Bowl Jams and Thick Lips / by craig levers

The Bowl Jam 2016


For the 5th consecutive year the Mangawhai Bowl Jam ran last weekend. Once again Jesse Peters taking on the task of organising the event and doing a great job of upping the ante yet again with a solid turn out of NZ's best bowl riders and a pretty damn big crowd to boot.  

Willie Beggs and Jesse Peters MC'ing the Bowl Jam

Super grom from Taupo Remus Henare on his way to third in the U16s

Remus's older brother Rico won the U16s

Mikey Bancroft was on form, posting third in the Open

Mikey!

Christchurch skater Dan Kelcher made the pilgrimage north to claim second in the open

Shaun Boucher shook off his bridesmaid status, taking out his first win this year after a string of seconds

Old mate Lee Mackenzie upset the Masters beating Morri and Crab- you bloody legend

Andrew 'Morri' Morrison came out of a 16 year competitive retirement for the Bowl Jam

Morri- good ole uncle Mozza

Another legend of NZ pro skating Dave Crab put on a clinic of vert too

Crab's stylish frontside Smith- locked

The old boys with US skating legend Eddie Elguera- Eddie gave one of his El Gato signature boards to Lee for winning the masters

One very very stoked winner!

I love shooting Vert and Bowl- thanks Jesse for the front row seat bro- amping for the next session!  


Thick West

And straight off the back of the Bowl Jam the swell jumped on the West coast. The Tasman Sea creating its very own type of vert ramps...

A nice coping to smash? 

Whangamata transplant Matt Honeycombe

Not the best place to be sitting with a water-housing; but, byjingos that's a glassy wave

And then, just once in a while, the clouds part just enough and a peak trucks through the light

 

Cool Shorty

Submissions have closed for the Aotearoa Surf Film Festival and I'm in judging mode. It's great to see more Kiwi shorts are in than ever before. This one has been a standout, not because the action is crazy, but it's a warming heartfelt tome from the local Piha surfers I grew up inspired by. I dunno if the other judges will get it, but for a Westie it's a damn nice short film...spot the seepage cameo!