You see the mighty maunga Taranaki.... I see the Troopy
I'm so fricken frothed right now. In 1995 I shot my first Nationals in Taranaki. While I had been working for the surf mag for 18 months, me old mate Chris Berge the then editor bumped me from the '94 Dunedin Nats in favour of taking his missus. Fair play I say. I wouldn't say I was in anyway anywhere near being good at the job by 1995, but both Chris and I were getting to know the ropes. We'd had a fricken rocky start to our tenures at the mag- that is for sure. Frankly we were shit, but we both wanted to make the best magazines we could.
My first ever centrefold in a mag. November 1994, Dwaine Mataa and Komene Rd... pretty sure the date is right.
The Nationals, especially when they are in the Naki are a big deal, they used to run for 10 days and be packed with heats. '95 was huge, finals day was at Mangahumes and the peak was pumping. The Men's Open Final was between defending Champ Jason Matthews and young upstart Brent Hutchinson aka Hench, So I'm by Chris on the shingle behind the tripod, JM walks down for the finals and hands me his back up board. In typical JM monosyllabic form- 'You're my caddy.'
Oh course I go through all the emotions, 'Rad, I'm Jm's caddy!!! Hold on, what's a f%cken caddy!!- what do I do!!! F@ck f@ck f@ck, please don't break your board.' JM blows a fin out. 'Oh f@ck.' In front of the who is who of NZ surfing I'm running JM's board down to the shorey. I did ok. I later learnt that that is was what caddies are s'posed to do. JM lost, Hench won. I think JM may have won the Longboard that year.
Hench the 95 Champ a few months later at Seconds, Wairarapa
Three deadset legends of NZ Surfing there... Bob Davie handing out a trophy [clearly not the open cup] to JM, with then Prez Andy Cranston on the mic 1995.
I haven't shot 30 Nationals, but I do know I have shot over 20 of them. I very much consider it an honour and a stoke to do so. I've seen some things that is for sure. To be here, back in the Naki as the official photog for the 2025 Nationals, 30 years since my first, wow, I can't explain how good it feels. The Nationals kick off this Sunday and run until next weekend. You can check out the schedule on Surf New Zealand HERE
What am I doing now? Well the froth levels were too high to sit around home, so I boosted down early to get some shots in...
The Queen of the coast! Legend Paige Hareb
Grom to watch though Paigey, Poppy Entwhistle, quite literally in her new backyard.
Heat winning tail stomp from Paige this morning
Poppy throwing buckets
Fair to say, I'm in my happy place. Hope you are having a sick start to 2025. Keep an eye on the Nats via SNZ or Liveheats,com Yeooow!!!!