editor of NZSM for the next eight years, eventually finishing up in 2008 after David Hall sold the publication.

Craig has been the longest serving editor of any New Zealand surf publication, with a total tenure of 15 years at NZSM. The challenge

had always been to reach a greater level of excellence with each issue. The result was a myriad of great photographs and memorable stories, and a huge amount of New Zealand surfing and surfers being chronicled.

Generations of surfers have been exposed, influenced and hopefully stoked by Craig’s work over that time. Of course, it didn’t finish there.

After his stint with NZSM, Craig hit the ground running… his first goal being to portray a chunk of New Zealand’s rich surfing history through his collection of contrasting images and thoughts of both the old and the new – the results of which you’re now holding.

The photographs

low tide south end Tairua, coromandel, May 1991.

This was my first commercial sale of a surf image. It got used in a tiny advert in Tracks in 1991. In 1992 Iain ‘Ratso’ Buchanan used it as part of his New Zealand series Hot Buttered t-shirts prints. I was so stoked; Ratty paid $100 and a solid supply of the printed t-shirts. In the foreground is my dear friend Thomas Anderson’s younger brother Phil. We drove down in Phil’s Hondamatic bubble car; we’d had two of the best surfs of our lives, crazy barrels from around the corner. Ricoh camera, 100mm lens, 1/125 sec, f16, Fuji RDP 100 ASA.

Nuku in 1994. We were checking the surf from the Watchman, Karekare on a cloudy dawn; the clouds parted for a second creating one of natures spotlights for Nuku. Exposed for the sun, 1/60 sec, f16, Velvia 50 ASA.

Nuku Nash at Wastelands, Karekare, 1994.

I’d talked David Hall into buying a water housing, and in turn found Pete Thompson who made alloy dive housings in Auckland. He designed and made what would for years be called the Iron Lung. As Pete or I didn’t know how a surf housing should work, the Iron Lung underwent many mutations. To this day it still works fine, Pete’s knowledge and skill standing the test of time. 50mm lens, 1/500 sec, f4.0, Velvia 50 ASA +1 stop.

Scott Hunter, Daniel’s Reef, Leigh, mid 1994.

I was terrible at manually focusing the 800mm FD lens, both Budge and Mike Spence had a way better pull focus technique than me. This was a major reason in wanting to get into water shots; I needed an angle that complimented Budge’s work, rather than competing with him for lens time. It was originally used as a full page Hot Tuna advert. The added dimension of having the water angle in the magazine really helped set us a part from any competitor, at the time it created quite a buzz.

Steve Hamlyn, Daniel’s Reef, Leigh, mid 1994.

Same session, same roll of film. This shot got used as a double page spread by Rip Curl, it probably wouldn’t make the grade these days, but 1994 was a different era. The water angle was definitely proving to be the way to go. 50mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1 stop.

Dwaine hates this portrait, sorry brother, but I love it. Shot with Mt. Taranaki in the background, Dwaine had new ink added to his Taniwha in a Cook Island style to reflect his whanau. Pentax 67 camera with Ilford Delta B&W film and red filter on.

Dwaine Mataa, Koemene Road, Taranaki, December 1994.

My first centrefold, January 1995 issue. This issue remains one of the benchmarks for surf magazine sales in New Zealand. I doubt the centrefold had too much to do with it... Budge had hit on winning editorial and the New Zealand surfing culture was going through a buoyant period – the planets were aligned. During 1994 there was huge pressure from the surf industry to get front-lit, bright images showing the surfer, and product, in perfect light. This meant to earn money from a shot you had to meet that criteria, which I think homogenised surf photography for most of the ‘90’s. We had been trying to get the sun and tide right all day, it wasn’t happening. In the end Dwaine and the crew just went out were it was pumping and they wanted to surf. I was like, well, stuff it, I might as well have a go with the housing.

50mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1 stop.

Vaughan Baucke, SECONDS, WHITEROCK, Wairarapa, 1995.

I flatted with shaper Vaughan Baucke for years and he came along on quite a few trips. His surfing ability, as well as his shaping, is rated by many as second to none. Vaughan was never a fan of this image, but the combination of the desolation in the background and the pitching lip made it a reader favourite. While we were out shooting, every so often there’d be a whiff of decay sweep through the line-up. When we got out, we wandered down the point to investigate; there was a seal carcass with a two-foot wide shark bite. Not exactly what you want to see while you’re floating around in a black wetsuit and flippers. 50mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1/2 stop.

WHITEROCK, Wairarapa, 1995 From left to right; Nick Ngu Chun, Brent Hutchieson, Pipi Ngaia, Glen Carkeek and Vaughan Baucke. We waited right until the end of the week to shoot this shot, kind’ve like the parting shot. the crew were all feral and crusty from the showerless week. Everyone was freaking out becuase the wind was so strong and the boards could fly at any second, if you look closely you’ll see the boards are either wedged or there is an onwer’s hand hovering. 28mm lens 1/125 sec f8.0 Velvia 50 ASA +1/2 with a Cokin graduated sunset filter.

Pipi Ngaia, White Rock, Wairarapa, March 1995.

Pip is one of the most talented surfers to ever come out of Waitara, Taranaki. He represented New Zealand many times at international events and we’d always have a hilarious time on tour with Pip on board, guaranteed. We were terrible partners in crime. This shot was used for a Rip Curl clothing advert. Velvia 50 ASA, exposed as 800 ASA to dull down the contrast and add grain.

2005 Maori Nationals at Back Beach, Taranaki.

Tino Rangatiratanga should be our national flag. Now that I’ve ostracised all the WASP readers, sorry, I just think it’s more fitting for our Pacific nation than a colonial hangover from the 1800’s. Pentax 67 camera with Ilford Delta B&W film.

Former world champion Martin Potter, Stock Route, Wainui Beach, Gisborne, January 1995.

I’ve always rated this shot as it showed the whole scene; it’s a great editorial image. Surf filmer Guy Finlay is in the foreground with his yellow alloy 16mm housing. The surf trip was his gig for an Aussie TV surf show, so I happily gave way. This was the last 50mm lens session I did, Guy tutoring me to use either a 28 or 24mm lens. Guy went on to infamously spray Heath Ledger with a water pistol on the red carpet. 50mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1 stop.

Larry Fisher Ocean Beach, Whangarei, December 1994.

Rip Curl used this photo as a double page spread advertisement, citing that the background was so uniquely New Zealand. Later Budge asked me to select a shot that was my best for the tenth anniversary issue. I choose the shot of Martin Potter, Budge redefined his criteria to being a Kiwi. 50mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1 stop.

south end Tairua, coromandel,1995.

Rip Curl used this shot in a full-page advertisement as part of their famous and hugely successful ‘Search’ campaign. In that application they reversed the shot and made it a left hand point break.

Damon at The Island a few years later, with Brent Rasby just in frame.

Damon Gunness, Stock Route, Gisborne, February 1995.

Cover of Ground Swell. In 1994 Budge came up with the great concept of Ground Swell magazine. It was A2 newsprint, the plan being for it to compliment NZSM on the alternate month. Budge wanted to hold this photo over for the next NZSM cover; I thought it was better to bolster Ground Swell. It went on to be used for a real estate prospectus and various advertisements for the following few years. 28mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1 stop.

Paul Hunter’s shaping tools, 1994.

Tools of the trade. 35mm camera, 28mm lens, slow exposure using available light from the fluorescent tubes in the shaping pit.

Peter Byers Board mould, Piha, 2003.

Peter Byers was New Zealand’s first commercial shaper, working off the family land in South Piha from the late 1950’s through the ‘70’s. He even blew his own blanks, hence the mould plug that the tools are sitting in. I was so honoured to get the opportunity to photograph this piece of NZ surfing history in late 2003. Pentax 67 camera with 35mm Takumar lens, f22, 50 ASA slide film.

Garry is a pivotal founding member of Keyhole Boardriders; he still competes in the open monthly competitions - often winning. Heaven help the judge that doesn’t have a heat after Garry dips though! In 2002 Keyhole got a grant to get the new caravan painted by graffiti artist DLT. Garry supplied the venue and DTL ended up rendering the view from Garry’s Piha property.

Garry Pike, Piha Bar, May 1996.

When I was a grom Garry was Piha’s enforcer. I was always super-respectful when he paddled out; of course the reality was no one had an option anyway. Garry’s mellowed somewhat over the years and is a great mate, we’ve had some fun adventures and he remains one of Piha’s best surfers.

28mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1 stop.

James Fowell, Maori Bay, 1998.

X’Tsea surf shop had organised an expression session based competition; it was a great concept with the invitees all paid travel money to attend. To everyone’s surprise the organiser didn’t worry about contest vests, basically New Zealand’s top surfers were assembled for the best possible photo-shoot. I got covers, posters and full-page adverts out of the day, as well as a decent story. The main shot of this sequence being used as a Hot Tuna full page advert.

28mm lens, 1/350 sec, f.5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1 stop.

Craig Rumble and Brent Rasby, 2001.

Brent Rasby, Macaronis, Mentawai Islands, May 1999.

This was an amazing trip where, Maz, Damon, Chrissy and Razza asked me if I’d be interested in coming on the boat trip to shoot them. At the time they were the tour-de force of surfing in New Zealand, so I was very flattered. I wasn’t the editor at that stage, so the decision wasn’t mine to make – the incumbent editor getting his nose bent as he thought he should’ve been the one going. It all got sorted and we had a crazy trip, Razza ended up doing some very cool artwork for the feature too. 400mm lens (from inflatable boat), 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1/2 stop.

Sundown at Scar Reef, Jay Quinn. This shot hasn’t been published before.

Jay Quinn, Super Suck, Lombok, Indonesia, 2000.

Straight off the back of the World Bali Grommet contest it became a tradition to do an NZSM photo-shoot. It was a great way to justify an annual airfare to the boss. A week shooting the comp, then a week shooting with New Zealand’s emerging talent.

400mm (from wooden dingy), 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1/2 stop.

Allan Byrne and Derrick Dorner in Derrick’s tool room, Sunset Beach, North Shore, Hawaii, 1998.

AB and Derrick have a great friendship, and AB has a wicked sense of humour. He totally stitched me up by inviting me to come along to Derrick’s house, impressing on me that Derrick was a real gnarly guy that seldom grants photo opportunities, and it was an honour to be granted an audience. I was nervous, in fact so nervous I picked up a camera that didn’t have any film in it. I clicked away madly and professionally, rattling off what should’ve been a full roll before realising what I’d done. I made some lame excuse about wanting to change lenses and went out to the car and loaded the camera. I shot two frames, and then we sat down with a few beers into the evening in Derrick’s garden, which I suspect is really what it was all about as I’d bought the box of beers! – the two legends never knowing how I’d nearly kooked the whole damn thing.

Wayne parkes, Shaping bay, takapuna, 1995.

Wayne Parkes is easily one of New Zealand’s greatest craftsman. I was very surprised Parksey agreed to let me shoot this in 1995, so I was stoked to be given this photo opp too. With both images I used a flash gun, I’ve always tried to make flash shots look richer by syncing the flash to the rear shutter curtain and using a very slow shutter speed so other sources of light are allowed to come into play.

Pipeline, North Shore, Hawaii, November 1998.

There was a solid crew of New Zealand surfers giving the World Qualifying Series a nudge, naturally the tour ended up the year in Hawaii. So I got the opportunity to shoot for a few weeks on the rock, the trip part funded by NZSM and T&C International. The New Zealand crew largely restricted their surfing to Sunset and Rocky point, the crowds at Pipe being too intimidating. To see the world’s most famous wave really cracking, to feel the sand rumbling under foot is something every surfer should experience.

Kieren Perrow, Backdoor, November 1998.

I played the newbie card big time. There’s a strong pecking order among photographers on the North Shore and most of them were shading themselves under the palm trees – looking straight onto Backdoor. I didn’t want to shoot there, I thought the more acute, looking into the barrel was a better angle, so I set up down on the sand 50 metres in front of them. I got abused from the palms, but fuck it, the angle was way better. This sequence was used by T&C in all their international branding. 600mm lens, 1/1000 sec, f4.0, Velvia 50 ASA +1 stop. Note, roll was overexposed by at least a ½ stop; I should’ve processed it as 50 ASA.

Karekare Beach, 2000.

This shot was never published in NZSM. It was, however, used as the cover shot of Bob Harvey’s bestselling book Rolling Thunder. I supplied the majority of the surfing images for that book, it was a stoke to be a part of such a successful project. Off the back of Rolling Thunder, Bob and I were asked by the publishers to co-author another project. I had to decline because my personal life had just taken a downward spiral at the time. 17mm lens, 1/500 sec, f3.5, Velvia 50 ASA +1 stop.

Scott Casey, Te Waha, December 2000.

Te Waha is my favourite place in the world to surf, I hardly ever shoot there because when it’s on I want to be surfing it. But as a venue for shooting you’d be hard pressed to find a more spectacular backdrop to frame the action. 17mm lens, 1/500 sec, F5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1 stop.

South Piha, pre-dawn, May 2000.

15mm lens, f22, set on tripod.

Motu got right into his Mu Thai kickboxing in 2002, it was pretty cool to go along and document all his early victories.

1/200 sec, f4, T-max 400.

Motu Mataa, South Pacific, 2001.

Motu and his brother Dwaine have been close friends for many years; when you go away on dream trips you can’t help but become firm mates.

I think you always associate those great times with those people. This was our second visit to this island, which we managed to keep on the down low pretty well. 17mm lens, 1/500 sec, f3.5, Velvia 50 ASA +1stop.

1997 National Open Champ, completely in the moment of victory. Go Pando.

Andrew ‘Pando’ Robinson, SOUTH Pacific, 2001.

This was originally scanned for the cover of May/June 2001, but when we laid it out the centrefold shot fit the cover design better, and to this day it’s one of my favourite covers, it was executed very well. When I asked Pando which shot he’d like to see used in this book, his first answer was this shot, so here it is. 17mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 50ASA +1/2 stop.

Emmit holding out his board for part of a montage on a cover in 2002.

Emerson Tucker, Ruapuke, Raglan, 2001.

Emmit had the most powerful backhand in New Zealand at this time. His surfing was held in the same regard as fellow Raglander Daniel Kereopa, the two natural footer’s act honed on the long walls of Manu Bay. DK is precise and critical; Emmit was just shear horsepower.

Stent Road, Taranaki, January 2001.

It’s awesome that the road sign of one of New Zealand’s most iconic waves has been stolen so many times that the district council have put a rock in it’s place.

Troy Hirst, Black Swamp, May 2000.

I remember this day as being so warm, it was like a mid summer day, everyone having multiple surfs.

I vividly recall taking a much needed dip in the shorey after slogging it out behind the tripod for a few hours and thinking, hell, that’s the first sea swim without a board or a housing I’ve had in years! It was choice. 840mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 50 ASA +1/2 stop.

Chrissy won the National Open title in 1998.

Chris Malone, Karekare, March 2000.

There was a comp at South Piha, a bunch of us bailed over the hill and found a crazy fast left down the south end. I got a cover a Jai Earnshaw, a super full frame barrel of Damon Gunness, and this shot which got used as a Vans advert. All the shots were reproduced in Bob Harvey’s book, Rolling Thunder. 28mm lens, 1/1000 sec, f4.0, Velvia 50 ASA +1/2 stop.

Jay Quinn, Dan Scott, Ben and Leigh Hawker, Karekare car park, 2000.

Ben Hawker, Te Ari, 2002.

This day was one of those incredible times where we were at the right beach at the right time. I’ve spent over 25 years surfing the East Coast north of Auckland and normally it never ceases to disappoint. But this was one of those days that leave the ‘but what if’ in your consciousness, which means you keep going back. The east swell built all day, the whole beach looked like Matakana Island. 17mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA.

Michael Phillips, Frigates Pass, Fiji, 2001.

When great ideas go very, very bad. By late 2001 I’d become very good at drinking, and this trip was organised by fellow former Barfly Boardrider members Nick Tansley and Steven Luff. Naturally, paired up with my old party buddies, we maxed out our duty free liquor allowance… but then had to consume it all before returning to New Zealand. That, combined with a lack of swell made for one of the most toxic tours I can remember… not that I can remember much of it. This was one of the very few shots to get published from the trip.

Jos Kennings, Super Tubes, Shipwreck Bay, 2002.

By ‘02 the Internet and use of swell buoys had really started to help make it easy for planning surf trips. Pre-net, it was still really an educated stab in the dark. The net hasn’t really been acknowledged for how much it has lifted the bar of surf photography. There’s no excuse for not being in the right place ahead of time nowadays. This roadie was for a Billabong feature we called the Pro-ject. It was probably the best Supers’ I’ve shot. 840mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA

Just before the Gold Coast we’d done a Gizzy run for Maz’s sponsor, Electric. Brett Summerlee, Maz, Danny Carse and Brent Rasby, dusk down at the boat ramp.

Maz Quinn, Snapper Rocks, Gold Coast, 2002.

In 2002 Maz qualified for the World Championship Tour, the first New Zealander to do so, and the first Kiwi since Ratso and Allan Byrne to really give the big boys a run. The first stop of the WCT is the Gold Coast Quiksilver comp, and I travelled with Maz to document his maiden run, where he made the quarters – a huge feat for a rookie. This was shot at Snapper during his quarter with Cory Lopez. It was amazing to be shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best photographers, thousands of spectators behind you, shooting Maz as I’ve done since he was 13. 840mm lens 1/500sec f5.6 Velvia 100 ASA.

Maz Quinn slabbed down the beach, Okitu.

Brent Rasby, North swell, Wainui, Gisborne, February 2002.

I was frothing over this swell; the whole beach was absolutely on fire. A fellow photographer was glum and complaining that he wouldn’t shoot it because the water was too green, the waves were too far out and an editor would never use them. I was incredulous, here I was; an editor and this guy was telling me I wouldn’t use any of the images from these sessions? Ironically the subsequent issue was scanned incorrectly, a whole issue with hazy images – it was a disaster. I was so demoralised I nearly resigned. Although we got a full credit from the scanning house, the damage was done; an issue that should’ve been a showstopper was a mass of blur. I’m pretty sure my Gisborne counterpart would have errantly felt quite vindicated to boot.

High rolling in the Pacific, 2001.

Another dream-run surf trip with an all time crew; Bobby Hansen, Motu Mataa, Felix Dickson and Andrew Robinson. Kodak E100vs film, I loved this film stock as it doesn’t have as much contrast as Fuji Velvia, and had really nice blues.

Felix Dickson, West Coast Spot X, 2003.

Felix’s second cover for NZSM. As great as the action is, it’s the combination of that and the background that makes this shot.

15mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA.

At the time this portrait got so butchered in the layout of the magazine.

Jay Quinn, Catho’s, NSW, Australia, 2003.

The Aussie photographers have it so easy! Their white sand beaches create some of the nicest lighting conditions you could hope for. I reckon that’s a huge reason Aussie surf magazines look so crisp. They aren’t dealing with muddy greens and greys. If you can shoot in New Zealand you can shoot anywhere in the world. 600mm lens, 1/1000 sec, f4.0, Velvia 100 ASA.

Marc sifting in the south Piha car park. Mamiya 5x6, 65mm lens.

Marc Moore, Rocky Lefts, Taranaki, 2002.

This shot was originally used by Town and Country Surfwear as a double page advertisement. How Marc didn’t connect with the water housing I have no idea. I love how you can see the lip coming over, the white wash line with the paddler and Mt. Taranaki in the background, there’s a lot going on.

17mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA.

Mike Phillips, Pines, Gisborne, May 2002.

This shot got used as a cover of NZSM is 2002. Then in 2003, American magazine Surfing used it as a double page spread. Later, Kia Motors used it as a nationwide billboard – it sure did the rounds.

15mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA.

Luke Harwood, Central Coast, NSW, 2003 The annual Aussie Rusty run was Luke’s concept. He organised everything, Rusty picking up the tab for five years. In many ways these were some of the most enjoyable photo shoots I was privileged to be a part of, in no small part due to Luke’s management on tour. 15mm lens, 1/800 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA.

Stewy stewing in a Tahitian stream.

Blair Stewart, Teahupoo District, Tahiti 2003.

In 2003 I had my first photo trip to Tahiti. We’d come back with great images, not ‘Chopes itself, but enough to guarantee a return trip in 2004. This pass hardly ever gets small enough to break; it picks up the brunt of any south swell. This image was originally used as a Surfing NZ Association A2 calendar. 17mm lens, 1/750 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA.

Daniel Davie, May 2003.

The Davie family is a pivotal part of NZ surfing history, Bob being one of New Zealand’s most prolific shapers in the 70’s through to the ‘90’s and his wife Mary (RIP) was hugely instrumental in the development of scholastic surfing.

Eldest son Daniel, pictured here with his first-born Xavier, took over the mantel of NZSM editor in 2008 – both Dan and his younger brother Chris featuring on covers and various features over the years.

Daniel Davie, Whangamata Bar, May 2003.

The boat I was shooting from got swamped the next set after this shot, losing a 400mm lens and a camera body worth nine grand. The boss was not a happy camper, especially as I was off to Teahupoo the following week so he had to front up with the cash fast.

Rowan Klevstul, shooting Stock Route, 2003.

I’ve always owned medium format cameras. Apart from wanting to shoot in the best possible resolution, I think the manual-ness of them works well in slowing you down to compose the image more thoughtfully. In this case I was trialing a Fuji 645 rangefinder, which turned out to have light leaks, as you can see.

Steve Roberts, Stock Route, Gisborne 2003.

Between sets everyone was commenting on how cold it was. No one was really complaining; it was more observing. It turned out to be the coldest day in 30 years with the Gisborne Gorge closed for 24 hours because of the snowdrifts. 15mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA.

Whangamata Bar, coromandel, 2004.

While this may not be the biggest bar line up shot, the swell was so lined up and the tide was so low everything came together perfectly. Everyone scored great barrels including AJ Matthews on this set. 100mm lens, 1/125sec, f11, Velvia 100 ASA

Ben Kennings, Teahupoo, Tahiti, September 2004. ’04 was a big year of travel for BK and I; he managed to sneak in his wedding with gorgeous Gina too. The New Zealand surf industry was going through a boom and there was a lot of money around for promotional activities‌ for a magazine/photographer that means overseas surf trips. I spent more than 60 days overseas on paid photo-shoots. 300mm lens, 1/1000 sec, f4.0, Velvia 100 ASA.

Luke Cederman, Padang Padang, Bali, July 2004.

In 1991 I was surfing Padang and an American photographer swam out. The older Western Australian surfers in the line-up had instigated that we all take waves in order. Under that system I was in pole position for the third wave of biggest set of the session, I had no option – I had to go. Travelling past this photographer I saw him line me up, then pull back and flag it. It was my best-ever backhand barrel and I would’ve paid anything he’d asked for that frame of celluloid. He got smoked on the inside reef later that day, which I thought was karmic.

This incident created a personal ethic where I’d never ‘not’ take a photo; I know firsthand what it’s like to be on the other side. Years later I realised that my poor American counterpart only had 36 frames, and he was there on assignment to shoot some Hawaiian Pro’s. But regardless, I still think it’s a pretty cool ethic for a surf photographer to have, especially now that we aren’t confined by the 36-frame count of film. 15mm lens, 1/750 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA.

Morehu Roberts, Raglan, November 2004.

I think what really makes a surfing image stand out is it’s background. We’ve all become so desensitised from the standard telephoto on the beach with blue ski framing. Having detail in the foreground or background gives the image context, a hint of location. This could only be shot in the Valley.

600mm lens, 1/1250 sec, f4.0, Velvia 100 ASA.

Luke Cederman, Raglan, December 2003.

Timing is everything. I rate this as the best shot I’ve got so far of a critical vertical reo. A solid Indicators wave, and Luke’s front foot right over the lip. 600mm lens, 1/750 sec, f4.0, Velvia 100ASA.

Jay Quinn, Central Coast, NSW, Australia 2004.

It’s easy to get shots of Jay Quinn lofting through the air. As an editor I’d get a submission from a photographer and sure enough, Jay above another wave. I’ve been guilty of running too many for sure. Jay’s rail-work is as rock solid as his aerials; this editorial image was raved about for months after publication. 600mm lens, 1/1000 sec, f4.0, Velvia 100 ASA.

My first shot of chicken-legs Souty, just after he’d won the 1998 National Junior Title.

Justin Souter, Central Coast, NSW, March 2004.

The light at this beach is always amazing. The boys on these trips always tried to discourage me from shooting water, they wanted a bulk of work rather than that elusive gold water shot. The classic thing was, more often than not it was the water shots that the clients always used. We had a ridiculously good run of waves on this trip. I was still shooting film and it was standard to take about 40 rolls of 36-exposure film on a trip like this. With three days left, most of the boards were snapped, all the film was spent and the crew was surfed out. We called it quits and partied in Manly for a few days, what better way to end a tour? Such a huge volume of quality shots came out of that trip that many will never see print. At the time of photo editing the subsequent issue it simply meant the edit became that much more critical. 15mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA.

Lynden Kennings, Whangamata Bar, March 2005.

For five years I made my own water housings. They were robust but basic, and looked homemade mainly because once I’d tested they were watertight I wanted to get them out there. I never worried about filler coats and the final sand. By 2002 I was tired of being itchy with fiberglass stuck in every pore and I needed to go wider, I needed a fisheye port, so I bought a top of the line French housing. It cost me an arm and a leg, and the publisher didn’t pay for it. It was beautiful, so well designed and finished. It was also a piece of shit. It leaked every second session and the electronic shutter release would randomly fail, it killed my amp for shooting water dramatically as I was always worried about what would go wrong next. Lynden Kennings, on a Ratso shaped snub nose – those water droplets are on the inside of the housing.

15mm lens, Kodak t-max 100, shutter priority 1/500.

Dean Amess, north swell, Tonga, 2005.

Whangamata’s Dean Amess, with his older brother Skeeter on the inside. Travelling with the Amess brothers is always a pleasure. This shot got used as an A2 poster, then later by Globe shoes. 15mm lens, 1/1000 sec, f4.0, Velvia 100 ASA.

Matt Scorringe, Salani Rights, Samoa, 2005.

This image featured as the July/August ‘05 cover. Matt is one of New Zealand’s most dynamic surfers.

300mm lens, 1/800 sec, f4.0, 100 ASA.

Mikey Banks, Leon Santorik and Ollie Codington, Raglan 1998.

Mikey and Leon, RAGLAN, 2005.

Seven years on, still as fun loving, and proudly sporting their Whale Bay Boys tattoos.

Kelly’s Rising Grom portrait.

Kelly Clarkson, Peaks, Ahipara, 2005.

There aren’t enough images of woman surfing well in surf magazines. I always tried, and will continue to do so. I think the shot has to be a solid surf shot though, and the maneuver has to be technically correct, not just a token shot because it’s a woman surfer. This is both these things.

600mm lens, 1/500 sec, f4.0, Velvia 100 ASA.

North Island secret spot, March 2005.

One of New Zealand’s most talked about secret spots. I got to be the first to document it. At the time of publishing I really tried to throw readers off the scent, to respect the locals who’d been charging it for years. It all backfired, the locals spewing they hadn’t received the due kudos. My reasoning was that naming and shooting them would blow the location. Sometimes you just can’t win. 300mm lens, 1/1250 sec, f4.0, Velvia 100 ASA.

Custard slice! Dekes at Shippies, Nusa Lembogan, 1997.

Simon Deken, Okiwi Bar, Great Barrier Island, March 2005.

When I first got a water housing in 1994 I made a list of the ten top spots I wanted to shoot; Okiwi Bar, Great Barrier; Adder’s Rights, South Piha; Whanga Bar; the Ledge and Indicators, Raglan; Padang Padang and Bingin, Bali; Pipeline, Hawaii; Henderson beach, Northland; Wainui beach, Gisborne. It wasn’t bravado; it was more rationalising that these spots would suit water shots so well. I’ve been able to tick every box and then some. Okiwi was the last. This trip was an O’Neill funded mission, Jason Falconridge the brand manager of O’Neill NZ, using a contact to get the team out to Great Barrier Island. The skipper was a dead-set legend; the throttle of the twin 120 hp motored boat apparently only had two settings, off or full open – it was a white knuckle ride there and back. Getting in the water was a welcome relief. The shot got used as an O’Neill double page advert in multiple publications, although poor Simon had to wear a full suit in the middle of summer because it was for the winter campaign.

15mm lens, 1/800 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA.

Morehu Roberts, South Pacific, 2006.

As well as having an A-list of spots I wanted to shoot from the water, I also set a personal goal of doing the perfect roll. That is, every frame on a roll of 36 exposure film being a usable shot; I did it in 2006.

For every hook up I waited until the surfer was in the absolute best position. It took four hours of treading water on the reef break to expose the 36 frames, but to see that roll of developed film on the lab’s light-box was like Christmas; I still remember grinning from ear to ear for hours. 15mm lens, 1/750 sec, f5.6, Velvia 100 ASA.

OSCAR WRIGHT, 2006-1996 Oscar Wright has been a regular visitor to Raglan since he was a grommet competing on the Australian Champion Circuit. In 1996 the now defunct tour included a staggering five contest New Zealand leg. During that tour his sponsor asked me to shoot him doing a bunch of zany stuff; they never got used.

Jos kennings, whangapoa, coromandel 2006.

To witness a beach slowly but surely turn on as the swell and tide do their magic is a wonderful thing. This was one such tide where an educated gamble was taken and it paid off well. Slabbing rights funnelling down the beach every pulse.

Jossy and Leon got some great tunnel time over the four or so hours. 600mm lens. 1/2000 sec f4.0 100 ASA.

leon santorik, whangapoa, coromandel 2006.

Noel blew everyone away with his forehand barrel riding skills this day, how did a Raglan surfer get so good in rights!

Taranaki Spot X, 2006.

I posted this shot on surfpix.co.nz in 2006 and it’s been viewed nearly 3,000 times at the time of publishing this book. We secured the keys to the gate by giving the farm owners a couple of bottles of Merlot, and surfed for two days, no one else about. 140mm focal length, 1/250 sec, f.8, 100 ASA.

Rysa to the right, posing with the other Piha groms and Taj Burrow, 2001.

Ryan Hawker, North Piha, 2007.

I’ve always been fascinated with ultra wide lenses, stemming back to being brought up on a healthy diet of skateboarding and punk images in the ‘80’s. Because the majority of surf images are taken with ultra long telephotos, the wide fish-eye acts a contrasting compliment.

8mm Peleng lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, 100 ASA.

Sam, 15, at a Christian Surfers circuit comp, Port Waikato.

Sam Willis, South Coast, NSW, 2007.

I met Sam when he was 14, he was the cheekiest little shit you could ever dread meeting. He’s grown into one of New Zealand’s favourite surfing sons, well respected and loved by his peers. 840mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, 100 ASA.

Central Coast, NSW, May 2006.

Bobby Hansen, AJ Matthews, Matt Scorringe, Luke Harwood, Tim O’Conner and Justin Souter.

Surfer’s Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, May 2007.

Justin Souter, AJ Matthews and Tim O’Conner. I shot this with the group portrait from the year before in mind, but trying to evolve the technique.

AJ on the back step of Pete Anderson’s Whangamata factory 1998, 16 years old.

AJ Matthews, Whangamata Bar, 2007.

I’d resisted getting a digital water housing for years, not because I was being a puritan about film, but because I wanted a digital camera that would match the frame advance and wide angle of what I had film-wise. In 2007 I made the move – no regrets. 15mm lens, 1/750 sec, f5.6, 100 ASA.

Mikey’s Rising Grom portrait in 1998, which was also the first year I went to G-land.

Michael Banks, G-land, Indonesia, August 2007.

G-land had eluded me until this fourth trip into the jungle. We had a great week of swell and the right camera gear to get the job done. Resident G-land photographer John Hepler kindly invited me to share his photo boat. On previous trips this had always been a problem, as the G-land boats and boat drivers can be unreliable. 280mm lens, 1/1125 sec, f4.0, 100 ASA.

Sam Mather, manu Bay, Raglan, May 2007.

Manu Bay’s Ledge is an elusive section at best; a lot of Raglan’s top surfers live for Ledge sessions, fair enough. I remember years ago, Emerson Tucker idly proclaiming that the rock strewn 20-metre stretch was his favourite part of New Zealand. 280mm lens, 1/500 sec, f5.6, 100 ASA.

Matt Stockman, Wairarapa, June 2007.

The most fun surf trips don’t necessarily correlate with the best waves. Sometimes it’s simply the great combination of personalities, and even the lengths gone to try to score waves. This tour, criss-crossing the bottom of the North Island in Ben Young’s old ambulance, funded by ALC clothing was all that and more. 15mm lens, 1/1000 sec, f4.0, 100 ASA.

Jai Earnshaw and Luke Cederman, Kuta Beach. Bali Grommet Contest, 1998.

Luke Cederman, The Valley, Raglan, November 2007.

Cover shot, NZSM Jan/Feb 2008. I knew this angle would give up the goods eventually, I’d been trying to get all the conditions right for a few years, it had to be evening, it had to be an air, it had to be only about three foot and it had to be light sea breezy. The body boarder ducking for cover just capped it off. 600mm lens, 1/2000 sec, f4.0, 100 ASA.

Owen Barnes, Savaii, Samoa, October 2007.

The underwater barrel shot used to the considered the ultimate shot in water shots, I’ve had a couple of good ones and I always strived to get them when the conditions permitted. On this trip I finally sussed out the technique to get them every time; this is my best one. Originally used as a centrefold, and the Barnes have it proudly framed in their home. One of the greatest things about surf photography is that you’re always learning. 12mm lens, 1/800 sec, f5.6, 100 ASA.

OB IN TARANAKI, 2006.

50mm with fill flash.

Bobby’s Rising Grom shot, 1997.

Bobby Hansen, Stockroute, Gisborne, January, 2008.

Bobby Hansen’s photo file is huge. To be honest, we’ve swapped the image out so many times on this spread it’s ridiculous. In the end we went for height and commitment. 600mm lens, 1/1000 sec, f5.0, 100 ASA.

The Ledge, Manu Bay, Raglan, April 2008.

Magazine photography has a very formulaic approach that can be creatively restrictive, and towards the end of my time with NZSM I ended up in that position of ‘not’ shooting an image because I knew, even before pushing the shutter button, that we’d never use it in a layout. This isn’t a good headspace for a photographer to work from – even though there was always a huge amount of satisfaction in getting the job done. For me this photo represents the end of one era, and the beginning of another.

e pilogue

There are so many images that could have been in here, we could’ve, in fact - can fill another 150 pages with ease. When we started this project I assumed that the majority of magazine cover shots would be featured as the rule of thumb is that the best shot get used for the cover, this has turned out not to be the case. Then I thought the majority would be water shots as that was my emphasis for so many years, a lot more telephoto land shots found their way in than I thought would.

We lost the plot about two thirds of the way through the photo selection as I started wanting to balance out the shots to be fair and try and represent the NZ surfing community. That was not the original brief, we refocused, remembered and revised that this was about a photographic passage of time rather than a representation of the movers and shakers over the last two decades. That could come later.

You would be remise in thinking the images on these last montage pages are leftovers, they aren’t. I love busy, happy pages.

Thanks must go out to Matariki Mitchell for his sterling job of the introduction.

Matariki originally interviewed me in the wake of leaving NZSM. He posted the interview on his website ‘Riders Anonymous’ from which we both received a lot of praise.

It seemed natural for that to become the working document for the introduction. He reworked and refined it, and ever so cautiously submitted it to the subediting process.

My good friend Ste’en Webster, the founding editor of NZ Snowboarder Mag, stepped in to distil the words into their final cut, as he did with all the captions. To have the opportunity to work with Matariki and Ste’en has been an absolute pleasure; they brought so much to the table as unwitting photo editors and word smiths.

As the editor for NZSM I thanked the reader at the end of most intros. I was always trying to impress sincerely and humbly how important the reader is. Truth be told I was grateful, stoked and somewhat amazed at the dizzying heights NZSM reached in readership. And, similarly. if you have got this far- thank you.

CPL