Derek Morrison

Watch: Kai Lenny Soars On Super Saturday At Jaws

Derek MorrisonJan 19, 2021May 3, 20210

The much anticipated monster swell forecast for January 15 and 16 turned Hawaii’s North Shore into a wild playground for the brave. Once again it was Kai Lenny who led the charge at Jaws. Tucker Wooding was in the gallery on the clifftop to record Kai’s waves in what will...

Nationals 2021: Vette’s Win Brings Crowd To Tears, Stairmand Claims Eighth Title

Derek MorrisonJan 17, 2021May 3, 20210

Saffi Vette brings the crowd to tears with her win at the 2021 National Surfing Championships, while Billy Stairmand breaks his own record with an eighth national men’s title at Piha. Finals day at Piha for the 2021 National Surfing Championships presented by The Trusts Community Foundation included an emotional...

Nationals 2021: Top Eight Men Decided In Explosive Day Of Surfing

Derek MorrisonJan 13, 2021February 1, 20210

Eight surfers have secured the semifinalist spots in the men’s open division after an explosive quarterfinal round of action at the 2021 National Surfing Championships, which are being held at Piha this week. The exceptional results from Tuesday’s round of competition were punctuated by stellar performances from Mount Maunganui’s Kehu...

Artist Insight: Spanish Visual Storyteller Sara Guix And Her Love For New Zealand

Derek MorrisonJan 12, 20210

New Zealand has a special magic that is sometimes hard to see from within. For Spanish-born visual storyteller Sara Guix that elixir drives her creativity and has captured her heart. Since 2015 Sara has been based in Raglan and spent her time wandering New Zealand’s coastline, in search of waves,...

Watch: A Thank-You Letter To New Zealand

Derek MorrisonJan 12, 2021January 13, 20211

In 2015 Spanish-born filmmaker Sara Guix visited New Zealand for a year. She hasn’t left. In this film the 30-year-old visual storyteller shares a heartfelt thank-you to New Zealand. Filmed from January to December 2020 Sara offers the piece as “a gift for helping me find peace in a time...

Skinnies Teams Up With Surfing New Zealand

Derek MorrisonJan 12, 2021February 1, 20210

Local sunscreen brand Skinnies has partnered with Surfing New Zealand as an official supplier and with a welcome ambition to support talent development. In the freshly inked deal Skinnies will become the official sunscreen of Surfing New Zealand and support the development of emerging talent by providing the Skinnies VW...

Expert Insight: Surfing With Sea Lions

Derek MorrisonDec 23, 20200

They can rattle even the most hardcore surfer with their lunges and antics, but according to Department of Conservation Coastal Otago ranger Jim Fyfe, we’re reading them all wrong. Jim explains how we can co-exist in the waves … In this short film (see below) Jim Fyfe shares his wisdom...

Ava Henderson, Nixon Reardon Dominant At South Island Grom Series Opener

Derek MorrisonDec 14, 2020February 1, 20210

Nixon Reardon and Ava Henderson claim first blood in the opening round of the 2021 South Island Grom Series held at Dunedin’s St Clair Beach on Saturday. With an atrocious forecast that included gale winds and an open ocean 5-6m short-period swell the decision was made early to try and...

Rising Grom: Kalani Louis

Derek MorrisonNov 24, 20200

There’s a new wave of competitive surfers coming out of Taranaki and they’re taking scalps in national events. New Zealand Surf Journal caught up with the effervescent Kalani Louis after his Under 16 Final at the 2020 National Scholastics Championships held at Kaikoura. NZSJ: Hey Kalani, congrats on a great...

Watch: King And Queen Of The Point (The Movie)

Derek MorrisonNov 13, 20200

Billy Lee-Pope has just dropped this sweet little edit from The King and Queen of the Point contest where Billy Stairmand and Paige Hareb were crowned. The King and Queen of the Point is final national event of 2020, concluding the shortened New Zealand Surf Series for 2020. It was...