NZ SURFING MAGAZINE - Issue 187

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.