Just before the swell maxed out on day 3
Ohope's Westend is an underrated surf spot, often maligned as a formless flat beach, which it can be, but on it's day the left and right peak in the northern corner pump. It is the chosen home of veritable NZ Surfing royalty, like the Barnfields and the Ogilvys. Former stomping ground of the late great master shaper Craig Hughes, the Westend is firmly threaded into our surfing tapestry. Dylan and Eli Barnfield are perpetuating that legacy in the form of the annual Westend Wiggle, a 3 day celebration of longboard culture and competition. 2025 was the 6th Wiggle and formatted similarly its larger southern counterpart The Single Fin Mingle, held a week earlier in Summner. The Westend Wiggle is very much its own entity and flavour though. The two celebrations create an informal Longboard tour with participants from as far a field as the US, Sweden and of course from across the Ditch.
Dylan Barnfield event director and frontman for the Wiggle
Eli Barnfield, clam under pressure
Always watching, always judging... top judge Mark O'Connor, and shaper of that bewty Mojo 9'6 log, tinted to the Wiggle's colour pallet and given away on presso night
There is a legion of volunteers backing the Barnfields, I wouldn't even begin to attempt to name half of them, but fair to say the Wiggle has amazing support from the local surf community. While the Women's and Men's open division competition are foundation of the three days, then strong, strong pillars are the evening shenanigans. The art exhibition, bands, bars and food trucks all based at the newly transformed Ohope Wharfside, quite frankly the younger CP would've shown up for the nocturnal activities alone, hmmmm party all night then sift at the Westend daily. These are the weekends where tales of giant cows, group shared hallucinations and very sore heads are born.
As always, at this point I'm opting out of the PhotoCPL web log being a contest report and wrap up, done waaaay too many of those over the last 30 years. Letting the photos do the talking from this point...
Friday dawn's Mihi, the blessing and the opening of the Wiggle 2025
6 years in and a well oiled contest machine
Onsite caffeination for the dusty heads
Piha representatives Liv Hysom and Gabi Paul with their Californian mate, to whom I was introduced and completely spaced on her name- I'm a kook.
So, while acknowledging the terrible loss of life on Whakaari in 2019, how fricken cool is it hanging 5 with a live volcano in the background
Ngati-Porou surfer Te Waiotu rode a D-fin, a fricken D-fin, all the way to the semi's
Auckland logger Taj Robinson
Low-tide judgement
Local Tai Murphy competed, but also was a key volunteer all weekend
Matty Newdick a shock dismissal in the earlier rounds
Yeah Gilli Ria!!!
3 legends right here, Gilli, Hone and the one and only Stevie Ria
When the lights start to do this, its time to moonwalk out of there
The best wing person eva, me ol mate Keziah Richmond, good hang mate! Wait, dunno who Keziah is, follow her awesome photography on insty HERE
Finals time
Your 2025 women finalists; Kilinoe Farrow, Kirra Molnar, Hannah Kohn and Gabi Paul
and the blokes, Nat Fitt, Aiden Cruz, Zen Wallis and Raymond Sayles
Nat Fitt put on a show of variety in the final, I believe there was only 1.5 point spread across the mens final, they all surfed sick
Piha's Zen Wallis, spoiler; was a mere 1.5 points behind Nat
Check out Nat's legit shock at the win- rad
Noosa's Kirra Molnar was the athlete to beat... and she proved triumphant with precise and long nose rides
Champs, every one of them
Dusty daze for sunday's sessions, the tag team event with local team the Old Groms getting bonus points for attire and ultimately winning
Even the band put in a team with rope in's Gabi Paul and Skip James... although they were horrified they'd progressed through the next round and would have to run again
Showmanship is everything - arguably ....no definitely the longest ride of the tag team event
Team moustache led by local legend Ollie Dobbin
Yeah Eli! Starting them young with the annual Wiggle beach regeneration initiative
Want to suss out the Westend Wiggle for next year- 'cos you should, check out the website HERE, there are links there for all their socials
Osssssh, the new PhotoCPL T's are hitting the mark with the punters. Sales are OK, you guys could do better, I expect more from you- jokes...not jokes. BUT the comments back about the quality and fit are what we are loving. You missed that memo? Ok the link is HERE