Derek Morrison

Nats 2023: The Contenders

Derek MorrisonJan 10, 2023July 25, 20240

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...

Nats 2023: The Elephant In The Bay

Derek MorrisonJan 10, 2023July 25, 20240

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...

Ship’s Log Indian Ocean, Day 3: More Macaronis Please

Derek MorrisonDec 30, 2022August 17, 20230

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...

The 10 Best Surfers In New Zealand In 2023

Derek MorrisonDec 30, 2022December 30, 20220

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...

Chasing The Dream With National Champ Daniel Farr

Derek MorrisonDec 23, 2022December 29, 20220

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...

Rambo Wins Monster Children Photo Comp

Derek MorrisonDec 20, 2022December 22, 20220

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...

New Brighton Pier Shot Wins Welsh Photographer Award

Derek MorrisonDec 20, 20220

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...

Ship’s Log Indian Ocean, Day 2: Macaronis

Derek MorrisonDec 13, 2022August 18, 20230

Macaronis has become such a famous wave that you need to book a slot to surf it. Which we did for two days … just as a new swell arrives. That’s the magic of having one of the most connected surf operators on board. So, it took us all by...

WATCH: THC, A New Film By George Syme

Derek MorrisonDec 11, 2022December 11, 20220

I met emerging filmmaker George Syme hanging with Tom Butland at the Scholastics in Taranaki earlier this year. They were about to release a film and I had seen enough of Tom’s surfing to be curious. Well, more than curious … I knew it was going to be special. It...

Girl In The Wind

Derek MorrisonDec 9, 2022July 25, 20240

Lucy Te Moananui is a special kind of adventurer. She stumbled across sailing while at school and pursued her passion, adding in scuba diving and eventually surfing when she arrived in New Zealand 16 years ago. In April 2023, the 39-year-old will line up on the start line of the...