Inspiration
Meet the people who weave life into the fabric of surfing. We profile interesting characters with an amazing story and an obsession with the ocean. Read about up and coming surfers and crusty old locals who smell like billy goats and ride single fins. If they have a story to tell, you’ll find them in here. Come and be inspired by artists, business gurus and thought leaders in our well of inspiration.
Dune Kennings wins the 2023 New Zealand Surfing Championship today at Piha. In a Men’s Open final that had the crowd on its feet, local surfer Dune Kennings pulled off an extraordinary feat to become the first Piha surfer to ever win a title at his homebreak. And he did......
We’ve reached the finals day at the Nats for 2023 and, if the two Open Men’s semis from today are anything to go by, then we’re in for an explosive day at Piha. Controversy surrounds the Open Men’s first semi-final with a priority glitch causing confusion in the middle of......
The Nats for 2023 have started at Piha with fun 2-3 foot waves providing some quality contest conditions. After two days of competition here’s our pick on the likely candidates for the 2023 titles. Even in the first few days of competition it is clear there are some favourites emerging......
The Nats for 2023 are underway at Piha, but where are some of our best surfers? Let’s address one of the elephants in the room with Nats 2023: the missing players. Why are so many of our best surfers missing in action. Consider this: Paige Hareb isn’t in attendance. She’s......
The Sub-Antarctic islands are a strange and mysterious place. A place where sea lions roam the mountain peaks, where penguins waddle through the remains of failed settlements, and where megaherb fields give you the feeling of being in the middle of a Dr. Seuss world. If you have ever felt......
The swell that was supposed to kick in yesterday begins to fill in by the next morning. We are ready and champing at the bit. The funnest wave in the world awaits us … The routine we set on these early days becomes the everyday ritual for the trip. We......
New Zealand Surf Journal asks the New Zealand surfing industry to rank our 10 best surfers. The concept is simple: include not just the best competitors, but also our very best free surfers and underground chargers. This is who they came up with as we head into 2023. THE CRITERIA......
Taranaki surfer Daniel Farr won the Nationals at Westport in 2022, taking down form surfer of the event, Billy Stairmand, in one of the most exciting finals ever seen in New Zealand. The quiet, reserved surfer always believed he could do it. Now he has his sights set on the......
Mount Maunganui photographer Rambo Estrada has won the coveted surf category award at the annual Monster Children Photo Competition. Rambo was invited to the annual Monster Children Photo Annual launch (issue 71, on sale HERE) held at MC’s new offices in Waterloo, Sydney, in early December. The winners of the......
A photo of New Brighton’s pier has given photographer Sean Pritchard the edge to be named the winner of the 2022 Carve Magazine Surf Photography Competition. “I am incredibly stoked to take out the 2022 competition with so many incredible photographers taking part,” Sean told NZSJ. “The standard of photography......