You Bewties

A week ago, it felt like Billy Stairmand's funding drive was hard work. The Give A Little champaign was doing OK, but it had a long, long way to go to reach its 10K goal. Last week's post was a bit earnest and dire, painting a grim picture of how hard it is for our surfing athletes in NZ. It was pretty timely too as a day later Paige Hareb confirmed, while she's not retiring, the costs of traveling and the uncertainty of getting an MIQ slot just made the rest of this year too difficult to continue. Then in mainstream media a multitude of Kiwi athletes came out stating how difficult and uncertain Covid is making their careers.

Paige power; hopefully we get to see her in more NZ comps. These are from the 2021 Nats in January.

But you guys! In amongst all that gloom and doom, Billy's Give A Little page sky rocketed. I'm certainly not saying it was solely because of last week's post. Bill was going for 10K, as of now it sits at 12.6K. That is fricken amazing and a huge help. It was mentioned it felt like Billy was low balling asking for 10K, I spoke to him after the post dropped. 'Yeah it isn't the full amount I need, it just really covers the airfares and MIQ. I didn't include accomodation, food and transport. But I just wanted to make sure it was obtainable and I didn't want to seem greedy.' Of course this speaks to Billy's humility. And the point is, you good bloody things, good on you for backing a Kiwi surfer that wants to take on the world.

Billy with his head in the shed earlier this year

Bill, a few days before winning his 7th Open National Title January 2021

The Givealittle page is HERE. And still open until 12 September... just saying.


Of course while Billy and every other surfer out of the Auckland region have been making little piggys of themselves now they are in Level 2 [The Delta Version] I'm not! I've been making busy on The Recreational Society website. And me ol' mate Warren Hawke just set through this classic clipping from a 1968 NZ Mag;

How good is the turn of phrase! How good is that Dormoble Landy!!!

If you don't know about The Recreational Society, it's a NZ website made to provide a portal of information and inspiration for anyone thinking about or right into exploring NZ... which in this current world is EVEryone aye!

This week's Feature, The O'Brien surfing family is HERE

The website is going so well we made a book of it!

The Recreationalists: Intrepid Kiwis And Their Campers

4 pallets of the book have arrived on schedule!!!! That's kind of a thing aye. With Auckland in Lockdown for a few more weeks I don't know how that effects getting my mitts on them. BUT Pre-Sales are now open, and I have to say trucking along real nice- thanks fellas!!! As a bit of an enticement, Postage and Packaging is free. If you want to see the whole book, find out a bit more about it AND maybe just maybe take up the Pre Sale offer check it out HERE

From The Galleries

Piha Peak...ohhhh if only we could go play, soon my friend, soon. You can check it out bigger HERE

Give A Little...Give A Lot?

Billy with his head in the shed earlier this year

This whole surfing athlete thing is a doubled edged sword. On one hand we admire their talent and part of that is respect for the hours they must have put in to get to where they are. The dogged determination.

On the other hand there's a bit of envy. Envious of their ability in the line up to make impossible sections. To somehow always sniff out wave of the day and make it look incredible. And the life they seem to live on social media [and in magazines back in the day] a seemingly perfect surfing lifestyle and chasing and scoring perfection.

Bill in the pool with Dave from Woody's Movement Workshop

Most of it is lies. Not big, hoodwinking, con artist lies; but a collection of insidious fibs. Hashtag livingmybestlife. Posting the happy ra ra stuff that the sponsors want the athlete to portray. Them in an idyllic setting, leaning against their vehicle. The fact the remains the vehicle is only on loan.

What you don't see behind the scenes is the graft. Our NZ top surfers couldn't do what they are trying to do without the support of family and friends. Exceptional support, supporting your kid well into their 20's or 30's. Partners holding down a job and paying the rent. The constant cap in hand drive to get funds to compete at the top level. Ending every year financially, where, if you are lucky, you started. Of course from an accounting point of view, that's going backwards. A year older and a year further away from your peers who have jobs and mortgages.

Billy and Ella at the press day getting their Olympic kit

Our 8x National Champion and first Olympic surfer Billy Stairmand is the prime example. He doesn't complain about it though, he just gets on with it. Ever affable, ever grateful to everyone that helps him compete. On the other hand, I am incredulous. I can't believe a proven athlete ...as in 8 National Open Championships and an Olympian has to graft.

Earlier this year chasing Coromandel gold

2021 is a massive year for Bill. He became an Olympian, went to Tokyo, but he also made the cut for the WSL Challenger Series. In a way it's a bit of a hospital pass. Straight off the bat from Tokyo he has to scramble to find the funds to get back to to America, Portugal, France and Hawaii.

Added to the work is Covid. Bill got back from Tokyo and the strict restrictions that were in place there, straight into MIQ for a fortnight. 24 hours of freedom before we were all plunged into Level 4 lockdown for another fortnight. When he returns from Hawaii he'll have to pay for another 2 weeks in MIQ.

Out of a month of no surfing, bet you he's doing this right now.

Now you could be all hard arsed and go 'That's his job.' And fair enough if he had any sort of salary, he doesn't. Long gone is that era for NZ's top surfers.

Anyway, I could bleat on about this for pages, bore you to death and the point be lost. The point is Billy scrambling to get the funds together to get on the World stage. Because of our current Delta situation, he has had to set up a Givealittle page. I think he's low balled himself only asking for 10K.

Bill, a few days before winning his 8th Open National Title January 2021

The Givealittle page is HERE.

I've done it, could you please help out our Champ too.

The Recreationalists: Intrepid Kiwis And Their Campers

YES, 4 pallets of the book have arrived on schedule!!!! That's kind of a thing aye. With Auckland in Lockdown for a few more weeks I don't know how that effects getting my mitts on them. BUT Pre-Sales are now open, and I have to say trucking along real nice- thanks fellas!!! As a bit of an enticement, Postage and Packaging is free. If you want to see the whole book, find out a bit more about it AND maybe just maybe take up the Pre Sale offer check it out HERE

From The Galleries

Piha Peak...ohhhh if only we could go play, soon my friend, soon. You can check it out bigger HERE

Week II Of Locked In Not Down

Week 2 Of Lockdown:

How are you going, like seriously, hope you're dealing ok with home time.

It was a tough week out here on the west coast. The surf has been pumping. This happened in our first lockdown March 2020, the west coast pumped. I stayed dry docked this last week, it sucked! The waves look so fun, and I feel like I've been in a minority of resident surfers that have stuck to the rules. I'm probably not, but there sure were a lot that flaunted Aunty Cindy's no surfing rule. For that matter quite a few rock fisherman too. Auckland's west coast wasn't exclusive in its rule breakers; Ahipara locals busted a fair few too https://tehiku.nz/te-hiku-radio/taumatahanga/20601/no-time-for-waves

It's a tough debate to be on the right side of. The surf was hardly code black Teahupo'o, it's been a very user friendly 2-3 foot and smaller. There's no doubt everyone that did go surfing felt better after surfing, one could argue that post surf they would've been better bubble partners. Their mental health curated. On the other hand, there were definitely non residents surfing i.e. They had driven a decent distance, over the Waitaks to get to the west coast. That's taking the piss, when not only is surfing s'posed to be off the table, driving for non essential activities from one suburb to another area. You, my friend, are a self absorbed dickhead.

And the Irony...

Instead of risking life and limb surfing, I've been cutting bits of big wood into smaller bits. Which is infinitely more hazardous, playing with an array of very sharp blades moving at 3000 rpm +. You probably don't know this, but I'm a DIY junky. Love me tools. Last year I refitted out the Troopy. Look at that continuous grain running across the cabinet doors! A thing of bewty.

Love learning, solving problems and developing new skills. It's a whole another world...so many YouTube tutorials!

I've had my head firmly in the shed during lockdown. Project 1; build a little router table for doing trim detail. Project 2; need more bench space- smash a table out of scrap wood for the sander to sit on and the shop vac to sit under- done. Project 3; Make a cross cut sled to do safer cuts on the table saw- done. Project 4; make something with the new tools/toys... the humble i-phone stand...cos like, that's something we all need right?

There's Been Work Too

New magazine SubMachine has gone to print and I got a lead feature! The opening spread is Paul Morretti as seen here. The 1000 word piece is about how surfing, once edgy and vilified by mainstream, is now absorbed into the mainstream.

As Seen On TV

Well to be fair you're going to have to have eagle eyes to spot them. But on the new BNZ advert for mobile banking there's the 10 NZ Wave Printset scattered about. Hmmm that would be the aforementioned assimilation of our culture wouldn't it?

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Holy heckers, that went well! Over 100 peeps entered last week's draw to win this A3 print, haven't you got anything else to do :) Every entrant was assigned a number then using Random.org's number generator the number was chosen. Jarrah Cooke took it out. Thanks to everyone that gave it a go, and there'll be another one next week.

The Recreationalists: Intrepid Kiwis And Their Campers

Pre-Sales are now open, and I have to say trucking along real nice- thanks fellas!!! And it's still on schedule. As a bit of an enticement, Postage and Packaging is free. If you want to see the whole book, find out a bit more about it AND maybe just maybe take up the Pre Sale offer check it out HERE

From The Galleries

...and one of the images featuring in the NZ Waves Print set is this one, Piha Peak. You can check it out bigger HERE

Locked In But Not Down

Well, here we are again, locked and bound to the property. Level 4 means no surfing, which considering there's a run of offshores a coming, is going to suck. I doubt very much us in the Greater Auckland Area will be down a level anytime soon. Pace yourself. In the interim here's another print giveaway...

This is an A3 glicee print of a film pano. It's quite cropped on the sides. This is the original:

The board is a Daryn Mcbride crafted Lis Fish, which went f&cken sick...bloody should've kept it.. Anyway! This is one of those images where I think the cropped version is far better than the original composition. AND that's one of the cool things about shooting on a Large Format film camera, even cropped the image is bigger than medium format, which is still huge compared to digital.

Back on point; You can win the A3 print and have it. All you have to do is SUBSCRIBE HERE [current subscribers already have an email about entering] . It will be drawn Thursday 26 August, 9am.

The Recreationalists: Intrepid Kiwis And Their Campers

Pre-Sales are now open, and I have to say trucking along real nice- thanks fellas!!! And it's still on schedule. As a bit of an enticement, Postage and Packaging is free. If you want to see the whole book, find out a bit more about it AND maybe just maybe take up the Pre Sale offer check it out HERE

From The Galleries

Te Henga Watchman: And seeing how this is all about 617 panos, this is another 617 pano, using the same in camera tilt technique to throw out the background. You can check it out bigger HERE

I made a book [again]

No web log last week and this is why /\ /\ /\

The advance copy of the next PhotoCPL Media book arrived. It's a big milestone in a book's life. For starters it's a huge sigh of relief, phew it looks better than hoped. It means stepping up a gear or three, getting content ready, making new web pages, visiting buyers and generally just getting it out there. Contacting so many people. I fricken love all this stuff.

The Recreationalists is my 10th title. And quite a different book than the surf and beach based books. But not out of the comfort/knowledge zone, because for the last 18 months this has been happening;

Recreational Society 

The gist of it is... made a website about campers, the How To and inspirational Kiwis that are out there doing it. The idea was that the How To section would provide everyone with a valuable source of ideas and a reference point. BUT as the website evolved it became clear that what people really wanted to find out about was other Recreationalists and how they refitted or converted their vehicle. In other words first person examples and solutions. So far over 50 couples, families and individuals have featured on Recreational Society. That's a lot of interviews to do.

The new book is a 'Best Of' those features. A curated balance of types of vehicles, of modes of doing it. The common theme is every participant's desire to get out and stay out adventuring around Aotearoa.

It is not an RV/Motorhome book. It's squarely aimed at the more adventure based people, the surfers, the mountain bikers, the overlanders that want to stay where their passion is.

We went big; 25 Recreationalists are featured and a condensed How To section. Hard Cover ['cos it's a magazine if it has a soft cover, right] and 200 pages of content.

At the end of the month 3 pallets of bound lil beauties arrive, it looks like they might even be on time. And that really is a thing in this new Covid world.

The arrival of the advance copies also means Pre-sales could be opened up. As a bit of an enticement, Postage and Packaging is free. If you want to see the whole book, find out a bit more about it AND maybe just maybe take up the Pre Sale offer check it out HERE

From The Galleries

While book mode is most firmly in place, still hanging for a surf and some watery photo sessions!!! Here's a solid one from two winters ago. You can view it better HERE

The Gentleman's Vert Club

I've talked about a deep admiration and fascination with skate photography lots of times. You just have to look at old posts like this one to read me banging on about how it's my starting place in photography. If you do bother to go deeper, please please check out the work of Glenn E Friedman and Grant Britan. You'll see just how much of a copy cat I actually am... but you'll also be viewing some of the most influential images of boarding culture.

Pretty sure it's been written before, I wanted to apply what they did in skating and portraiture around that culture to my surfing images. And in fact the same lens and settings that works for skate so well is what you'd use in a water housing shooting surfing. Like this...

Luke Harwood on the NSW Central Coast 2003 as featured in the book PhotoCPL

Nick Clegg 2021...the same but different

Tuesday this week was the only day that looked any good for skating, no rain, no wind... wind is a vert skater's bane. Cale Tolley organised it, he rallied the vert gentleman's club, the seniors of the trade. Andrew Morrison and Nick Clegg joined. They are regulars at Onehunga.

Morri/Madona

We're all of a similar vintage. The conversations used to be about what you did last weekend, what parties you went to. Now they are about what hurts the most, what parts won't move anymore. Morri is the best at this, he'll explain a recent slam and his real belief he won't be able project above the coping ever again. Then proceed to out tech everyone.

Nick doesn't have a 'can't do' button, his idea of warming up is going straight into full flight. Soon enough things start sticking. Cale gets angry, angry his body won't move the way he wants it to, he bullies himself into the heights.

Cale

Uncle Moz

The gentlemen and their matching decks

The gentlemen put on an impromptu show for the groms. Then proceed to tutor and push the groms... grab earlier, don't try to project so much... go again, now again.

James Charlesworth, getting pushed by the gentlemen

Yeah James!

It highlights skating's inclusivness. Something that's ever so slowly creeping into surfing.

Don't Forget... Olympic Surf Board Riding 

how's old mate in the green ring! Coach Matt Scorringe, Billy, Team Manager Michelle Rellis and Ella at the Olympic Village

Ella and Billy have safely landed in Tokyo for their run at Olympic Gold. The surfing will be broadcast starting this weekend... but you are gonna have to subscribe to Sky to view it, there is an Olympic Games Pass which is $24.00 ...which I really wanna write a riot act about but won't.

From The Galleries 

Hanging for a surf and some watery photo sessions!!! Here's a solid one from two winters ago. You can view it better HERE

Layers Of An Image

Making big images is an absolute passion. It is a twofold thing, to see your images used large by a client is such a stoke. But the behind the scenes, making the images at the highest possible resolution is paramount. 

I'm obsessed with megapixels. The camera geeks could have a field-day with that statement. What is meant is that over the last decade, moving from an editorial photographer to a freelance and landscape photographer the requirements changed. Instead of shooting for A4 or A3 magazine pages the images [or files] had to be bigger, more robust. A new mantra applied. If you put out an image on social platforms or to the galleries on PhotoCPL.co.nz, the high resolution version has to be good enough to handle any useage. In fact better.

This dictate sent me on a radical learning curve. Re-learning the craft, quite a humbling and actually embarrassing process. I learnt, after 15 years of being one of NZ's most published surf photographers, I knew nothing. I went from digital back to film to get the fine resolution wanted. 

The process was awesome, learning how to use large format film cameras. From yielding a correctly exposed sheet of film and being stoked on just that, to crafting an image that sings. 

The methodical approach of Large Format was then applied to digital cameras. Simply; slow down, concentrate on getting it right in the camera. If that's right, post processing will look after itself. 

This image; Piha Layers is a good example. The location was scouted and revisited many times. Then the right afternoon came, that feeling, it is on today. Get there early, set up in the rehearsed position. Tripod set, camera and lens set. Wait, wait for the light to do its thing to the hills and foliage. Then go through the method. 

When it is right, you know. There's a gut feeling something good just happened. Somehow that feeling is shared with the client. I'm not sure how that happens. 

The printers chuckle at my files 'Craig you don't have to send such big files, it's only going 2 metres wide.' I love this. The client doesn't need to know how robust the file is, they have bought into the feeling the image conveys. 

Piha Layers has been good to me. In 2019 Auckland District Hospitial used it as a 8.0 metre x 3.0 metre mural in the new EP lab. It was a feature image in The Big Little Beach Book. It has been used as kitchen splash backs. This week Waitakere Osteopathic Centre hung it in their reception on canvas at 1600mm x 550mm. 

Auckland Myths and Winners

Let's be honest, Auckland sucks...for a lot of reasons... but it really sucks for its resident surfers.

The first batch; Devonpoint, Bridge Lefts and Te Atatubes

A while ago I had great fun making up some mythical waves around the AK, people loved them, they liked the accompanying fantastic tales of the 'new' break's origin. Over the last week a few more have been made up. These aren't photoshopped masterpieces, a lot more time could be spent making them seamless. But it's not really the point of them, it's just a bit of flat day, mid winter fun.

The highly fictitious and rare Westhaven Breakwater Rights. In the post Covid/ climate change Auckland, the world has settled on it's new West/East axis and the old Poles have melted. Both Great and Little Barrier have been mined  to the sea floor for their copper and guano as part of the Chinese economic bail out.  And thank God, Auckland City Council realised the North Shore was no longer viable with it’s bursting population of Karens. In a somewhat PC move only Bayswater to Devonport were levelled and shipped to the PRC for scoria gardens. This of course was a win, win, with a another massive cash injection and stopped all the whinging about there being a need for another harbour crossing. 

Auckland's surfers wrung their hands with glee. The new Barrier Trench created the swell window they had dreamed of for generations. All the inner harbour reefs that had only previously showed in the wake of the Kestral now fire up on every south swell [which is the new east] 

Ahhh in our dreams. 

Westhaven Breakwater, angled perfectly diagonal to the new swell window produces some of the best rights in Auckland, many surfers comparing it to a reverse Manu Bay. As the Harbour was ruined for racing wind bludgers, all the Yacht Clubs lining the breakwater defaulted on their leases. The Boardriders clubs swooped in on the empty buildings. Good luck getting a wave to yourself on any given weekend. But as the America’s Cup was always now held in Barbados anyway, the WiSL was invited by the AK City Council to run the Grand Finale of the Tour in the shadow of the bridge…hence the new generation of part Brazilian grommets on the rise surfing the inside at Point Erin.


Westie Loggers heaven Cornwallis Wharf. It only breaks in a rare east westerly swell, but when it does all of Titirangi’s glitterati drop their soy double decafes and get amongst the 100 m peelers. Heavily localised by ex Steiner passive aggressive hippie offspring it’s highly likely you’ll see good waves but somehow always be snaked by a moustached beaver tail wearing, single fin rider. The only way to beat em is to attend multiple exhibition openings at Lopdel House. Infiltrate to confuse.

Continuing the random series of mythical Auckland Breaks; North Head and Cheltnam beach from the air. In the previous post it was mentioned that Bayswater to Devonport were deleted. The volcanic scoria being mined for gardens in the PRC. And the suburbs laden with WASPS and Karens being relocated to the former Red Zones of Christchurch, a total win, win. Prior to the mining the east coast of the peninsula lit up with breaks. The Left Slab at Narrow Neck was called Yours, 'cos that's pretty much all anyone said in the line up. Cheltnam's muddy flats created a soft left that the resident SUPers loved. It was heavily localised, anyone daring to actually surf it would be beaten by the paddles of middle aged buoyancy vest wearing hefty's.

North Head was the gem though; the combination of a strong channel current, especially on an out going tide, would see the swell stand up and grind around the Head like a hooker on payday. While it was missed, the whole Auckland surf community agreed West Haven and Meola Reef were far superior breaks anyway. And sometimes you have to take a hit for the greater good. 

Winner Winner... 

Last week's post had a give-away involved. And only 50 people entered.... is it right to point out the low pick up? Who knows! Anyway the odds were pretty darn good for those that bothered to email back two simple words. A number was chosen using Random.org's number generator and Spud Brown won...actually that is their email handle...how good! 

From The Galleries 

I do shoot legitimate waves too! Here's a solid one from two winters ago. You can view it better HERE

Olympians, Polar Blasts and Giveaways

Mid winter dips, media hustles, weather bombs and long lefts. It has been a crazy week. The cameras have had a work out.

A better writer would distill the week that was with a succinct thread. The reader would follow a clever theme. The obvious one here would be an insight into a lead up week for our two Olympian surfers, Ella Williams and Billy Stairmand. The week did go like that, but it's not the full story.

Here's what happened. Part-time flatmate Billy Stairmand advised that he, his wife Leana and the fur babies would be residing at their Piha room for a few nights. He was training with Dave from Woody's Movement Workshop and had meetings in Auckland. Later that day Ella texts 'I'm coming up to Piha for the Olympic Announcement, I'd love it if you came along and be a part of it.'

That evening Woody rang; 'Ceepage, I'm training Ella and Bill tomorrow, could you come along and get some pool photos? Oh and I've told Billy whatever he does, don't tell you what we are up to, so you should text him and wind him up.'

Naturally a text is fired off to poor Billy. 'I know what you're doing, how come you're barring me'.

First day, it is bleak. Winter is here. Squalls and rain rage on the ridge. Woody holds court with our two Olympic surfers, explaining how cadence breathing works. Then it's off to the pool to put theory into practice. Woody has asked neighbours Johnny and Anna and they kindly offered their pool. It's cold, colder than the Tasman. Ella and Billy comply with all Woody's instruction. It's very clear the two are eager and open to anything that will assist with Tokyo in a few weeks.

Day two, Billy is up and out. He's got temperature coaching at the Millennium. Tokyo, well more correctly Chiba, reaches temperatures north of 40 degrees. He's back in time for the Olympic Announcement at Piha Surf Club. The Nation's media are gathered, Radio NZ, Media Works, TVNZ and a whole bunch more. Barbara Kendal officially announce that Ella and Billy are representing New Zealand as our first ever surfers to do so.

It's kind of a big deal. The two are politely pulled left, right and centre for each and every media entity to get a piece. They both do so with aplomb.

There's a moment as we leave. Here are two surfers I've known since they were 9 and here we are, they are Olympians. At times I've bought into the anti surfing Olympic thing. I understand it. It's a vacuumous argument, sensationalists' click bait. If you sat down with Ella and Billy for a beer and really talked about the honour and pride they share for representing their country. Understood the dedication and commitment it has taken. Well, you'd have to be a pretty twisted unit not to buy in to the stoke.

Later that day the observed weather pattern is indeed panning out. It's agreed, move the party to Raglan.

Day Three; leaving, travelling, arriving. The swell on the Points is raw and icy. The hopes of an evening Ledge session are dashed. That's ok, actually that's more than ok, the idea of swimming out mid winter during a Polar Blast isn't too appealing.

Ava Henderson dealing adeptly with the polar blast

Larry Fisher on a borrowed 6'10 finding the gems in the rough

Day Four; predawn, 0.0 degrees in Raglan Town. The Points are warmer, 3 degrees. Ok, ok, I know you Mainlanders will be going harden up, there's snow on the sand here! It's all comparative, imagine what Chiba's surfers would be thinking, they surf in 40 degrees.

Iconic Manu Bay hangs

Da Boys!

This is the tide for the Ledge, this is why we are here, camera and waterhousing at the ready. Nerves are high. It's still solid, 6 foot plus, ok, yep, I'll swim that. Wait, what, where's the Ledge? The rawness of the swell pushes sets wide of the Ledge. It's not happening. The carpark is full of loaded guns. Locked and loaded and no where to go. Hours are wiled away, car park catch ups, waiting, hoping somehow the tide will do its magic on the swell. It doesn't.

Quite possibly the most wrongest situation ever... there is nothing good in this photo

The sun is out, the gears shift from expecting a barrel fest to enjoying what's in front. Billy paddles out. Lets get some work done. Shoot, lunch, resume.

Billy...trademark

Between surfs Bill's time is spent fielding calls from sponsors. Organising more training sessions, training, chiropractors, boxing, saunas, organising Olympic drug and covid tests. Next week he and Ella go into their very own Olympic lockdown before flying out. The quote; Covid adds yet another layer of organisational challenges applies.

Billy looks on as an absolute warrior buries rail on a creased beat up weapon

Just a casual lip check for Bill

Matty Bennet precise as ever

running out of things to say about Bill at this point

Dane Simpson, good to see ya mate!

The swell settling

An early dinner with Billy's best mates at Ulo's. As we leave Billy asks another patron to take a group shot. One of the lads pipes up, 'he's off the to Olympics'. The patron replies 'Oh Ok then' pleasantly but clearly doubting the claim.... they will never know.

The swell settled

Day Five, keep to the routine, up before the sun, caffeinate, surf check. The arse has completely dropped out of the swell, the Points aren't the go at all. The beach comes alive with tasty peaks. Wait for the tide. The identified bank is really good, Luke Cederman and Billy convince me to shoot from the land...but I don't wanna fullas! They are right though. The left hander has a rip on it, and multiple sections, it'd be super hard to line up with the water housing.

7.30 am surf checks

Tom Billington joined for the super fun beach session

Text book positioning from our 8x National Champ

Luke! The big fella flings his rig through the air of the session

Billy and his whips

We get more good stuff. Billy bails to do some admin, Luke spies another bank up the beach. We say our farewells, never good bye; see you later bro. As I trudge up the beach ramp the whole beach is firing. I chuckle, I know I should pack the camera away and go for a surf.

I'm done. I know I'm making a mistake turning my back on pumping waves. The lure of home and expectation that the home breaks will be good anyway is all too tempting. Back up the Waikato Expressway, sneak into the AK before 3pm gridlock. Home by dark.

Give Away Time 

Both these 250mm x 380mm glicee archival prints are up for grabs FREEEE!!! As in one winner gets both! To enter the draw you must have a New Zealand postal address, sorry O/S peeps. All you have to do is SUBSCRIBE HERE And you are in the draw. The Give Away will be open to new subscribers too, the draw will be done Wednesday 7th July 9am NZT.

The Reef

You may be thinking; 'That bloody CP, he's always out in his Troopy scoring sick waves. Yep another post, fricken hell, he's living the dream!'

It's all lies.

Well, it's an assumption; what is really going on is that having image capturing devices at hand, any surf mish ends up being documented and then shared. The truth of it is the last three months have been intensive days of book wrangling and keyboard warrioring. The ol' back is pretty caned from it. But the next book project is now in the hands of the printers. It was time for the annual birthday mission with the bro, Kent.

About the right distance for a selfie I reckon.

I'm not a fan of birthdays, don't like the fuss, at sometime, somehow it was navigated that the week around THAT time would most firmly be out of the AK. And doing what I wanted to do, predictably, just being where the waves are good. And really what does any salty dog want; what's the best present you could get.

Spot the lone surfer

It is pretty obvious from the photos where the chosen venue was this round. It was a quick trip, amble into position the day before, sleep, amble around the reef, surf, eat, refresh, surf, sleep. Then drift home the next day.

It was a treat of a surf day. First surf a little hectic, with maybe 7 out and slow sets. Second surf, just Baz McCulloch, Kent and I sharing sets and calling each other into the bombs.

66 year old Bazzy reckons he caught 75 waves in three days, I reckon he caught more

Baz on his Anderson 6'4 twin fin

Happy local having a solid four hour session.

How good!

It wasn't the biggest, but it wasn't grovelly either. The wind and sand were near on perfect. That last surf will stay lodged in the stoke bank; an all too rare session into the sunset with pulsing sets. On the drive home I lamented with Kent I should've swum out with the camera for the last session, the waves and light were so perfect. His answer back, 'Nah bro, this was a surf trip!'

FROM THE BEACHES GALLERY

Something a bit different...Takapuna Hues; shot on the mighty 617 Pano camera for the now out of print Big Little Beach book. You can still get a big as print though!  HERE

Hanging With Ella And Janine

Ella Williams hung at Piha last week. Well, she wasn't hanging out. The Olympian surfer is on a mission, as you'd expect. She was on a pretty hefty training programme prior to being confirmed. Now her Olympic spot is confirmed she's gone to a whole new level. It's all the stuff you want to hear and see, an athlete leaving no stone unturned; sport phycology, gym training, breathing training... training then more training.

Piha's very own and unique Dave Wood was tasked with assisting Ella with Iron Sand Training, Mindset and Breathing. Woody is a guru, his passion for well being and health has lead to his young business Woody's Movement Workshop firing. He's working with our elite surfers, tri athletes and UFC fighters...guys like Israel Adesanya.

I've known the Williams family for a long time, I don't even wanna say how long... but this gives you an idea.

It's a trip to think a somewhat random photo opp from the '90's now has a different weight on it. Who could've foretold that cheeky 7 year old at Ruapuke would be representing New Zealand for surfing in the Olympics.

Back to last week. Woody put Ella through her paces, in fact prior he'd stated he was going to push her past her limits. Half way through he recanted; 'She's a machine man! She's got the fire inside for sure.'

Any involvement from me was the fun stuff, surfing and shooting together. Remincing with Ella and her Mum Janine over caffeine fixes and solving the world's problems. Sexism, addiction, fallen friends and real estate, you know, just casual conversation.

FROM THE BEACHES GALLERY

arhhhhh the serenity! Piha layers upon layers of sunlit glory. You like? Well it's available for viewing and even purchase HERE

The Dither

The dither. It's not that uncommon to be honest, but this one is a good one. This past week has enjoyed an exceptional East Coast swell.

Sunday: The day of days, everyone got to surf their favourite East novelity spots. And then gloat about it on social media.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday... varying degrees and moments, with shades of Sunday.

Thursday another pulse in the swell, a re-boot. This was the window that could be seized upon. Que The Clash, 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go' ...more dithering, but not the aforementioned dither. After dozens of affirming texts and phone calls, trigger pulled, GO!

Yesterday, Thursday, was not epic by any means. These photos lie. That said the East Coast Shuffle, for me anyway, did not happen. In rare form, the venue was chosen and the key stayed out of the ignition for the next 6 hours.

The breeze would fluff between cross and off shore. This created a very convivial and social car park scene. The tribe was assembled, but on hold. Some would over-froth, breaking rank to become the lab rats. Us beachside would actively indulge in critiques. The paddle out method, the waves just missed, or hoot for the rides completed. The fails, the victories celebrated. Of equal importance; the korero with old mates. The cast revolved as some couldn't contain their amp. Somewhere up or down the coast must be better right? It wasn't.

Wait. The hardest thing, just stay put.

Ever-grom-frother The Champ Billy Stairmand.

14 year old Duke Land whipped into a death pit by his dad Matt. How good!

A switch didn't get pulled. Slowly the cross shore became more off shore. There was a war with the setting sun that could never be won. Imagine how many beautiful waves peaked and tapered in the dark.

One of the Mud Bay contingent

Surfer/Shaper Luke Hughes between catch ups

Jarrod 'Chopper' Blewit compressed and about to spring

Sean Peggs dealing very well with the cross fluff

Best photo of the session? Hell yes!

Rungi Ormand beast slaying

A session for the big boards for sure

Rungi... perfection

Luke Hughes’s version of pretty and perfect

The best way to bookend a session... Cam McKeg heading in for a deserved brew

The real dither. Back at the keyboard. And the realisation that there is now a large folder holding beautiful images from yesterday. It comes with a burden. By sharing the images am I another Instagram hero showing off? Am I another chiming in with a 'ya should've been here yesterday?' Is this an ego stroke? Am I blowing a beloved stretch of sand for the next swell? Has the real intent been perverted?

The hope is to share the stoke of the swell window. To record a great moment in time. To stoke out the surfers that surfed. To share the love of surfing. Corny and verbose as that may be. I wonder in this digital world if noble intent becomes lost in cynicism. The search for viral glory. The prophetic 1988 pop song by The Bros 'When Will I Be Famous' haunts.

From The Waves Gallery

This was taken nowhere near the session above, Piha Bar in fine vintage form. You like? You can view it bigger and even buy it HERE 

The Piha Super 16

The plan is to shoot surfing forever. When I can't walk down the beach, I'll have a mobility scooter with a tripod mount, sand tyres and a chillibin on the back. Bloody hell, I want that now! The point is there's an enduring passion for capturing that critical millisecond.

Linden Kennings, Dune's dad...not quite a mobility scooter...but not far off! On his new 50cc Chinese beach hack. As always, ahead of the curve aye Diddy!

Don't ask how fun it is at the end of the last day of a comp. Even so, getting the shots, fulfilling the brief and delivery, being in the mix is a rush. Endurance has its rewards too, 30 years into this lark, I'm shooting the sons and daughters of the surfers I started shooting.

Last weekend was the round up event of the Surfing New Zealand 2021 Contest season. The Super 16, held here at Piha. It's a quick fire, sort of grand slam styled event. As the name indicates; the top 16 rated surfers of the season have one last go at clutching valuable points.

But this isn't a contest round up, you can read that on the SNZ website HERE.

Nah, it was clear Sunday morning there was going to be a great free surf session go down before heats started. And just like the finely tuned aforementioned athletes, I was shoreside for the early. And these are my pictures....

Dawn banter with Larry Fisher, Levi Stewart, Sean Peggs and Dean Hishon

Which one is better? Taranaki's Daniel Farr, proper upside down

NZ's first Olympian surfer, Billy Stairmand was a shock semi final dismissal

Pablo Moretti flaring into the flats

Good to see you too Pablo!

Sean Peggs, current NZ Senior Champ getting the back trucks over the coping

...and wisely ejecting

Sorry Tom Emmerson! Couldn't not share bro :)

Dune post warm up

Dune, and the sort of move that will win you contests...oh wait.. it did!

Zania Hutchieson in the southern corner where the Bar sometimes is

About the best wave the Bar has to offer currently

The Naki's Natasha Gouldsbury warming up

Keyhole out in force to support the champ Dune Kennings... things got rowdy!

Pablo found the loopy ones pre heats

and during found the connectors

Whitianga's Jay Piper-Healion... just like Buffalo Beach aye

Christchurch's Ava Henderson was laid low with a gastric bug on Friday night, didn't stop her from clinching the Circuit Championship

Oakura's Ariana Shewry

Ella Williams took out the Women's division with two text book backhand rides

Levi Stewart was in fine form

The local hero, our boy! Dune dominated from the outset of the day, he rolled through his heats smoothly, knowing what waves he was looking for

Chaired up the beach by his best mates, Kai, Dion and EPR, doesn't get much better than that. How good is Jemarl's phone shot!

From The Waves Gallery

Sure wasn't quite the weekend or now for that matter, Piha Bar in fine vintage form. You like? You can view it bigger and even buy it HERE

Going Big

Things are pretty full on around these parts. Last week's post was totally missed, it's book production time. The head space needed to be elsewhere, subbing up a cheeky 30 interviews into some sort of cohesive mess. But that's a story for another time, like when the book comes out.
In the meantime there have been some other big goings on. As you read this the final touches are being done on the new CT room in Auckland's Hospital's Oncology Department. Anyone who has had anything to do with the Oncology Dept will know only too well, it's not a place that good news normally comes from.

All the staff, orderlies, nurses, doctors, receptionists, heck, the cleaners at Oncology do an incredible job. Hourly, they are there for patients who are highly stressed, who are likely to have or had the worst possible news. They are everyday heroes.

Deep in the bowels of Auckland Oncology is a windowless room, it houses the CT scanner. As a patient, this would be one of the least funnest places in the world. It's a bad news room. Traditionally these rooms are austere white, as clinical as you can get.

Klein Arcihecture's Jeff King is determined to change these places. Son of a terminal cancer patient, he knows only too well how distressing these rooms can be. Jeff has championed the installation of two full wall super graphics with Auckland DHB. The most recent CT one and this one in the EP Lab in 2019. The EP Lab install highlighted how much the staff also enjoyed the super graphic.

There was quite a process in place to get the CT image over the line. Jeff collated and sourced the images which have to fit a demanding criteria . Firstly they have to be shot on the highest possible resolution with the best possible equipment. The images had to be shot at ground level and have no running water in them. There were 6 images short listed from professional landscape photographers. Then the sourced images where put to a hospital staff vote. And here's where I get to claim, I got first, second and fourth...comb's for days!

Auckland Hospital's EP Lab

The EP lab one was bigger, but the CT room means more. The chosen image of Karekare was made using a nodal head rig my late father Lance made for me. Actually both images were made using the Lancey Special. Lance was a master tool maker, a professional tinkerer. I explained to him what a nodal head does. It moves the sensor of the camera off the tripod's axis to the nodal point. It then rotates the camera smoothly around that nodal point. Thus making distortion free frames that will stitch seamlessly together. It's a lot more complicated than that.

But Lance got it, surpassed the brief by a country mile and made this in his garage workshop. It works beyond perfectly.

He'd been a patient at Auckland Oncology. Been dealt the worst possible news. I wish he could see the new CT Scan room, I wish I could be touring the room with him saying 'See Lancey, see what you made.' He would have been chuffed, maybe even uttered one of his Tim The Tool Man grunts.

From The Elements Gallery

Here's another massive pano that I love, love so much it's now loaded into the Elements Gallery for you to view and perhaps get printed! It's from the Putangirua Pinnacles, Cape Palliser . You can check it out better HERE

Curved Brine

Thank you for all the positive feedback about the last few posts and the big South trip those were about. From the outset the 3 weeks South was about exploring and even overlanding a bit, any surf was a bonus. There was an expectation that there would still be more surfing, more swimming out with the water housing and camera. But, I think, when a roady isn't a surf trip, especially in NZ, surfing gets hard to fit in. I came back from the South, stoked about the surfs had, but extra amped to surf and swim with the camera.

It's been a challenging summer and autumn for waves anyway. The west coast of Auckland has had it's moments but it has not been one of those summers where there are banks up and down the beaches- regular go to's. This day was a good day. Almost too big for the coast, but one in every set would have form. These are my favourite swims. The days of wanting to swim out in 10 foot are probably past. But there's kind of a loathing of small paper thin lipped wave studies.

As the act of surfing is therapy so is swimming. Ducking and diving clean up sets, repositioning to be in the impact zone...being NEAR harm's way. The fun of the calculation, getting it wrong and sometimes getting it right. The swirl of invigorating negative ions, even a little dose of adrenaline. Of being in the moment.

Perhaps this is way too introspective for a hump day web log... maybe all that should be written is 'Went for a swim, it was pretty solid, had fun here's the results.

....And In Other News

Red Bull have released free for view their epic production Kehu Butler: Made in Aotearoa. Allocate 36 minutes, it's so worth it. This is the best short surf film to be made in NZ in a very long time. The link is HERE

From The Elements Gallery

Here's a massive pano that I love, love so much it's now loaded into the Elements Gallery for you to view and perhaps get printed! It's from the Putangirua Pinnacles, Cape Palliser . You can check it out better HERE

Igor and the Tabulators

The surf mag article about the second time I went to the Wairarapa for a surf shoot went like this. 'The Sun Igor...the Sun' screamed back seat tabulator Pipi Ngaia as Igor hung the combat vehicle out on every metal corner enroute to to our destination. Rooster tails of gravel fanned out from the tyres to the tune of Chris Cornell wailing through Spoonman.

What a start to a surf story! And absolutely true. We were heading to the Second's Deer Stalker hut for a week. As the driver, I did not want to tackle the old 4wd track from the Spit side to the Seconds side in the dark. Not loaded up with precious cargo like Pipi, newly crowned National Champ Brett Hutchison and my editor and chief Chris Berge. We did make it in time. We had 5 glorious days of Second's rights with fellow tabulators Glenn Carkeek, Vaughn Baucke and Nick Ngau Chun.

It was a defining week for me as a photographer. I was getting my water photography dialled in. And as a magazine team Chris and I were hitting our straps. But that was a mere 26 years ago. The hut is gone, access to Seconds is harder. The Tabulators are scattered to the corners of NZ and in fact the world.

I've returned to the Wairarapa many times since. In part because it holds so many warm memories of past surf missions. Mainly 'cos it's so goddam ruggedly beautiful. And I get to be Igor again.

This Pano was what we came for, and this is pretty much exactly what I had hoped to make. So stoked, so stoked in fact it's now featuring in the Elements Gallery on PhotoCPL.co.nz HERE  

No Seconds this time, I think it may have been really good too, although the wind had quite a bit of north in it. This time we just leisured around Ngawi and it's epic tractors. Checked the now famous Lord of the Rings Pinnacles to make some panos. And then finally some surf. In fact pretty pumping surf at the Gap.

Our good mates Trinity and Dean ...and Nom nom the husky hung out at Castle Point...we need more camping trips guys!!! 

Actually pretty pumping! 

We wanted to stay longer, but also didn't. We'd scored epic weather on our three week roadie, we'd seen some sights that is for sure. The Troopy, the new combat vehicle, hadn't missed a beat. Igor was happy, although he noted there were some streams and deserts that desperately needed to be crossed next time.

From The Elements Gallery

Back home and into the massive photo edit! Keyboard jockey supreme, Igor would not like. Anyway, here's a massive pano that I love, love so much it's now loaded into the Elements Gallery for you to view and perhaps get printed! It's from the Sedgemere Lakes, Molesworth Station. You can check it out better HERE

West Coast-ing

A week late... last week's post was missed altogether. That happens when you're on the road. Seems the way we do things is always to have a few days at the end doing some serious miles to get back home. No amble home, more a sprint to the finish line. 

How good! A drone pano of Mokihinui from the Gentle Annie's side looking south 

The next destination after the Rainbow Road was always going to be the West Coast. The plan was to kind of cruise, but I think we get too excited about all that can be seen and done. 

We did stay at Gentle Annie's for a day. Gentle Annie's Campground has a well deserved reputation as being a beautiful location, eco friendly and pretty esoteric. It is all of those things, but we only kind of liked it. The waves weren't happening, I had ants in our pants for what could be up the road a ways. 

This was what was up the road a ways...

Good waves, sociable vibes with the local crew, and the excitement of surfing somewhere completely new. 

We went caving! Well, the tourist version of it anyway. We saw 10,000 year old Moa bones. Did some cool short walks. Marvelled at the tannin, tea coloured streams. 

Spotted the occasional Nikau grove 

All in all the North west coast of the Southy turned it on for an all too brief week of wandering rapidly. As with every leg of our mission, never a Been there, done that, more of a Next time we are here. 

From The Beach Gallery 

The world famous Punikaiki Pancake rocks, shot for the Big Little Beach Book on the 617 film Pano camera. While the Big Little Beach book has now sold through its 2nd print you can still get this as a print...go on, you know you want to... you can check it out HERE

Over the Rainbow

I’m not sure which came first; the desire to drive some of NZ’s great roads, or the Troopy. Which ever way it was, ever since we took over the custodianship of the Troopy the Rainbow Road has been firmly on the bucket list…no wait… more pressing than that; it’s been on the DO NOW list. 

Covid has stuffed up a lot of things, for us the Rainbow Road was a big one. First lockdown; couldn’t get the materials to do the Troopy refit. Second lockdown, got the gear, did the refit. Ready. Then another lockdown and then more. Last year got away, then this season of the Rainbow being open was fast evaporating. Ange and I were very literally packed and ready to go when the last lockdown struck. We opted to sit it out, it wasn’t so bad, the surf was good at home. 

The Rainbow Road is a 115 km 4wd road over the Rainbow Station and the Molesworth Station. It’s only open late Spring until late March. The road snakes and climbs along the Nelson and Marlborough border into the backcountry highlands. From St Arnaud in the northeast, to Hamner in the southwest. Not a stretch of it is boring. It is, in the true sense of the word, epic.  

You can easily do it in a day, most people choose to overnight at one of the DoC campsites. We opted to stay on the road for 3 nights; two at the Sedgemere Lakes campsite and one very windy one at Lake Tennyson. When we got out at Hamner, we wanted back in again. 

The DoC webpage about it is HERE

And here are [some] of my pictures ….

From The Galleries

Piha Bar Barrel, this is getting a nice instal into a commercial space in Rosebank Road, I think at 2.4 metre high x 3.2 metres wide; bloody amped to see it that big!!!
Wanna see it bigger or even having adorning your home wall? Check it outHERE

Craigie Don't Surf

You probably signed up to the PhotoCPL E-bomb to get tons of watery wave images sent to your inbox. This week…and the next few are going to be a tremendous disappointment for you. Sorry, but honestly, not really. 

Me and the Missus are off on a big Southy mission. It was planned for last year, and then earlier this. 3 of the lockdowns literally coincided with the times blocked out for this mission. We were starting to think we could control lockdowns by squiggling on the year planner. 

The boards are strapped to the side of the Troopy, wetties in the lockbox and water-housing stowed inside. But these things are hopeful sidebars. The main purpose is going inland and doing some overlanding. We do have a Troopy after all and isn’t that what they are made for. We aren’t going hardcore, in fact probably the softest overland trip in NZ; the Rainbow Road to Hamner, just to get a taste. I can’t wait to get there. [This web log is being done on the Interislander] 

Instead of boosting down the North Island to the ferry, we hurried slowly, two blissful days in Wakapapa. What? Ruapehu in autumn with no snow, are you mental? Well actually, it was pretty damn cool, exploring some of the walks, going up the Skywaka, High Tea at the Chateau.  

…next week’s photos, who knows! But it sure AF won’t be surf.

From The Galleries

Piha Bar Barrel, this is getting a nice instal into a commercial space in Rosebank Road, I think at 2.4 metre high x 3.2 metres wide; bloody amped to see it that big!!!
Wanna see it bigger or even having adorning your home wall? Check it outHERE

It Was On Before It Wasn't

The Billabong Grom Series finale at Piha last weekend was off to a perfect start....

The forecast looked great, even a nice little supporting bump in the swell on the Sunday. The groms were frothing, in fact the lil' tackers were in danger of surfing themselves out prior to their heats. Surfing NZ staff and organisers were stoking, finally a comp with really decent waves. I was on camera duties and pretty much the contest machine was running smooth as, the judges were happy, the competitors were happy. Saturday was a great day... and then Auckland went into lockdown at 6 am on Sunday morning.

The Piha fun park was open

Sunday was pretty weird. The comp postponed, whattyado!? Supposed to be working, now not. It's like you're locked and loaded and nowhere to go. The surf was pumping, the whole west coast of Auckland turned on. Out of towners were allowed to drift back home over the Sunday so many took advantage of the pristine day. I did too, surfed me ring out. Here's some pic's of the free surfing on the Saturday morning at the Hass'.

Local surfer Liv Brown-Hysom, text book base work

Liv, same wave but different section

Alice Westerkamp sending buckets

Leia Millar ripping as ever

Pretty sure this is Jack Hinton, please let me know if I'm wrong

How fun is that little bowl of a wave!

Tiarua's Zali Wyper ...all style...and had probably been surfing for 4 hours already

Hopefully we get to get back on the sand at Piha again to finish what was started

...and then where the big boys got to play ...

And Over on Recreational Society

 Pretty damn stoked to have interviewed Tyler Anderson and his mint Troopy! Check it out HERE

And totally related...Piha Bar Barrel, this is getting a nice instal into a commercial space in Rosebank Road this week, I think at 2.4 metre high x 3.2 metres wide; bloody amped to see it that big!!!
Wanna see it bigger or even having adorning your home wall? Check it out HERE