Derek Morrison

Jonas Tawharu: An Indonesian Edit

Derek MorrisonSep 18, 20190

Rusty surfer Jonas Tawharu blazes a trail through Indonesia with filmmaker Oscar Johns capturing the powerful goofyfooter’s every turn, reo and barrel. Twenty-year-old Jonas may call Mount Maunganui home, but it has been the waves around Dunedin, where he is currently studying marketing and communications, that have helped him to...

Review: 300 Surfs In Rip Curl’s New Heat Seeker … Here’s What Failed

Derek MorrisonSep 16, 2019September 16, 20191

At the start of 2019 Rip Curl launched an all-new wetsuit aimed straight at the top end of the market and billed to incorporate technology that would change the wetsuit game forever. We got our hands on a Flashbomb Heat Seeker 4:3 and thrashed it to death. Here’s what we...

Stairmand Eighth, New Zealand Seventh At World Surfing Games

Derek MorrisonSep 16, 2019October 8, 20190

Billy Stairmand finishes in eighth place at the ISA World Surfing Games presented by Vans completed in Japan yesterday, New Zealand’s best ever result at the event. Stairmand’s performance advanced the New Zealand Team to a seventh overall finish. Staged in Miyazaki, Japan, from September 7-15, the New Zealand team...

Stairmand On Rampage At World Surfing Games, Qualifies For Olympics

Derek MorrisonSep 14, 2019December 12, 20220

Raglan’s Billy Stairmand has maintained his blistering form at the ISA World Surfing Games in Japan today. His run saw him secure the Oceania qualification slot on Friday. Today he blazed through Repechage heats to put himself into the frame for gold when the event resumes tomorrow. Stairmand will surf...

Watch: Piha Pro Unveiled With Paige Hareb And Ricardo Christie

Derek MorrisonSep 10, 2019October 8, 20190

Kiwi pro surfers Paige Hareb and Ricardo Christie discuss what it means for surfing in New Zealand following the announcement of the Piha Pro today. The World Surf League today confirmed the Piha Pro QS10,000 will take place in March 2020, 2021 and 2022. The Piha Pro will be part...

Piha Pro Confirmed: Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Derek MorrisonSep 10, 2019November 27, 20191

It’s official! World Surf League today confirms the Piha Pro QS10,000 is real and will take place in March 2020, 2021 and 2022. The World Surf League (WSL) hasn’t been to New Zealand shores for five years – its last event a women’s 6000-rated Qualifying Series (QS) event held in...

Ella Williams Secures Oceania Slot For Tokyo 2020

Derek MorrisonSep 10, 2019November 27, 20190

Kiwi surfer Ella Williams has provisionally qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics securing the Oceania slot after placing the highest of the Oceania surfers at the ISA World Surfing Games presented by Vans yesterday. Williams will be part of an exclusive group of twenty female surfers from around the world...

WSL Announces Challenger Series For 2020, Adds Piha To Calendar

Derek MorrisonSep 10, 2019October 8, 20190

The World Surf League (WSL) has today announced a new level of competition that will provide athletes more opportunities to qualify for the elite Championship Tour (CT) with the launch of the Challenger Series in 2020. The announcement also confirms that Piha will host a QS 10,000 event in March...

Paige Hareb One Step Closer To Olympic Qualification In Japan

Derek MorrisonSep 9, 2019September 10, 20190

Paige Hareb closes in on Olympic qualification at the 2019 ISA World Surfing Games held at Miyazaki, Japan. By the end of Day 3 today (Monday 9th September), the women’s Oceania Olympic qualifier could be determined. While a gold medal is the main aim of the World Surfing Games, the...

As The Whistle Blows: Life At Teahupo’o, Tahiti

Derek MorrisonSep 3, 2019September 10, 20190

Our friends at Flatroc Films capture a glimpse of life as it is inside the World Championship Tour when it coincides with a macking swell at Teahupo’o reef pass in French Polynesia, Tahiti. Prepare to be mesmerised. Press play. Enjoy.