Gear Archives – wetsuits, boards, fins, tech

Verdure Surf: The Future Of Flex

Taira BlakelyNov 1, 20240

Jack Candlish and team at Verdure Surf just might be the future of surfboard manufacturing. Operating on the cutting edge of sustainable surfboard development, they seem to have found accessible solutions to the environmental flaws plaguing the surf manufacturing industry. They’ve already won over top surfers and shapers, and they...

Film Review: The War On Style

Taira BlakelyAug 5, 2024August 5, 20240

Like it or not, we are living in a world that has waged a war on style. Hank Bilous is deep in the thick of it, aiming to strike the right balance between technical skill and self expression. The professional freeskier, turned surfer, turned nurse explores and challenges these dynamics...

Seer Surfcraft: The White Pointer Must Die!

Taira BlakelyJul 31, 2024August 15, 20240

“I never wanted to make surfboards for other people,” says Homa Mattingly, founder of Seer Surfcraft. As we walk through his backyard shaping bay, it becomes clear to me that he’s failed – at least on that front. The contents of his shaping area have invaded his living space, and...

The Science Of Grip: The Sticky Johnson Story

Taira BlakelyJul 4, 2024August 22, 20240

Steve Morpeth epitomises the Kiwi surfer’s spirit and has built an empire around it with Sticky Johnson – New Zealand’s very own wax brand. Taira Blakely catches up with Steve in the Sticky Johnson factory in Kumeu to discover how he’s built his empire. Hailing from a line of watermen,...

Review: O’Neill Hyperfreak Fire 4:3 Chest Zip Steamer

Derek MorrisonJun 14, 20242

O’Neill seems to have stumbled across a magic formula with its Hyperfreak series. Its latest Hyperfreak Fire, or Hyper Fire as it’s now called, takes that performance up another notch. We thrashed one to death, with close to 500 surf sessions, to see how it performed. It hasn’t all been...

Business Insight: The C-Skins New Zealand Story

Derek MorrisonJan 5, 2024April 9, 20240

Bringing a new wetsuit brand into New Zealand was never going to be easy, but that didn’t deter Simon Clowes and Cian Sullivan – the duo behind C-Skins here in New Zealand. Simon jokes that he and Cian could be father and son. While there is a 25-year gap between...

The Waddell Collection: NZ Surfing Memorabilia & Boards Offered For Sale

Grant DysonNov 14, 2023November 14, 20230

One of New Zealand’s finest collections of classic Kiwi surfboards and surfing memorabilia – held in a private collection – is being offered for sale. The collection, stored in a hangar at Tauranga Airport, centres on more than 130 surfboards, both longboards and short boards, most in excellent condition. It...

Surf Business: In Deep With Backdoor Owner, Hutch

Derek MorrisonNov 6, 20230

While the surf industry seems to be in a slump, Backdoor’s Geoff Hutchison remains cautiously optimistic as he opens his 25th and biggest store in Dunedin. We caught up with the 60-year-old ripper and surf business guru to learn a bit about what’s going on in the surf industry right...

Light In The Shadows: The Taylor Hutchison Story

Derek MorrisonSep 29, 2023October 2, 20230

Very few surfers have had the weight of expectation heaped upon their shoulders quite like Taylor Hutchison. At 26, he’s come to terms with being born into a hard-working, surfing devoted family. We caught up with Taylor during one of his recent “work trips” to the Otago coastline. Back in...

Review: Ocean & Earth Wheelie Triple Shortboard Travel Bag

Derek MorrisonAug 22, 20230

FCS Freedom Leash Review: The FCS Freedom Leash promised to be lighter, stronger, with less drag, less tangle – sign me up! Looks like I wasn’t the only one, a lot of online stores sold out quickly.