Surf Athletes Archives - New Zealand Surf Journal

Nats 2025: The Free Surf Sessions

Derek MorrisonFeb 14, 20250

If contests are the buttoned down sports version of surfing then the free surf sessions that take place around the heats are the creative opposite. There is no pressure, no judges, no decisions, just free-flowing moments when the tide hits the banks just right. Even with a below-par swell running...

Alexis Owen Takes Down Billy, Wins National Title

Derek MorrisonFeb 6, 2025February 6, 20250

One of the most promising rising stars in New Zealand, 16-year-old Alexis Owen, peaks in the 2025 New Zealand Surfing Championship Open Men’s final to pull the rug out from eight-time national champion Billy Stairmand and two-time national and defending champion Daniel Farr. Billy Stairmand knows what it takes to...

Ava Henderson Wins Second National Title

Derek MorrisonJan 31, 2025February 6, 20250

Ava’s road to her second national title was a convoluted one … she nearly didn’t get there … but the likeable, laidback surfer from Christchurch soon found her feet in Stent Road’s lefts and rights to take the top gong. In 2020 Ava Henderson won her first Open Women’s title...

Into The Fire: A QS Rookie’s Journey

Derek MorrisonDec 24, 2024December 24, 20240

George Roberts’ move to Australia to give the World Qualifying Series a crack in 2024 reveals just how brutal they can be, but also how those first round knockouts fuel his drive. Surfing competitively in New Zealand is a pathway fraught with potholes. While the junior ranks are relatively well-catered...

Winning And Losing With World Number 4 Alexis Owen

Taira BlakelySep 12, 20240

It’s an average Tuesday in Dunedin, New Zealand. The after school rush is in full force as I navigate traffic on the way to the St Kilda Surf Lifesaving HQ. The sky is blue and the air is almost warm – remarkably mild for a winter’s day in Dunedin. The...

Special Report: How To Get Sponsored

Derek MorrisonSep 11, 20240

So you want to get sponsored? We ask a handful of New Zealand’s leading team managers what you need to do and the steps you should take. Firstly, sponsorship has never been in a worse state in New Zealand (you can read our story on the surf industry state of...

Special Report: Has The Surf Industry Abandoned New Zealand?

Derek MorrisonSep 11, 2024September 11, 20240

If it feels like the surf industry has abandoned New Zealand then you’re kind of right. We look into the state of play of the industry and where the rubber meets the road here In New Zealand. I first started writing and photographing surf around 1993 – guys like Munga...

Paris 2024: Billy And Saffi Fire Up Their Campaigns In Tahiti

Derek MorrisonJul 28, 2024August 5, 20240

A building swell at the Paris 2024 Olympics saw Billy Stairmand and Saffi Vette progress to Round 2 in Tahiti today. Both surfers made New Zealand proud, grasping opportunities in their respective opening heats at Tahiti’s infamous Teahupo’o. Over 15,000 kilometers from the host city, Olympic Surfing debuted for Paris...

Paris Olympics 2024: Reader Poll, Who Will Win?

Derek MorrisonJul 25, 2024August 5, 20240

On the eve of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games we turn to our trusty readers to see who you believe will win the coveted Olympic Gold medal at Chopes. Take our polls right here – we have one poll for the women and one for the men. The forecast is...

Teahupo’o 2024: Your Olympic Cheat Sheet

Derek MorrisonJul 19, 2024July 19, 20240

We’re on the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympics with Billy Stairmand and Saffi Vette on their way to Tahiti’s infamous Teahupo’o – the reef break at the end of the road. They’re our Kiwi hopes in a contest that will undoubtedly grab the world’s attention. Here’s what you need...