surfing in new zealand 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...

Five Minutes With: Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings

Derek MorrisonMay 26, 20210

With New Zealand’s competitive season coming to a close we put some tough questions to Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings. Is Surfing New Zealand headed in the right direction? Are we looking after our athletes? Are we providing a pathway? Ben Kennings gives us an insight into what the off-season...

Five Minutes With: Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings

Derek MorrisonSep 16, 2020December 12, 20220

New Zealand Surf Journal catches up with Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings to discuss broken backs, new constitutions, the Olympic pathway and to find out what he’d do if he had full control of the sport and no resource limitations. The top role at Surfing New Zealand is certainly not...

Surf Photography: Secret Surf Missions In Our Rural Heartland

Derek MorrisonMar 13, 20190

Surf photographers go to extraordinary lengths to capture our waves and those who surf them. One of New Zealand’s finest even employs SAS-level training and wears a specially made sniper suit to roam the coastline completely undetected. He does it to capture line-ups that you’ll never find. He makes sure...