In this issue

The Winter Survival Issue
Delivered straight from the moods of this winter’s oceans, This issue of NZ Surfing showcases what we have right here on our very own shores. While this may take a hardier approach to taking on the elements through winter, these sessions right here on our home shores showcase what incredible world-class waves we do have right here under our noses.

Firstly, on the number 1 page, we feature ‘Big Guy’ Matty Hewitt on the COVER, these days Matty has taken a backward step from chasing the dream of being a pro-surfer and has settled into a career as an electrician. While work comes first, Matty always hopes that the best swell of the year just might coincide with some time off so he can score his local, and on this given day that just so happened to go down.

Next we hit the road over July and August scoring several epic sessions at various locations from the original kiwi surf spot in Piha, to one the world longest left-handers up in the Winterless North and then across to a relatively secluded point break on the East Cape. There’s nothing as good as a roady with mates and the banter, laughs and good times that go down on these and this Winter we scored! Proving you don’t need to take off to the tropics.

As part of our Winter Survival Feature we get the inside knowledge from two top gurus in Olly Farley who gives us a few surf specific fitness tips to get through winter and we focus on mental health with Sir John Kirwan who shares with us a few stories of how surfing helped his life and how to manage the ins and outs of day to day mental health overload.

Winter is often a time for ferocious angry storms which produce huge swells, and we eyed up a pretty unique, one in ten year swell in fact, and headed out Back beyond the Horizon to take on a reef which sits 25k out at sea, NZ’s answer to Cortes Bank. Lead by Daniel Kereopa, a couple of complete virgins to the big game world, grab the rope and ride some massive mountains.

Then & Now

It was the early 80s and the world of sport was evolving rapidly.

6 mins

The OG Returns

It was the year 1958 when two surfers from Malibu sailed into Auckland harbour during a round-the-world trip, and after asking around about where they could ride some waves and after many funny looks, they were pointed in the direction of a beach named Piha.

5 mins

The Road Less Travelled

Take a look at a map of our coastline and you will see thousands of kilometres of coastline, 15,000 to be almost exact, making it the 9th longest in the world.

4 mins

Land Of The Long Lefts

It was the year 1966 and the sport of surfing was sweeping the world.

4 mins

Out From The Darkness - With Sir John Kirwan

It is often said that going for a surf helps clear the head, resets one’s self, or levels out emotions.

7 mins

Back Beyond The Horizon

On October 12th, 2009, out beyond the horizon an elite group of NZ’s best surfers arrived at a remote reef after motoring in a straight line 25km out to sea.

9 mins

Theshapeshifter - Roger Hall

Ever heard of a Mini Simmons?

6 mins

The Half Time Report

On the surface travelling the world from one epic surf destination to another seems like a dream you’d never want to wake up from, yet when that travelling is fixated around the World Qualifying Series, at times it can be more of a nightmare.

10+ mins

Read all stories from NZ SURFING MAGAZINE

NZ SURFING MAGAZINE Magazine Description:

NZ Surfing Magazine is dedicated to New Zealand surfing. NZ action photos, NZ surfer profiles, NZ interviews with champions and the guy at the beach. New Zealand Surfing magazine is New Zealand longest running and most READ surfing magazine (New Zealander's have produced surf mags since the early 1950s, but New Zealand Surfing is the only one to have been continuously published for TWENTY EIGHT years). Each issue is wave after wave of hardcore surf action.