dunedin Archives - New Zealand Surf Journal

Five Minutes With 15-Year-Old National Champion Maya Mateja

Derek MorrisonFeb 28, 2024March 25, 20240

At 15, Maya Mateja became one of the youngest surfers to win the Open Women’s title when she won the 2024 New Zealand Surfing Championships. We catch up with the Raglan-based phenom to find out how she did it and why she won’t be surfing for Team New Zealand. With...

40 Frames: NZ Surf Nats The Grand Finale

Derek MorrisonFeb 28, 20240

Finals Day for the Open Men and Women goes down to the wire at the 2024 New Zealand Surfing Champs. No one in the packed crowd on the steps of St Clair Beach could have predicted the Open Men’s Final would boil down to a tie break between defending Champion...

Five Minutes With National Champion Daniel Farr

Derek MorrisonFeb 3, 20240

Hot on the heels of his 2024 New Zealand Surfing Championship we catch up with Taranaki’s Daniel Farr to find out how it feels to win his second Open title … and the moment he knew he had won it. Daniel Farr wasn’t on the radar for the 2024 National...

40 Frames: NZ Surf Nats Day Of Groms

Derek MorrisonJan 17, 2024April 9, 20240

Finals Day for the Under 18s, 16s and 14s at the 2024 New Zealand Surfing Champs reveals an historic moment. This is the sharp end of the contest for the juniors, made even more incisive by the fact a win here gives you automatic entry into the New Zealand surfing...

40 Frames: NZ Surf Nats St Clair Shakedown

Derek MorrisonJan 14, 2024April 9, 20240

Day Five of the 2024 New Zealand Surfing Champs sees a shakedown of the premier divisions as the circus moves back to the St Clair Esplanade. Day Five saw the contest move back to the comfort of St Clair with light winds and a new north east swell promising some...

Daniel Farr and Maya Mateja Win 2024 Surf Nats

Derek MorrisonJan 14, 2024April 9, 20240

Taranaki’s Daniel Farr and Raglan 15-year-old Maya Mateja win the 2024 New Zealand Surfing Champs held in Dunedin over the past week. An explosive final day of the 2024 National Surfing Championships has seen Taranaki surfer Daniel Farr claim his second national title by the closest margin in the history...

40 Frames: NZ Surf Nats … The Free Surf Sessions

Derek MorrisonJan 11, 2024March 25, 20240

The 2024 New Zealand Surfing Champs is underway in Dunedin right now with a challenging forecast keeping organisers on their toes. There’s always a lot more to a surf comp than meets the eye. Especially when the swell, wind and tide combination is in a typical summer mode, with swirling...

Watch: 2023 South Island Champs Finals Day Highlights

Isaac ChadwickMay 11, 20230

It is an icon of the national event calendar and this year’s 2023 South Island Surfing Championships didn’t disappoint with Taylor Hutchison taking the win in the Open Men’s. Isaac Chadwick was on hand to bring us this edit from finals day. The first two days of the 2023 South...

Quick Cuts: Keo Morrison

Derek MorrisonMar 23, 20230

Amongst a surge of talented young Otago surfers, 13-year-old Keo Morrison thrives on chasing big waves and surfing new spots. Here’s his entry to the C-Skins Quick Cuts … “I love surfing and hanging with my friends here in Dunedin,” he explains. “I live close to the beach and spend...

The Bittersweet Arrival Of A Cyclone Swell

Derek MorrisonFeb 23, 20230

From a dark cloud of calamity emerges a swell like no other. This is the story of Cyclone Gabrielle … It’s a bittersweet tale for the surf community. While Cyclone Gabrielle tore communities apart throughout the North Island, days later its swell brought communities together. The ominous sight of Cyclone...