Me and the gorgeous Ange have just come back from a very cool week on the Gold Coast. It wasn't a surf trip, honest, we were there for a niece's wedding. Our days were filled with pre-wedding brunches, Staggies and hen's, cocktail evenings, oh an actual wedding and then post wedding brunches. The wedding was up the Nerang River in the Hinterlands, an amazing venue and of course great times with whanau. We tapped on a few days extra to chase surf and explore. Well reminisce somewhat, when I was 18 I moved to Kirra and did two winters on the Goldie, it was life shaping stuff and I believe those years set me in the direction I took...aurgably down the wrong road, but hey here we are a mere 40 years later.
Aussie architecture at its finest, love a bit of breeze block
Yeah, the iconic Pink Hotel, epic place to base yourself, just bring your noise cancellers for the weekends
Lemmy spotted
The surf... well it was kind of pumping over the wedding days! But I was happily locked into that. Post wedding; meh, small days a D'bah. The Occy Grom Comp was kicking off the following weekend so the gang were in town. It was bloody cool to hang with the large Kiwi contingent there. Matty Scozz and his son Arlo, the Marsdens, Dan 'Blackie' Scott, the Baileys, Matt Groube, The Williams, Pia and Leia....the list goes on.
Matty Scorringe; in surf dad mode for the Occy Comp
Arlo, hyped on being exposed to the Aussie level
Matty stated that this is his favourite pic from the session of Arlo...awwwww Dad
Arlo's best mate Haru Marsden was there too
Grom to watch, Haru
...and Haru's sister Nami, ripping!
Matty Scozz told me this kid's name, told me he's the Aussie grom to watch and I've totally blanked on it
AND DEEEENNN....
From balmy evenings and love filled festivities [I mean the wedding, gutter mouths ] to not quite so user friendly conditions.
You KNOW this moment, nowhere to go, just gotta take your beats
Off the Coolangatta flight and straight into this skullduggery!!! Saturday was the Annual Keyhole Single Fin comp. It was, very cleary .... Fucken gnarly. But the call was made, strap your nuts on lads and ladesses, we are going no matter what. It's the Keyhole way. So I could repeat what I wrote for the Keyhole Post on Facey, but that would be redundant, the post is HERE
It was an epic day in every sense. The great vibes, the warm banter, the hellish drops on ancient craft, the legrope snaps/swims, the party.
The Lads
Leia Millar and board #5, Leia made it thru to the semis and was ohhh so close to a finals berth
Leia's mum Carolyn, on the tools all day, in fact special mention or even MVP to Caro? She was a driving force behind the auction fundraiser for Keyhole's 3 athletes that are selected for the NZ World Junior Team 2025. Oh and not forgetting Sam Keane manning the BBQ, Keyhole's sergeant at arms, in the background pushing and organising, well done Sammy! You're the man, bro.
Dune Kennings and THE bottom turn, can a bottom turn be awarded points...and the Keyhole Single Fin; hell yes
Yeah Wedgie... so Judgey!
Dune, and the spoiler, clearly he was on a tear and won
The Bowlo Presso; Piha dug deep for the auction , bloody onya Piha crew, over 12K was raised for Leia, Will Hardie and Christian Fougere's world champaign
Dune first, Will Hardie 2nd, Christian Fouge 3rd and Zeke Praggart in 4th.... see how I lined them up for that caption??? Not my first rodeo
How good! Except for Neil yawning, to be fair he'd done a sterling job MC'ing the comp all day
....AND DEEEEEEN.....
Yessss... the gentle prod... Have you checked out the PhotoCPL Piha Hoodie yet? They are ticking over really quite nicely
...and so has the PhotoCPL Whanga Hoodie not nervous about having 5 big boxes of these guys sitting in the office one bit... no not at all.