Inspiration

Meet the people who weave life into the fabric of surfing. We profile interesting characters with an amazing story and an obsession with the ocean. Read about up and coming surfers and crusty old locals who smell like billy goats and ride single fins. If they have a story to tell, you’ll find them in here. Come and be inspired by artists, business gurus and thought leaders in our well of inspiration.

How To: Dial In Your Pre-Surf Stretch With Dr Oliver Farley

Dr Oliver FarleyJuly 1, 2020July 1, 2020

by Dr Oliver FarleyJuly 1, 2020July 1, 20200

Having a pre-surf stretch routine of some sort is vital for nearly every surfer. For younger grommets and aspiring surf athletes it will let them perform at their best. For older surfers it will ensure they can surf pain and injury free for longer. Who doesn’t want to boost like......

Artists Featured Gear Inspiration Latest News New Zealand Surf Athletes Wetsuit Tech

Watch: Solitude, From New Zealand’s Newest Wetsuit Brand

Derek MorrisonJune 30, 2020

by Derek MorrisonJune 30, 20200

Born of New Zealand, Coastlines Wetsuits, officially pulled up a chair at the global rubber buffet when they launched just a few short months ago. NZSJ discovered they have some heavy hitters on their team and their heart’s in the right place. A few months before the brand launched, former......

Boards Featured Gear Inspiration Latest News Pacific The Shaper's Bay Travel

Watch: The Allan Byrne Story

Derek MorrisonJune 30, 2020June 30, 2020

by Derek MorrisonJune 30, 2020June 30, 20200

Allan Byrne contributed more to surfing than most modern surfers will ever realise. He is considered to be one of New Zealand’s most successful surfers ever, still to this day. In this short film by Clive Neeson, Allan describes in his own words what that era was like. How did he turn......

Artists Featured Inspiration Travel

Aotearoa Surf Film Festival: New Dates

Derek MorrisonJune 25, 2020

by Derek MorrisonJune 25, 20200

As the Aotearoa Surf Film Festival closed in on the end of its 2020 tour, Covid-19 rose it’s head and scuttled the final events – including a screening at the Piha Pro. Event director, Nick Stevenson, has survived the ordeal and is breathing a second life into the festival for......

Featured Inspiration Latest News Surf Athletes

Nothing Good About Covid-19 … Unless You’re Billy Stairmand

CPLJune 17, 2020June 17, 2020

by CPLJune 17, 2020June 17, 20200

We’ve all had a topsy-turvy year, but for seven-time New Zealand surfing champ Billy Stairmand it has kind of worked out okay. Photographer Craig Levers catches up with our Olympic hope and finds out why … NZSJ: Hey Billy, you’re wearing a knee brace, what happened? During the Newcastle 5000 WQS......

Featured Indonesia Inspiration Surf Athletes

Watch: National Champ Elliot Paerata-Reid – The Post-Lockdown Edit

Derek MorrisonJune 9, 2020June 9, 2020

by Derek MorrisonJune 9, 2020June 9, 20200

Current New Zealand Surfing Champion Elliot Paerata-Reid looks back on his year in this post lockdown release – you can rest-assured this is no ordinary surf memoir. From sublime Indonesian waves to a full-on aerial showcase, EPR’s film Reccy is another solid dose of the hard-charging Piha surfer. Check out......

Boards Business Featured Gear Surf Shops Wetsuit Tech

Buy Local: Help Pump New Zealand’s Surf Industry

Derek MorrisonMay 28, 2020

by Derek MorrisonMay 28, 20200

The Covid-19 health crisis has taught New Zealanders a lot of things, but nothing has become clearer: we need to support local surf businesses. By supporting them we pump the vascular system of our very own New Zealand surf industry. And that reaches deep into the heart of our surf......

Featured Inspiration New Zealand Surf Athletes

The Travis McCoy Story: Nothing Puts Life Into Focus Like Death

Derek MorrisonMay 3, 2020

by Derek MorrisonMay 3, 20200

In 2017 Mount Maunganui’s Travis McCoy went for a surf that ended in an horrific fin gash to his face. But it was what the subsequent scan showed that changed his life forever. Surf photographer Peter Chamberlain sits down with Travis a few years into his recovery to see how......

Inspiration Surf Athletes

WSL Redesigns 2021 Tour, Suspends 2020 Events Until July

Derek MorrisonApril 29, 2020July 2, 2020

by Derek MorrisonApril 29, 2020July 2, 20200

The World Surf League has today announced a totally revised 2021 Championship Tour, Challenger Series, and Qualifying Series. It has also confirmed that due to the continued evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, WSL is postponing or canceling all events, at all levels of competition, through to the start of July.......

Environment Inspiration

Lockdown: What Alert Level 3 Means For Surfing

Derek MorrisonApril 27, 2020June 11, 2020

by Derek MorrisonApril 27, 2020June 11, 20200

There’s a collective sigh of relief being held around the country right now as surfers throughout New Zealand suffer one more day of torment under Lockdown Level 4. That’s Indicators at Raglan above and it’s pumping on an Anzac Day holiday Monday. It would normally be packed to the gunnels.......