Whale Tails and Tirades / April 4, 2024 by craig levers

Manu Roberts on dawn patrol by tail v2.0

The surf was super fun last night at Piha, I surfed, didn't shoot. El Nino is not kind to Piha surfers, persistent onshores and just that little bit too big and junky for anything other than a high tide despo' . The evening's chats in the water were thematic about a good surf 2 weeks ago, then only one more ok one the fortnight prior. That it's been the worst summer ever for waves at Piha. It wasn't, but it sure sits in that bracket. Good surf last night, hyped for the dawnie then right? Yep. 7am revealed the usual, the promised offshore was over-ridden by a nor-wester. At this point after months of spoiled starts, it's like the mis-quoted and in fact highly criticised Kübler-Ross model. The fives stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I'm at acceptance, I skipped the D ones.

Sooooo what to do? Oh the Tails!!! There's a super cool thing happening around Piha, about 18 months ago the first one appeared at South Piha, a whale tail seat. It got everyone talking, who did it, and why. I didn't love version 1, but didn't mind it either. Then I saw it getting used, that people liked it. Of course it highlighted that there is no seating at Piha, no seats, no council BBQ's. One toilet block at South Piha with one shower head for beach goers. Two toilet blocks along North Piha... with single shower heads. It speaks to an ongoing tension at Piha.... not the wild and sensational drama series Dark Coast. No, this is ongoing tension between the vocal minority and the rest of the Piha residents. There is a group at Piha that are well versed in the way council work, their agenda is to retard Piha, they have done successfully for decades now, blocked us having a public skate area for the kids [although we have had two public ramps in the 80's and 90's]. They successfully blocked a footpath running up beside Piha road, that incorporated better drainage for the road. Any type of innovation is shut down, 'not in the character of the Piha Village', flying in the face of history and facts.

Enter the legend Sandbanksea ... see what he did there... Banksy the world's most famous graf political artist, nice work. Quietly, the artist who wishes to remain ambiguous, crafts their Whale tails and then shares them with the public, they have even sussed out a design and install that ensures at the tails are immovable without using any concrete. I'm noticing Sandbanksea you're putting them at your favourite left banks! The process and thought the artist has put in is quite remarkable and very much a F-you to the vocal minority of self appointed gatekeepers. There's four now.

All installed in the dead of night. It's been quite exciting seeing where and when the next one pops up. Over summer I promised the artist I'd shoot them with a nice sunset, there's been no shortage of nice sunsets, that's not the issue. The problem is I can't get a clean shot at them. They are being used, a lot! They have become gathering points, points of discussion, points of confusion and conjecture. And for all these reasons I'm Sandbanksea's biggest fan.

Wailing v4 and the project evolves with finer detail and craft

Imagine having a series of functional art pieces that actually helped preserve the sand dunes by guiding foot traffic through 'sensitive' coastal zones. Rant over, clearly no surfing :)

AND DEEEN....

Winner and a winner, while there isn't a chicken dinner for the two winners, there is a copy of the latest Submachine Mag jetting it's way to subscribers 1490 and 1403 [using random number generator] So Off Shore Decorators and Byron keep an eye on the letter box.

FROM THE GALLERIES

This guy is actually my screensaver currently, you don't need to know that, wouldn't expect you to want it on the merit that the photographer loves it so much he chooses to see it everyday. The reason it's my screensaver is 100% emotional, sure it's a technically well taken photo, but it's the feelings and memories it evokes, an epic swell and surf trip, a reminder to return to a favourite stretch of sand. That's why clients buy photos, not because the photographer was a technical master, it's because they have a connection to the subject. I like that, kind of makes my job harder, but it's the right kind of challenge. Course, you really should be looking through the Photo CPL Galleries now, you can do that HERE

Off The Press / March 28, 2024 by craig levers

**Piha Layers** in all it's golden glory

So many hats worn over the last week, I got to be a surf-photographer [see last week's post about the Aotearoa School Surf Fest HERE] surfed [badly], shot a beautiful Piha home for THE local architect, wrangled print commissions and even started the End of Year Tax reccy, shit, so grown up.

This guy. Rolling off the Epson on canvas at 2400mm long x 800mm high. Going to need a bigger cutter! This one is for an Albany client with deep westie roots.

Of course this fella is no stranger to going big...

Arguably the most prestigious install, in 2017 Auckland Hospital commissioned this wall via Klein Architects for the Oncology Dept. An honour and a pay day :)

The firm favourite private commission of Piha Layers. In a local family's lounge at ... well... big.

...AND DEEEEN....

Manu Bay Evening all arty'ed up with a Black and White grade on watercolour paper

There was a print giveaway completed last week, if you were a subscriber, you were in the draw, you may not have known it, but you were. Unless your name is Trish and you are from Greenbay, you didn't win. BUT once again, as a subscriber to the PhotoCPL E-bomb, you are now automatically in the draw to win one of two of these...

Yes indeedy, Al from Submachine Mag kindly flowed two of the latest issue. It's the one with a PhotoCPL 8 page Summer spread in it. I gotta say it's a solid issue, 112 pages of art, axes, motorbikes and hotrods. It's on the bookstands now for $19.95- a bloody steal for the punch it packs I reckon. ANYWAY, there's two and you're in the draw already...if you aren’t a subscriber you can join up HERE and you’ll be in the draw too. The Submachine Mag giveaway will be drawn next Thursday 04/04/24 at 5pm nzst.

It's Easter, hope you have a sick one, drive safe, be patient... get amongst it.

FROM THE BOOK STORE

One of the constant slow burners is not a book, it's the second incarnation of the NZ Line-Up Print Sets.

No Tag / March 21, 2024 by craig levers

This week, Maori Bay Boardriders hosted the inaugural New Zealand School Surfing Festival. It's a great concept, and the first one held Tuesday and Wednesday was a huge success. Briefly, SNZ reached out to the High Schools of Aotearoa last year and invited them to enter teams into the event, under 18 boys and girls. The format for the two days is Tag Team. Tag Team has been around since the 80's [maybe longer] and it's a really effective way to move surfing events away from the individualism of competition. The team of five surfers have to work together in the 50 minute heat to win, waves are scored out of ten but the team accrue the total. The exciting bit; only one surfer from each team is in the water at one time, the preceding surfer, after their best wave has to come in, sprint up the beach and 'Tag' the next surfer in. It's ingenious, it is so simple, but it creates so much drama.

Western Springs College, running their last surfer in...and they made it!

To catch a decent scoring wave, then get in to give your fellow team mates enough time, as teams do get point penalised if all the whole team is not back in the box at the end hooter. There are all sorts of strategies and fluidity is needed. For example a clever plan would be for 4 of the team to catch ok scoring waves, but fast, giving their key surfer more time to find that bomb. But what if your key surfer bombs, what if one of your team gets caught in a rip for half the heat. Well, shit gets crazy. The young surfers have to operate as a team, it changes the dynamic of a Surf Comp completely. Ironically the inaugural Schools Tag Team, was No Tag [hence me getting to be able to reference the mighty No Tag band] SNZ took mercy on the grommets, because of the huge paddle out and in at Mud Bay it was deemed the surfer in the water could signal their intent to paddle in. The next team member would then do a beach start. Anyhow, it was a sick two days up at the Bay, the groms had so much fun. The Surfing New Zealand photo gallery of my images is HERE more to be added I think too.

And here are some of my favourites from the Bay ....

Yeah Greenbay Gurls... how lucky are you to have Ms Jolly as your PE teacher!

The WASSA! Whangamata Area School Surfing Academy .... yep saying Wassa is way easier

That guy hamming it up in the Wassa crew shot is this guy, coach Rungi Ormand

New Plymouth Boys High, just getting back to the box in time- happy days

Meanwhile, adjacent to the comp peak, Kanaiya Webb

The best coffee deliverer in the Bay, Master Mikey Phillips, stoked on the catch ups bro!

FROM THE BOOK STORE

One of the constant slow burners is not a book, it's the second incarnation of the NZ Line-Up Print Sets.

Sub Pacific / March 13, 2024 by craig levers

Yess! The latest issue of **Submachine Magazine**

..and there's a 8 page feature of PhotoCPL images in it!

And deeennn, virtually on Pacific Longboarder; a nice wrap up of the 10th Annual Loggerheads

Sadly there is no surf magazine in New Zealand anymore. We have a rich history of surf publications dating back to the 1960's. At the height of print we had two bi-monthly glossy titles, New Zealand Surfing Magazine and Kiwi Surf Magazine both successfully vying for readership and lucrative advertising dollars. They came out in alternate months, so effectively the NZ Surfer had a monthly hit of stoke. I was a part of this era, for 15 years I lived and breathed surf print creation. I worked for NZ Surfing Mag, starting as the advertising manager and staff photog, working my way up to Editorial Director/Senior Photographer. I loved my job. Fellow NZ surfers are always surprised at just how un-surfing the job was. They saw the glam side, which was less than 40% of the actual job, the photoshoots and travel. The other 60% + was story creation/curation, photo editing/selection, contributor wrangling, overseeing all aspects of production [design and layout, print runs and press passes], distribution, merchandising and marketing. When I left the magazine in 2008 we had an audited readership of 119,000 + readers per issue. But all that means very little now. It's not sad because I don't work for a surf mag anymore; it's sad because that lineage of print is broken. While I've done my time, I firmly believe there is space for some sort of NZ Surf Print to still exist, maybe even thrive.

Photographs are meant to be printed. A screen compresses and flattens the detail, to give you a guide; a digital photo is taken at 45 megapixels, then to get it down to screen resolution we have to sheer out 7/8ths of that information. The images above- they are under 1/8 the quality of the original file. It's quite shocking aye. I'd argue that online reading is the same, the articles we read online are grazings of the bigger picture, we consume soundbites. The printed image and word tended to be in-depth, long form, whereas online we know less about more stuff.

For print, television [live broadcasting] was always lorded as being what would kill magazines. It didn't, it never could, magazines were able to delve into being pieces of art themselves, kudos to our graphic designers. The inter web is killing both. Again it's super sad to see the axing of TV3's News Hub and the dicing of TVNZ's News Departments. It leaves the Kiwi Fourth Estate in tatters. Of course there are friends that would proclaim both these entities, and all mainstream media, are simply mouthpieces for governments, a hard claim to refute considering what's going on Gaza currently. Even so, there are journalists that were passionate about the independence of the Fourth Estate, that, did indeed hold politicians and corporations to account, that now sadly have fewer and narrower means to communicate that.

Jeez, that's a rant, simply brought on by getting a dozen images published- sorry.

FROM THE BOOK STORE

And me? Well, I'm highly evolved, I make books, since 2008 there have been 11 NZ Surf/Beach books made and reprinted. 2024 sees our most ambitious title being made, but I'm not allowed to talk about that- just yet. One of the constant slow burners is not a book, it's the second incarnation of the NZ Line-Up Print Sets.

East, and the swell that kept coming / February 28, 2024 by craig levers

I remember talking to Pete Morse [RIP] about swells off the back of a High Pressure System. I never got it, still don't, but accepted it was a thing. For fourteen glorious days the east coast's glorious swell run. The best possible version of ground hog days, 2-3 foot glassy walls every dawny, the sea breeze signalling time for second breakfast. Repeat.

20 years a part! Both are available for print, just click on the image to check out the options.

There was work done too, the best sort. You can check out the Billabong/Oceanbridge Whangamata Grom Comp photos on Facebook HERE

And then the Surfline Feature HERE pretty stoked on that run of images.

Then there were Pano's made:

This one is now available in the Beaches Gallery for print HERE

And so is this one HERE

The latter is probably the banger. They both look better on the website, but even better high res, frothing on the detail in both.

Surfed out, memory cards filled with goodness, and a couple of new sea ulcers formed. 17 hours of water time. And time to turn the back on the East and head home to the West for the final event it the Billabong/Oceanbridge Grom Series at Piha. Those photos are on the SNZ Facebook page HERE oh and HERE

FROM THE GALLERIES

No surprises for guessing which was the runaway hit for 2023, this guy, Day of Days.... print of prints. Such an incredible swell and sand event to be a part of. You can view it and look at print options HERE

Far and Near North / January 24, 2024 by craig levers

oooossh somebody [me] has been getting their pano game back on

It has been a minute aye! And unapologetically so, January is holiday month in Aotearoa. I love that you can't get anything done in January, plan for it, roll with it, celebrate it. The gorgeous Ange and I did. After recovering from hosting family Christmas we spent 12 glorious days in the camper, in the Far Far North. Ironically it's with half of Piha, again something to celebrate, far from home but with your mates and neighbours. Normally it's a hard out surf camp, there's always waves in the FFN. Not so much this time, onshores on the east, a few quality days on the west but then a jump in the swell that overpowered the 90 Mile Beachies. It was all alright though, late nights under canvas solving the world's problems, back to back to back midnighters. Good times.

First session with the new rig- went good

But before that, the new water-housing set up had to be tested, sea trials. I'm on to my 12th water-housing spanning 30 years of shooting from the water [farrrk, 30 years. How'd I get here!!! ]. You'd hope by now I'd know what I'm doing. The sea trials were needed, nothing dramatic like springing a leak, but I needed to tweak the ergonomics. Swapping the big and little handle around and then finally pissing the little handle off altogether, and laughing at myself for buying all the bells and whistles, then negating half of them.

You'd be hard pressed to find a more dedicated surfer than Scott Casey, lives and breathes the stuff

Ohhh, maybe this guy though! Mootie Bedford the OG frother

There's a accidental trend here, Brendan Shadbolt, the quiet long player, probably already up to the 5th hour of water time this day

Generation next, Piha grub Rio Bidois, happily helping me figure out the new toy...wait tool, it's a work tool, not having fun, no, all work here

Nigel Hunt... probably not quite realising he was a sea trial at this very point

The 3rd generation of Joyce surfers in the Piha line up- how cool!

Oh yes, Te Troopy in its natural environ

Got two days of this guy with just the lads out

A few banks there to poke a stick at I reckon

And then goodbye to the FFN and down to the Near North for work

The 10th edition of the Logger Heads was on, my first gig for the year and always a firm favourite. The founder and organiser Tony Baker has always strived to make the long boarding weekend about the vibes as much as the contest. I've prattled on about this before, but it really is the case.

Tony Baker, probably stressing about the million details that need attention. But having fun and making a space for catch ups, laughs and endless good banter.

No contest cloistering in cars here! There's too much chat to be had

The sort of turn that saw Matt Newdick win his second Logger Head open title in the weekend, he took out the old mal division too

But not without the Open National Champ, Jack Tyro, keeping him honest. Jack was a busy lad, Finalist in the Old Mal, the Open and the Juniors, he had to settle with a Junior win, it has to be noted that there was less than a point in the Open Final between first and fourth- it was an epic final

Speaking of multiple division entrants; Hawaii's Megan McHale kept busy all weekend running through the Old Mal and Wahine heats, eventually taking out the Wahine Title with long fives

...and deeeeeen ... a wait, a swing and honestly a bit of a miss. Big Mangawhai Bar at the peak of this week's east swell, and probably too big for the swell direction. Always worth a crack though.

It was epic to spend 11 nights in the Troopy, it never missed a beat. We had the heat, we had rain. Home is good, good to plan the next trip!

FROM THE GALLERIES

Last Call / December 6, 2023 by craig levers

Here we are firmly in the tail end of 2023, pretty sure we are all starting to focus on the work wrap up, the Christmas organising and then the light at the end of the tunnel... HOLIDAYS!!!!

But before the hol's, you have to get through gift giving and getting, food comas and probably an accidental hangover or 3. I can't help with comas and toxic poisoning, but I can with that gifting and giving bit. You may not know this but PhotoCPL makes books. There's been a few made since 2008, 11 plus reprints and side projects like Notecard Sets and Print Sets

The books are sold nationwide through bookshops chains like Paper Plus and Whitchouls, independents and giftware stores like the Poi Room and Haus, Flo and Frankie etc. And of course surf shops, Backdoor, North Beach, Amazon and the grassroots family owned locals like Raglan Surf co, Whangamata Surf, Salt Air. Distribution is EVERYTHING. Online, direct is always growing- it's good. One crystal clear trend with all the books and print sets across all sales methods, it is the women in your lives doing the buying and gifting. Here's my request, if you think a book or a print set would solve that Auntie's problem of what to get you for Chrissy- share this page.

This year the Surf Print Set concept was revisited and evolved; a showcase of 10 prints of idyllic Kiwi Line Ups and waves. There isn't an attempt to be regionally diverse and cover the country, there isn't even a Raglan photo. I've stuck to my best images, the proven sellers in the PhotoCPL Waves Gallery . 10 prints, ready to be mounted into 8 x 10 pre-made frames, like the inexpensive frames you can buy from the Warehouse or K-mart. And they retail at $34.95 for the pack...under $3.50 a print.

And DEEEEEEN....

The 3rd print of The Big Little Beach Book has also landed and in stores. Stoked on this little tacker, the A5 landscape, 200+ page nugget has achieved and surpassed its goals....I mean 3rd printing, that's pretty cool. Bit of a sidebar, I put QR codes to all the beaches in the original layout of the book, who would have known QR codes would have become so part of day to day. That PhotoCPL Media - ahead of the curve.

It also retails at $34.95. Both are available through the links littered through the post and both have free shipping nationwide for December.

FROM THE GALLERIES

No surprises for guessing which was the runaway hit for 2023, it's featured in the new Print set above too. But this guy, Day of Days.... print of prints. Such an incredible swell and sand event to be a part of. You can view it and look at print options HERE

Swell Dump / November 29, 2023 by craig levers

Lines stretching and bending under friction

Expectations were high for last week's swell, with a period starting at 22 seconds, later degrading to 18 seconds, it was looking like the Point swell of the season. It didn't pan out like that, but it sure got hyped. It was a beautiful swell, of course there were moments of pumpingness. That's a new word by the way, working on getting it added to the Oxford. But it was fleeting, and the stinger; probably around 10pm-midnight would have the perfect combination of swell peak and tide.

Surfers aye; if we've made the effort to skive off work or school, we are hardly likely to downplay the actual merits of a swell event. In fact, it would be shrewder of me to keep the hype-beast going.... CPL's best Ledge images in 15 years! [they actually are] etc etc. We still, collectively, love to gloat about sessions, the old turnip 'orrr maaaaate, ya should've seen it yesterday.' [I fucking hate that phrase btw] The point being, seldom is said, 'yeah bro, it was good, but you know, probably not the best ever.'

The Ledge, pretty, pretty fricken throaty

The real deal was, it was a small window of only a few tides, and that window peaked in the dead of night. It was pumping, but niggly, long waits between sets and a hungry pack. If you weren't there, there'll be better days, still there were some glorious moments.

King of the Point. Raglan royalty and rider of every surf vehicle ever invented, Dan Kereopa

Kora Cooper wrestling a bronco, this shot was used on the Surfline swell feature **HERE**

Same wave; Kora reckons he waited 30 minutes for this wave, for one to hit the Ledge just right... fair to say his selection process is pretty good

Caleb Cutmore on one that's clearly going to clip the photog

Tana Clapham will always find the hollow escapes

Campbell McKegg .... still can't actually believe he has the most perfect surname for a surfer

Tom Billington .... ok shall we be verbose and go for - 'in a fiery sea' ...nah, but the sunset was pretty sick, everyone was stoking on being in the water to enjoy it

Post sunset and getting real low on the shutter speed to compensate, hence being all arty speed blurry. I was surprised and very stoked Surfline ran with and featured this shot of 13 year old Xander Banks

Same wave and maybe sitting in the not blurry enough department???

Xander still frothed on the evening prior

Billy and the morning after; still bloody pumping, but buttoned off swell

Billy Stairmand ... and really hoping that's a Movember situation Bill!

Yeah JP! As always stoked to share the line up with ya brother... wait you don't follow JP? He's on Insty **HERE**

Tai Murphy and another shot that featured on the Surfline post, but...

Luke Dymond fins free, free period. You wouldn't be wagging would you Melon?

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

These are becoming very popular! Stoked. The new print set of 10 NZ line ups and waves is a great wee stocking filler at $35.00 ... and free postage nationwide. Start sowing the seeds fellas! You need this for Christmas. Check them out in more detail HERE

Positive Vibes and the best hangover / November 22, 2023 by craig levers

What a bunch of fine specimens, NZ's best surfers assembled for the Integrated Training workshop, spearheaded by Surfing New Zealand with funding from the Olympic Committee

This shouldn't be a tough post to write, there's so many positive angles to take: SNZ's championing and execution of elite athlete development. The fact that the Olympic Committee funded the workshop. That the workshop was conducted by one of my close mates Woody [and Emma of course] - That their business and their vision is thriving. Oh, that another close mate Jemarl Paerata's business, Te Kaiarahi was also involved and clearly delivering and nailing his objectives. That I got to witness, document, and somehow be amalgamated into such an amazing two days with all these top notch humans, yes even the surfers were OK. That's a joke, they all were fucking awesome. Frothed to learn, eager to embrace new skills, good, keen people.

Dave Wood holding court, explaining the fundamentals of calm under pressure before putting the theory into practice

So many threads of goodness. Because this isn't the platform to go too deep, that is all going to get glossed over- sorry. In part, I even question if it's my place to comment. Cleary from the tone, you'll be picking up the workshop was a runaway success from all accounts. Here's some of my favourite images from a hectic and hugely satisfying 48 hours.

Paige, clearly far too calm under pressure

Elliott Paerata-Reid spotting Dune Kennings

Jemarl starting the workshop with karakia

No surfie bums here, a group of surfers that have competitive surfing as a small part of their surfing lifestyle and journey

bonds strengthened, challenges met, teachings learnt

Bunch of the best buggers you could hope to hang with

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

Swings and Misses / November 8, 2023 by craig levers

A bunch of good bastards L to R, Daniel Kereopa, Chrissy Malone, Deano Morrison, Tama, John John Florence, Eric Knuston, Tai, Tana Clapham and in the foreground Ikey Morrison, Koro; Miha Graham and Kahu Graham.

It's not too often that a surf trip is a fail. More to the point, the fails aren't talked about. The worst kept secret in the country was that John John Florence was in town. He wasn't here to do a promo trip or a photoshoot. Any surfing was a bonus.
I did have an inside track, an invite to join, but knowing it wasn't s'possed to be a photoshoot put me at odds. I didn't want to be the hanger-on, I wasn't commissioned by a media outlet to chase. There was the internal debate- let's be honest- the very external debate. Should I go at all? The last thing I wanna do is be some sort of weird 50-something groupie. My mates said go, why not?

Raglan was abuzz with JJF, Dean Morrison and Tai Buddha being in town. The surf wasn't great, but the carparks were full. It was very, very clear not all the carloads were there to surf themselves. There were tales of John John swamped in the carpark for selfies, that he had been humble and accommodating. That also some the fans hadn't been that cool and had expected the selfies. From all accounts Mr Florence, Dean and Tai had been more than gracious.

On cue the day sea-breeze set in. The lads shifted from surfing the points to foiling. I gently suggested that they save some energy for the low tide at Manu Bay, with the evening glass off. Agreed, Phewww. I waited at Manu, hung out with the usual suspects, catching up on gossip...creating more. They foiled for a long time, too long.

As the puffs of offshores started to groom the long walls of Manu, the entourage left for a BBQ. They'd been on boards all day, fair enough. This is not a photoshoot. We organised a dawnie on the jet-skis. I stayed at Manu and shot till dark, it got pretty good. It wasn't pumping, there were moments for sure.

John John left that evening to baton down the hatches, literally.

Pretty good huh! In truth one of a very few

The rest of us met at the boat ramp at 6am, as feared the swell had halved. But we gave it a go anyway. By 8am the northeast had kicked up too much. A couple of swings and couple of misses.

Tai and Dean... time for bacon, eggs and the rugger world cup final

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

The Maori Nats Are Doing It Right / November 1, 2023 by craig levers

The Aotearoa Maori Nationals is the best competition in New Zealand.

Ok, ok, clearly that’s an incendiary statement aimed at ramping up the clicks, but it’s not that far off the mark. And here’s why.

We all know that surf competitions have lost their gloss. In the good old days, the 1990’s and early double zeros, national surf competitions were hectic. There’d be full draws and you couldn’t get a park at the beach to watch. Perhaps the heady height was the Manu Bay Billabong WQS’s where buses had to be contracted to shuttle spectators from Raglan to the Point, an estimated 50,000 spectators attended. Perhaps NZ Surfing’s version of Woodstock, crazy- but true. Ratso’s Hot Buttered Easter Comp, a nationally rated event, used to pack out the black sands of Piha every year with spectators. One year even finished with a good old fashioned riot, with police breaking up the post-match function after a car got rolled and set on fire.

How’d the gloss get knocked off? Maybe, just maybe, it is an accidental disconnection from the grass roots. You see, back in the dark ages, before the inter-web, participants would mail in their entry fee cheques in weeks before the event, but they’d also have to show up for the Friday night’s registration and the heat draw. It couldn’t be posted on-line, you had to be there. These rego evenings became catch ups with old mates, the friendly rivalry banter would start… to be honest sometimes it wasn’t so friendly! But there was connection and korero.

Comps were held on long weekends, so you had Monday to meander home after the Presso night on Sunday. Presso night! All competitors were encouraged to hang about for the Presso, no one knew 100% who won what until the Presso. Often included in the registration pack given on Friday night was a meal and/or drink voucher for the Presso night. There’d be the formalities, but then there’d be a knees up with a couple of good bands, in fact, surf comps were regarded by up and coming bands as a good gig to land.

Then surf comps got streamlined, went online for registration and the heat draw. The Friday night meet-up became redundant. The Presso was reduced to a quick how’s your father in front of the sponsors’ banners behind the offical’s tent. The spirit, the wairua, got incrementally eroded from mainstream national competition. The competitors stopped going, draws were halved in size. The spectators stopped attending. Surf comps got so streamlined that they just weren’t fun anymore.

You’ve got the formula now right; a fun evening prior, where everyone catches up, eyes each other up, even maybe creates a few hazy heads for the days ahead of heats, then the whole time you know there’s gonna be a fun time at the end, a finale… the weekend has become a celebration, an event of mini events.

Here’s what happens at the Maori Nationals;

It’s held on Labour weekend, you have Monday to get home safely.

You are encouraged to attend the opening Pōwhiri on the Friday evening, in this case EVERYONE is warmly welcomed onto the Roma Marae, yes there are some traditional formalities to sit through. But the elders keep it light, and quite frankly they are awesome speakers, not shy of a quick jibe or six. You will be laughing. Once you are welcomed onto the Marae you are part of the Marae. EVERYONE is invited to share a meal, and it’s fricken delicious kai…with dessert to boot. For those that wish to, the Marae is theirs to stay on, catch-ups, korero; who is here, who didn’t make it back, who is new/ it’s a good time.

Competition: It’s an adventure, it’s mobile, you wake up on Saturday morning never quite knowing where you may end up. But you know your Te Rarawa Kaiwhare hosts are trying their darnedest to get the best possible surf in the Far North, west or east. And perhaps because of this, there is little temptation to leave the contest venue, most crew stay, hang out, chat … well that and Te Rarawa Kaiwhare cater lunch. There’s no reason to leave.

Then there’s a Presso back at the marae, the winners are celebrated, the behind scenes string pullers are acknowledged and EVERYONE is served hangi…and dessert. You stay, you korero, you kata, you have new hoa.

The Lads!!! Waitara contingent deep on korero with Charles Kauwhata, contest organiser and master of ceremonies

Te Rarawa decendant and former WCT surfer Dean Morrison during the finals of the O35's

Fellow international Maori Tai Buddha [also Te Rarawa] came back to experience the Aotearoa Maori Nationals

Tai and his son Kahu, Deano and his son Ikey with cousin Asher loving the Far North vibes …and there’s a Feature on Surfline **HERE** all about that.

Elin Tawharu, your 2023 Maori Nationals Wahine Champion

Harrison Biddle your 2023 U16 Maori National Champion

Tai Murphy, free surfing prior to winning the U18 division

Nav Malone, won the U18's last year and was in the Open final last year too. This year he clinched the Open title, from Tai Murphy and his pop Chrissy

Speaking of... there he is, Chris Malone, so many titles! This year he had to settle for O35's and a proud dad moment

2023 marked the 30th year of the Aotearoa Maori Nationals, first spearheaded by Waitara in 1993. Of note members of Waitara Bar Board Riders Club who were there in 1993, Ed Martin and Chip Andrews made the journey north with the WBBRC crew [Marty, Jm, Pip, Dada...where were ya!!!] . Chip entered the Longboard and the SUP, finaling in both and winning the SUP. Chris Malone and Steve Ria [both Mahaki] have also attended almost every single one.

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

Yess back in its third print. The Big Little Beach Book is available again, it is slowly getting into books stores and surf shops over the next few weeks. You can buy The Big Little Beach Book through the PhotoCPL Website HEREnow, if you want it now.

Octoberfest / October 18, 2023 by craig levers

Makorori pumped for the National Scholastics

Last post I mansplained how, ironically, when things get too busy it looks like there's no work being done. ie no web log, too busy creating and curating content. And it happened again; 3 weeks lost, although one of those was to an actual vacation... the first for Ange and I since the covid years.

I had the privilege of being the Surfing NZ photographer for the National Scholastics. Held this year in Gizzy, it's a jammed packed 7 days of heats. Technically it is two competitions; 2 days of the Primary Schools, then 5 of the Secondary. You can check out all the photo edit on Surfing New Zealand's Facebook page HERE

I also did a feature for Surfline that...I reckon anyways, came up really well. Few words from me and lots of words from the players- the way it should be. It's HERE

There was some crazy free surfing around the arena as well, Ric Christie and one of those, are you fricken kidding me, moments

Flynn McGregor, Gizzy Team member, between heats

And then a big change in climate, from puffy jackets to jandals ....well, maybe not a great analogy cos jandals are year 'round right ... you get the idea. We went to Noosa!!! The home of family holiday packages and blue rinsed retirees, it was actually better than great. Warm swims, whales, more swims, but not much surf. 30 degrees and no rain.

A very happy hump day [actually a Humpback Whale, actually last Wednesday...actually super corny]

Noosa waterways, a surprising fascinating time

Thank Noosa, you were fricken awesome. OK, unpacked the bags, washing, then repack 'cos it's the Aotearoa Maori Surfing Nationals in Ahipara this weekend. Super excited to be back up in the FFN.

Hope you have a great Labour weekend wherever it takes you.

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

Beach Break Boogie / September 15, 2023 by craig levers

It has been a while aye? Doing weekly web logs is to ideally generate interest and therefore traffic and hopefully even sales. Ironically there's a tipping point, where the first thing that gets dropped if there's too much on is one of the things that's s'possed to create that busyness. It's been busy!

The surf around here pumped last week, it was a welcome reprieve from the huge storm swells and winds. The formula was applied pretty well, surf until broken [that doesn't take too many sessions], then shoot and shoot some more.

The exposed beachies sort of turned on, the photos may lie a bit, but there were definitely moments of goodness.

So fun! And nearly always twice as good as it looks

Napes was on hand

And so was Jay Piper-Healion

JPH stealing the show

Oossssh... the funpark is open

Tava Santorik was up from Raglan to party

Anyone know this guy? He was ripping in the middle of South Piha last Saturday

Yeah Brewster... just another cheeky 5 hour surf eh boss!

Oh yes we did, Keyhole Boardriders ran the first event post Cyclone Gabby, it was a good turn out and between the straight handers there were some drainers. Liam Joyce scored an 11 out of 10 [in my books anyway] faded a non competitor and then got completely coned across the beach to find a doggy door... and for all you non surfers that don't understand that... there is your homework :)

The 2023 National Open Champion Dune Kennings won the event by a slim margin on the last wave ridden in the final

A gallery of the Keyhole comp is up on the Keyhole Facebook page HERE

...and Surfline has run a feature of PhotoCPL images HERE

And speaking of PhotoCPL images...

Pretty cool aye!!! One of my images from a pool session with Blood Diamond, Israel Adesanya and Dave Woods. Dave and Woody's Movement Workshop featured in a large sports piece on TVNZ last Wednesday....so stoked for you Woody, such good coverage.

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

Magic Swell / September 1, 2023 by craig levers

You may remember I've been banging on about getting a great Raglan Line Up for the Photo CPL Waves Gallery . I've been chasing swells and refining the angles, absolutely bloody loving the process to be honest. Feels like I've been on a whole new learning curve of what makes a magic swell on the Waikato Points. There was a special swell last week, the first swell in a very long time that didn't have a secondary swell running through it. My insider gave me the heads up week prior, 'have you seen this on the swell maps?' I hadn't. There was no way I was missing it. I'm not going to get into writing a blow by blow account... the swell was a fricken gem, super lined up, super clean winds and super crowded too! That said I didn't see one frown.

Billy Stairmand could not have timed his return from the WQS grind more perfect ....and heads up no apologies for the amount of Bilbo images here in.

Emmerson Tucker with an after work rinse

Alani Morse, also featured in the Surfline Feature of this swell

Cassidy Man, no your eyes are ok, it's an arty speed blur...art I tell you!

Doubling down on the intention, arty blurry Bilbo

...and deeen... Saturday morning.... now this is what I've been after; clean lines, a day you'd love to be in the water. It's now up in The Waves Gallery **HERE**. And I liked the idea of trying to compliment the composition of this one …

Those bewty lines!!! That's what we are after! This one is also up in the Wave Gallery **HERE**

...and this one! This one was used in the Surfline feature too. And it's in the Wave Gallery **HERE**

Back to the action with Indica Knox-Corcoran

Chippy to the stars, Mr Scotty Wilkinson

My neighbour Sev Tolhurst was down for the weekend

Two blissful days revelling in a magic swell. Of course the swell wasn't confined to Raglan, the whole west coast lit up. Surfline covered it in this feature…

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

Rewinding with Ric and tech / August 24, 2023 by craig levers

Multiple Auckland Champ Mikey Phillips put out an Insty post about two NZ Surfing mags from 20 years ago. The first one was his cover issue the July/August 2002 mag and the second 18 months later, the Nov/Dec 2003 issue. Mikey featured heavily in both issues. Last week was all Mikey's Cover shot issue [You can read that post HERE], so this week is all about Ric Christie's first ever cover, The Nov/Dec 2003 issue.

I was the Senior Photographer and Editor of the magazine at the time, halfway through my 15 year tenure at the surf mag. The early 2000's were a hugely significant era in surf print worldwide, and especially here in NZ. The business of surfing was about to blow up. With that surf print went nuts too, advertising revenue went through the roof and so did readership.

In 2003 we overhauled the magazine, gave it a facelift by upping the size and the changing paper stock to matt/satin. I pestered the printer about size options. We went through multiple quotes and options, the publisher knocking most of them back. He felt the magazine was performing fine so why rock the boat and why incur extra printing costs? Almost out the frustration the print rep mentioned, 'you know you can go to 230mm x 295mm on the same press and paper stock aye?'. 'How much?'. 'Nothing, it's just a change to the trimming'. 'I think I can talk the boss into that!'

It was a subtle squaring up and made the magazine 2cms wider than the standard A4 [4cms on a double page spread!] It meant we could also [lamely] claim NZ Surfing was the biggest surf mag. This issue was the second in the new format and the first one had sold very well. I've always felt that from mid 2003 I was starting to find my feet as an editor, strategising the flow of the content better, being more confident in the direction... it had taken some years!

Once again the cliche has to come out; 2003 was a different world of tech. Surf photographers worldwide were all still shooting 100% on film. But graphic design and production tech was changing rapidly. We could now get the frames of film drum scanned at a scanning house, then the scanner would courier the burnt CD's with the high resolution file from that image at the publishers. In turn we had computers grunty enough to merge those high resolution files. It reads like basic stuff now, but it was a huge advancement in 2003. At the surf mag we embraced the tech with vigour, to be really honest I don't know if this magazine issue has stood the test of time.

Should the cover had been just the single frame instead of a 3 frame merge? Ric Christie thinks not! " Nah, the sequence was way better.' Ric added about getting the cover; ' Broooo!! Best thing that ever happened to me at that moment in time. It didn't feel real. I can't quite remember for sure, but I think I was at the supermarket and being buzzed out it was me. It's what dreams are made of mate!!!' ohhh that's warmed the cockles of me ol' salty heart.

Some of the sequences in 'the Bigger than Big Sequence Issue' are a bit clunky. I think we forced a few that would have been way better as the single feature shot of the sequence.

Mikey Phillips’ feature sequence; the main shot is sick, but do the first and last two really need to be there?

Like the opening feature spread ....sick bottom turn that has definitely stood the test of time.

The Primo roadie this issue was based around the Phillips brothers in the Far North. Jamie Phillips in a very Kiwi setting... and quite the quote from the ex pat Jamie, it reads 'Having sex is like playing Bridge, If you don't have a good partner, you better have a good hand.' -gold.

How sick is this sequence of Maz by Rowan Klevtsul! Maybe the mergey thing worked on some of the feature spreads.

Cool to see, now mother of two, Mischa debuting as Rising Grom 20 years ago. The Piha surfer has lived in the Far North on the East coast for 5 or more years now. Misch went on to win National titles in the Open Women's and Longboarding.

All in all the Nov/Dec 2003 wasn't terrible, the magazines were really starting to bulk up, this mag was 86 pages plus an A0 poster.

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

Rewinding with Ella and Mikey / August 16, 2023 by craig levers

Over the weekend Muriwai's golden son, multi Auckland Champion Mikey Phillips put out an Insty post about two NZ Surfing mags from 20 years ago. The first one was his cover issue the July/August 2002 mag and the second 18 months later, the Nov/Dec 2003 issue. Mikey featured heavily in both issues. Well, you can't feature more heavily than being on page One. This post is all about Mikey's cover mag.

I was the Senior Photographer and Editor of the magazine at the time, halfway through my 15 year tenure at the surf mag. The early 2000's were a hugely significant era in surf print worldwide, and especially here in NZ. The business of surfing was about to blow up. With that surf print went nuts too, advertising revenue went through the roof and so did readership. Now I'm going to try and explain this without boring you. The AC Neilsen audit/survey was what all advertising agencies used to figure out where to place their brands. They would charge publications royally to be a part of the survey, and you either lived by the good result or died with a bad one.

In 2002 the publisher, David Hall, and I felt like it was time to throw the very pricey dice and join the survey. The first 6 monthly survey result was out of control, the readership came in at 145,000 per issue. We freaked out, not in the good way, we thought the figure was fanciful and way too high, that the next 6 monthly survey would be a half or even a 1/4 that. That to put out this 145,000 readers per issue would be laughed at, and then when it settled next round the magazine would look like it was slipping.

David Hall summoned in the AC Neilsen rep for 'a please explain' meeting. The rep assured us that the figures were accurate, that they wouldn't change greatly. That being a youth targeted publication, NZ Surfing Mag had an accepted high pass-on rate. AC Neisen put it in double digits for readers per copy sold. We had spent years getting the magazine into every high school library in the country. We'd worked super hard on our distribution and subscription base. But the pass-on rate was crazy, it meant we could go to Ad Agencies with regarded audited figures, the 145,000 meant NZ Surfing was the most popular youth magazine in NZ.... yes the most popular surf mag, but also the most popular against music, car, outdoors and fishing mags. We were literally top of the pops. It meant we started getting adverts from outside the surf industry like Watties Baked Beans, Primo [Fontera ] Britz Motorhomes and Lion Breweries all featured in Mikey's cover magazine 2002.

The issue featured a sick Gizzy Primo Roady, the second year of doing them, and we were getting good at them. One day I'll tell you the Primo story, it's a good tale of branding and marketing.

The opening spread is Gizzy shaper Tommy Dalton, with Mikey in the far left corner. It's ok, but a bit dark in the shadows, film was still all we used in 2002, this was on Velvia 50 asa transparency film. The surf photographers standard for its fine grain and deep colour saturation. The downside of Velvia was it has no shadow detail at all, I should have compensated for that with the front lit angle.

Mikey, and I'm pretty sure a different wave than the cover.

Jay Papworth in the centrefold...The cover verses centrefold choice came down to Mikey's barrel was clean, Pappy's had that little bit of spray around his face... tough call.

Mikey's cover shot went on to be published as a double page spread in the giant US mag Surfing and later used on a Kea Car billboard nationwide. And of course had to be used in the PHOTOCPL book

In a tiny bottom corner of a page in that issue is a heart melter. The woman who would go on to be our 2013 World Junior Champ, win National Champs, and of course be our first surfing woman olympian.

How's Ella's hand written letter! And Ella still has the board, it is on display the Williamson's surf shop, The Whanga Surf Shop. I blackmailed Ella into a selfie today.

So stoked on your achievements mate.

Next week, I'll cover Mikey's second issue which also marks significant changes 18 months on. Let me know if this stuff interests you...like really, email me back with your thoughts.

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

Hazy Piha / August 9, 2023 by craig levers

The peanut gallery in Sunday morning's fog, probably foggy heads and atmosphere to be fair

The pedal was taken off getting the Raglan line-up I'm so determined to get. Family commitments and also a promise to a keen photo-grub were, the happily attended to, priorities. I had trusted the forecast from Surfline that indicated the exposed west coast beaches would be 1-2 foot. The best groundswell of the last 2 months rolled through instead. It was a tad grating, the FOMO burnt hard.

It's important to give back, over the years a point has been made to mentor other photographers. Piha photo-grub Oscar O'Brien reached out a few months ago; check out his Instagram HERE we have had shockers, bad surf locally, it is the season for it, and mistimed meet ups.

Sunday was the day, nice offshores and midday tide and APPARENTLY nice 1-2 foot beachies. An added bonus, the Auckland Scholastic Squad was having a training session, it was all falling into place for Oscar to have a good go using the big lens and tripod. Piha was maxed out, but the Squad coach Jay Piper-Healion led from the front, putting the squad out on the Bar reform. It wasn't terrible, it wasn't great either. Oscar got a go at least, he will get more turns with the big lens.

Muriwai resident Lachlan Mitchell down with his daughter Yana for the squad day

Jay P-H giving up his Sunday to coach the squad

Later in the week looks ok, so maybe just maybe, see you on the sand!

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

Back To Rags / August 2, 2023 by craig levers

El Nino winters are tough for Piha surfers, especially off the back of 4 very mild winters. The El Nino weather pattern cools down the Tasman, Antarctic storms are almost weekly and overpower the west coast sand banks with too much swell. This has a knock on effect, the banks are washed away, so even when the swell is surfable the sand just isn't there. Howling onshore winds and squalls of rain...not really beach days aye.

It just means we have to travel. El Nino is good for Raglan, Gisborne and The Far North. We're racking up RUC's. It's ok, the game has changed, adjust and go with it, embrace the sea change.

Alani Morse reckons she was just managing the waves on Friday

Raglan Surf Academy student Jahmin Thompson fin freeing

Our 2023 National Open Champ Pia Rogers escaping the Coromandel's flatness

The ol' partner in crime...Tom Bilington waiting for the sets that walled

Theo Morse loving Friday arvo/evening elective

There were still some solid sets on Saturday, Waihi Beach's Zac Curle

Luke Cederman came in horrified at his performance, he did alright

Zac Curle, just going to get the Elephant out of the room here...what a surname for a surfer! Epic.

Yeah Chrissy Malone! Just a bit after noon

Piha resident Jay Piper Helion back in his old stomping grounds... ok wait, born and bred Whitianga, went to school at Raglan Academy and then Waikato Uni, now teaches in West Auckland...he's from everywhere

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

Little Big Things / July 26, 2023 by craig levers

It has long been established that I get excited about the weirdest of things. This week has been highly excitable. The new pressings of The Big Little Beach Book and the new 10 NZ Line-Up Prints Sets arrived. It is a period of high energy output, make space in the PhotoCPL Despatch Centre [that's code for the book shed], drive across town to the distributors, pick up too much stock, hairy drive back to the PhotoCPL Despatch Centre with the steering of the Hi-Lux VERY light and the braking VERY gradual, unload, repeat.

You think I take photos, hang out with elite surfers and write blogs huh? Well that's half, maybe quarter of the story. Being a publisher of surf and beach books is what pays the mortgage, being hands on in every aspect it how costs are minimised. But I really like doing the distribution, packing and tagging, selling into the surf shops, invoicing...I fricken looooove invoicing :)

Anyhow... The Big Little Beach Book 3rd print is now available. Super stoked on how this little big project just keeps on going. Not assuming you know anything about what it is, the book is A5 landscape, with 208 pages of text. There are QR codes with over 50 of NZ's most loved stretches of sand featured, literally from the Cape to past the Bluff.

The size of the book was chosen to create a compact, easy to gift product..and low RRP of $35.00. A lot of the feature images were shot using the 617 panoramic film cameras...which is quite ironic, as the A5 size doesn't require mega resolution files like that. But you know, that's how we roll.

Some of the 6x17 panos in The Big Little Beach Book

Not all the images are analogue, while both were shot on each beach mission, sometimes the digital images had better highlight and shadow detail.

AND DEEEEEEEEN....

Here is a showcase of 10 prints of idyllic Kiwi Line Ups and waves. There isn't an attempt to be regionally diverse and cover the country, there isn't even a Raglan photo. I've stuck to my best images, the proven sellers in the PhotoCPL Waves Gallery . 10 prints, ready to be mounted into 8 x 10 pre-made frames, like the inexpensive frames you can buy from the Warehouse or K-mart. And they retail at $34.95 for the pack...under $3.50 a print.

All the pre orders are despatched! And we are shipping every other day, You can check out the Print Set HERE

Oh and last week Luke Cederman from the Raglan Surf Report did the best clip for the Print Set... it went nuts.

Check it out

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

It's a book themed post!!! And speaking of, NZ Surf Windows is going gang busters. We only have a couple of hundred left. With Warren's books we don't do reprints, once they are gone that's it.
Don't know anything about NZ Surf Windows... well, you can go HERE

Raglan Strike / July 21, 2023 by craig levers

Raglan; a strike and a foul

Thursday dawn, and not even remotely close to the requirement about to be mansplained

I'm on a mission, and I love it. Over 30 years of being a surf photographer there's been a fair few Raglan sessions. And a fair few line ups of the world famous points. There's some pretty good ones, like this one....

Once the shot is got, I move on. There's no over analysing it, picking at the scab, move on lad, what is the next venue. I'm excited about what's next, more than 'has this been exhausted and every angle explored.' Both approaches have their velour. Raglan is my new favourite bug bear, I want to get the Points filled with a long period ground swell. So from now until then, anytime it looks feasible, I'm there. It's fun and easy; pack up the Troopy, get there the day prior, have takeaways for dinner, up at 6am and around the Points before sun up.

Troopy-lyfe! J-bay finals day on the screen, heater on, Bare Beer and settled in for the evening ... note to self, clean your slips lad!

Then there's always option B, which is a great option, shooting NZ's most famous surfer, Luke Cederman

This week was a swing and a foul. The forecast looked unreal 2 days out, then morphed into something else. Not terrible, but definitely a few new jokers in the pack. Do you twiddle your thumbs at home, potentially missing a fleeting window, no, not from now on. It didn't happen, but that's the game. And, oh no, I could always shoot some actual surfing instead of surf...or even go surfing.

Tava Santorik dealing with his Raglan Surf Academy period just fine

Theo Morse on Manu Bay circuit number 8 of the morning

Sorry bro, didn't get your name and you'd probably not like that I was being all arty and speed blurry on your turns anyway??? Art! Love the flow'n'blur

Another Raglan Surf Academy luminary Lani Fazerhurst

It didn't happen, but I was driving away happy, happy I'd tried, happy to have a night in the Troopy...weirdly, I think I camp more in winter than summer. Happy to catch up with old mates like Honey Haines, Lazza Fisher and of course Luke. Fouled but not struck out.

In the Meantime

Here is a showcase of 10 prints of idyllic Kiwi Line Ups and waves. There isn't an attempt to be regionally diverse and cover the country, there isn't even a Raglan photo. I've stuck to my best images, the proven sellers in the PhotoCPL Waves Gallery . 10 prints, ready to be mounted into 8 x 10 pre-made frames, like the inexpensive frames you can buy from the Warehouse or K-mart. And they retail at $34.95 for the pack...under $3.50 a print.

Pre-sales are open, I'm picking up the shipment on Monday! There is free national P&P on all pre-sales. You can check out the pre sale offer HERE

FROM THE BOOK SHOP

NZ Surf Windows is going gang busters. We only have a couple of hundred left. With Warren's books we don't do reprints, once they are gone that's it.
Don't know anything about NZ Surf Windows... well, you can go HERE