It was a wonderful Waitangi Weekend of opposites. Diverse fun in the sun covering two board sports at opposing ends of the spectrum.
The events' soundtracks pretty much sum up the polarities. The Logger Heads Longboard comp on Saturday had a gentle mix of easy listening ranging from '80's, Hall n' Oats style to current day Kiwi Reggae. Sunday, at the Mangawhai Bowl Jam, was all hardcore. From the '80's too; Black Flag, Minor Threat... then pretty much the Tony Hawk 2 soundtrack, through to Lamb Of God. Sunday's was my favourite.
I'm in struggle street trying to write anything massively insightful about either event. Both grass roots events were very very good. Both delivered good vibes and excitement. So rather than continue down struggle street any further here's an edit of the images.
The Logger Heads 2017... not even all of them either
Perfect log waves on the Bar first thing
Eventual open winner, Sydney-sider Kai Ellice-Flint was leading from the start
Rock baking the judges and photogs
Trent Lillis contemplating how to get out the back
The aforementioned, after dealing with the treacherous shore pound, well and truly over the nose
Moon Bob was styling as ever making both the final of the open and dunger division
Nicky Wellington surfs better than you. She won
Orewa Boardriders stalwart Mark Hoyle trimmed some bombs- now there's a caption that wouldn't make sense out of surfing
The best image of Saturday? Cody Mant in the Juniors - his dad Paul watching on. Cody took this photo to school on Tuesday for show and tell
Kai matching Trent on the front foot
A cleverer caption writer would figure out how to string jammed packed and Bowl together here
yep, that would be 8 year old Liam Hayes schooling us all
At the other end of the spectrum, Uncle Mozza quick plant... actually an actual living legend
The Mangawhai bowl creator Jason Parkes... as in, the man who designed and constructed the beast
Christchurch's Dan Kelcher rocking '80's stez all the way to third
Dan... Daune...'80's ...US Bombs.. crazy
Taupo's Bowman Hansen returned from Melbourne to regain his 2015 title
Bowman...
Squeak in the masters
Defending champ Shaun Boucher was hot on Bowman's heels in the Open. He didn't back up his 2016 win, but he did take out the biggest air with an 8ft+ method
Soul Kropelnicki won the juniors
Josh Wilson
Always the crowd favourite, Mikey Bancroft styling ridiculously smoothly as ever
Welly street skating legend Dallis Marshall
The ol boys; Ramon Thackwell, Morri and Steve Crump
Bowman back for the win
I'd like to thank Tony Baker, the organiser of the Logger Heads, and Jesse Peters, the organiser of the Mangawhai Bowl Jam for having me on the team as the events' photog. These guys spend countless hours behind the scenes grappling with council, wrangling slack surfers and skaters, trying to even find oil for a thread bourne rag so there's a sniff. They grind it out for months so we are entertained for a day. Youse fellas did bang up jobs.
From The Galleries
It's the Mangawhai post! Have a closer look, how big do you reckon- 3- 4 -5?