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.