Flat at 230pm... 3ft at 3pm .... 4ft PLUS at 315pm....
Photo: Noble
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
2014 - Are you Ready For Action?
One could almost gaze into the coming weeks forecast charts and think someone was playing some kind of joke on Nelson surfers as the New Year looks set to start like no other with two large swells on their way within the first week. The point of difference with these two incoming forecast charts is that they look like the "back in the day" type blasts where Cable Bay would break every swell and Snappers would be 6ft.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
1970's Part II
As i said it was a great time to grow up in Nelson & to be part of the changes surfing went thru then
and changes in society (one of the posters painted on the wall of the club had 'the seedbed of psychic
revolution" as its main message & for many of us it was a time of great change, i guess some of us were
sort of hippie surfers, think "morning of the earth" types
we were great travellers coming down to kaikoura & over to the west coast at every opportunity, 5 or 6 of us
stayed in a barn at the meatworks for 4 weeks one summer, i think it was the year of school cert results & we
went down to chch to celebrate passing but unfortunately Jeff Andrews & myself went thru a give way sign a
wee bit worse for wear & crashed the van. the van was full of alcohol for the boys & it was running out a hole in the side, we
had covered it with a blanket but the traffic cop lifted the blanket & saw it all & i got a ticket & even tho we could barely
stand he let us tie the door back on the van & drive away - different times
The van was so knackered that we had to reverse up the last few miles of the whangamoa as it wouldnt go up in first gear.
The van got a new engine & made it thru a few more months before finally dying
I saw a few boards get smashed up at the cut pre leg ropes, Hamish MacGibbon took a brand new quane board out there
& lost the fin & got it bashed up on the big blocks there, we mostly surfed there at low tide & it was basically drop in, tuck up,
get tubed & out the other end if you were lucky
i feel blessed to have grown up there at that time with a great group of friends - some im still in regular contact with & some
i havent seen for 40yrs & still think about & miss - Brett & Don Longley, Kevin Burgess, Warwick Freeman & many others
i regret losing most of my fotos as i had a lot but lent them to someone for a magazine article 40yrs ago & they were never returned
I still have a longboard but it hasnt got wet for a while now as i have a few health & fitness issues but i go out to maungamaunu
& kahautara at every chance & watch & am a surf movie fan
I was stoked to find your site & to know you guys are still surfing there & loving snappers (we tried to stop the sewerage outflow)
perhaps we will meet up some time & i can tell you some more old stories ( Max the Fly & the Epitaph Riders & the barn fire at meat works &
many more),,
we were a wild lot & had a lot of fun except for getting chased at night by the V8 guys, got the bash a few times just for being a surfer,
but for the most part we just had fun
cheers Mark, i hope you get lots of great waves at snappers, the website is fantastic, it had quite an effect on me seeing it
kia ora to the brothers & sisters,
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Changing of the Guard or Revolving Door?
Sitting watching pumping Snappers on Thursday evening with my boy I couldnt help but get a bit nostalgic as I watched what probably as a whole was the some of the best surfing I have seen going down in the water by local surfers. Uni return Marco Edwards was definately blowing up on his blue 7S fish along with Karl Sharps, Ben(Shocker)Robbo and Hayden Goulding, but not only these guys basically everyone was surfing great and it was awesome to see. Hard to watch but then again I was super surfed out from the last 24hours anyhow. Snappers had done its classic pickup the night before ... half a foot at 5pm...2ft by 6pm and some 4ft plus sets suspiciously approaching 5ft by dark. Thursday basically pumped all day although the morning session was a little bit strange due to the big tides.
It was crowded, the carpark was full and I definately pondered the possibility that perhaps this was partly my own fault due to this blog/clubs popularity ( The internet tells me to go surfing!!) combined with the fact that surfing in general along with surf forecasting has come along way in the last 5 years. The time of the year and water temperature all come into play but then again there were definately a lot of new faces in the water made up mostly of younger crew.
When I thought about it though, I remember 11 years ago not being able to find a carpark also so I guess there is no real science to it as it is the revolving door that is the Nelson surf community.
At the end of the day I turned this whole paranoia on its head and looked at the brightside.
Great to see the skill level rising, great to see young crew getting into it and even greater to see two guys at another location scoring absolutely perfect waves to themselves this same evening. Sam and Andy. you know who you are...
With that, I bid adieu.........
It was crowded, the carpark was full and I definately pondered the possibility that perhaps this was partly my own fault due to this blog/clubs popularity ( The internet tells me to go surfing!!) combined with the fact that surfing in general along with surf forecasting has come along way in the last 5 years. The time of the year and water temperature all come into play but then again there were definately a lot of new faces in the water made up mostly of younger crew.
When I thought about it though, I remember 11 years ago not being able to find a carpark also so I guess there is no real science to it as it is the revolving door that is the Nelson surf community.
At the end of the day I turned this whole paranoia on its head and looked at the brightside.
Great to see the skill level rising, great to see young crew getting into it and even greater to see two guys at another location scoring absolutely perfect waves to themselves this same evening. Sam and Andy. you know who you are...
With that, I bid adieu.........
SNAPPERS 1970
An email I thought I would share from an old local Nelson surfer Lee Homan.
i was looking at your website, great by the way, and i thought you might like to see these photos of Snappers from 1970 ( think i wagged school 2 days in a row to surf this swell) that august Snappers had some monumental swells but unfortunately all my photos were lost except for a few. Some of the sets were a lot bigger & i remember getting really cleaned up a few times that week & still have bits of urchin spines in my feet from then I did have photos that documented early surfing in Nelson - i started in about '63-4 on hollow plywood boards (with bungs) that we borrowed from clubbies - they were mostly about 10-12ft long & weighed a ton & often 2 or 3 of us would ride them together as after they had been in the water it took at least 3 of us to carry them I got my first proper board in 66 ( 9'3" Del) followed by quite a few more, the board i'm riding is a 6'3" Peter Way & it was a ripper I guess you know that the Nelson Boardriders Club was first formed way back then & we even scored a small part of the old changing shed at tahuna as a clubhouse, complete with psychedelic posters done by members, board racks & lots of grotty old towels. I still have a copy of each of 2 small magazines that were produced by club members back then & we kept a book for years that documented every swell & conditions along with weather maps
The bottom photo was taken at a contest in westport between nelson college & westport college in 1970, I cant remember how we managed to convince the college to go along but it was a school day & we went down without teachers to compete mostly we just wagged school whenever the surf was good & i got caned many,many times for this it was a great time to live in Nelson as we travelled around the top of the south island looking for new breaks, myself & 3 friends were the first to surf whangamoa bar & we did many trips to kaikoura (where i live now) & westport (some long swims there with no leg ropes). I had an old fordson van (top speed 45-50mph downhill with a tail wind) that put in a lot of hard miles & lost its muffler & exhaust lots of times on bad roads looking for waves Its great to hear surfing is still going strong in nelson - do you still surf the cut ?
so long Lee
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Friday, November 29, 2013
Sunset Beach Pro 10-15ft
Looks like a great weekend of spectator viewing.
Check out the sunset pro http://vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/vansworldcupofsurfing2013/live
Check out the sunset pro http://vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/vansworldcupofsurfing2013/live
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Photo of the Week
Box of Light took this great shot of Nelson local Marco Edwards and I get the feeling some of us are gonna be looking at a similar picture really soon!! Have a great weekend!!
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Ok snap out of it Already !!
Tired of endlesss summer days and frolicking with Orca and Dolphins?
Just a couple more days folks and the weather patterns look set to snap out of their "Summer Coma" as we see some more lively fronts lining up the Tasman instigated by some good lows forming around and on Tasmania. Our local water temp is now resting firmly on a balmy 18degrees and with a micro groundswell through the week it was good to get out in the water with minimal rubber.
So, sit tight, the "Uni-returnee" curse is just about over and its time to mix it up with the summer crowds and
as a good friend once said , "If its flat, at least we've got sunscreen".
See you in the water soon.
Just a couple more days folks and the weather patterns look set to snap out of their "Summer Coma" as we see some more lively fronts lining up the Tasman instigated by some good lows forming around and on Tasmania. Our local water temp is now resting firmly on a balmy 18degrees and with a micro groundswell through the week it was good to get out in the water with minimal rubber.
So, sit tight, the "Uni-returnee" curse is just about over and its time to mix it up with the summer crowds and
as a good friend once said , "If its flat, at least we've got sunscreen".
See you in the water soon.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Photo of the "Ever".
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Surf-Buy-Sell Page Clean Slated
Okay people. Along with heaps of grommets looking for boards it seems that there is a bit of a demand for
secondhand boards in general in Nelson at the moment. What I have done is erased the whole page titled
"Surf-Buy-Swell" to start again from now so if you have got stuff you wanna hock off including wetsuits and fins etc. email it to nelsonboardriders at hotmail dot com and I will put it up there, please provide phone contact details and brief description of what choo got!!!Thanks (Surf Buy Sell page located at top of homepage)
secondhand boards in general in Nelson at the moment. What I have done is erased the whole page titled
"Surf-Buy-Swell" to start again from now so if you have got stuff you wanna hock off including wetsuits and fins etc. email it to nelsonboardriders at hotmail dot com and I will put it up there, please provide phone contact details and brief description of what choo got!!!Thanks (Surf Buy Sell page located at top of homepage)
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Grommets Looking for Boards.
A couple of Nelson groms have hit me up recently asking for second hand surfboards for sale ideal for helping them learn faster rather than the old trick of going out and getting a Kelly Slater thruster and wondering why they still cant surf in 5 years time. What am I on about? Okay ,, looking for fishes or big volume boards preferably below the 6'2 mark though. Anyone with anything of interest please email nelsonboardriders at hotmail dot com.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
A week in Surf City
Last thursday afternoon saw yet another big windy Norwester blast our shores with the swell picking up super fast and the only thing really on offer in the afternoon being some 4 to 6ft chunks at The Glen. As if that wasnt bad enough Friday morning saw even stronger Northwesterly gusts with venturing outside almost seeming dangerous.
I was off to to Westport at midday for the Cape Classic surf comp and as murphys law would have it, as soon as I left Richmond the wind dropped and went Southwest and the sun came out. Graeme Bird and Bruce Wilson obviously had their thinking caps on and jumped in the boat and headed over the hill and round the way and got some good overhead waves whilst the rest of the crew played catchup being joined later by Olin Pilcher and Nigel Keeley. Rabbit Island and even Tahunanui also threw down some fun waves with the offshore and high tide. Saturday morning saw some fun wind affected Snappers go down for the desperate crew who were there from first light making the most of what was left over and entering into Sunday there was still some leftovers with the swell holding a WNW direction for those who knew where to look.....
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Photo of the Week
This weeks photo of the week is of James Laird, puffing cheeks and ready for a Snappers right bowl.
Photo courtesy of Bill evans.
On a quick note I hope everyone has enjoyed Mike and Bruce's stories from below as much as I have. So great to read other peoples stuff and getting some alternate viewpoints on the blog so put pen to paper people and start composing your own little stories of missions be it local or otherwise. Makes for great reading.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Mates on a Mission
Forty knot winds , storm warnings and gnarly weather out of the Tasman is what gets every Nelson surfer frothing.Our excitement was high and we were up hours before sunrise getting the boat ready , food , boards and warm gear. The swell was forecast to drop pretty quickly but with light winds we were keen on a mission. Driven by a desire to escape the crowds and to go and explore an isolated stretch of coast in search of new and maybe never before ridden waves , we were off in search of our own back yard nirvana.
After a long gut churning drive , we finally arrived at the end of the gravel road.With a long way to go still ,we set off across the pass notorious for its swirling currents , huge flows and many boat wrecks. As we neared the exposed side of the island the boat was dipping into some deep ocean swells and our hopes were rising.I had been checking this part of coast for years , usually on a calm day with a fishing rod in hand , wondering what all those kinks and reefs would do in a swell?We had been here with boards a couple of times but never had great conditions and been teased by the potential.This part of the island is extremely exposed and very isolated with no roads , farms , tracks , houses or any sign of civilization at all , just pure south island wilderness.
When we arrived at our destination the tide was not quite right so we motored around the corner to another potential spot and it was peeling , big on the sets and breaking right in front of raw rocks and cliffs . Super exposed , we went in for a closer look. A large set loomed out of the grey sea and broke violently down the reef.
Keni had been quietly watching from under his hoody and when i said (half jokingly) you keen on that bro , he turned round and said yeah mate keen as!! Mark mumbled something about being from Tasmania and then they were over the edge and paddling towards this psycho wave.With swirling winds and currents and not good anchorage in the reefy foul i was a bit relieved to have to stay with the boat. I did wonder how i would explain to Linda and Debs how i had let the fellas go out there if things went wrong.Any way the boys charged it and started to pick off some medium ones. It looked heavy and close to the rocks. I could see the point we had just checked starting to peel with an offshore and when Keni started to paddle further inside towards some gnarly looking reef with with no safe exit , i called the boys back to the boat . They were pretty stoked but i was keen to get some waves so we pulled up the anchor and headed back to the point.
When we got there a nice set peeled all the way down the point and we knew we had scored.There was a good anchorage and i quickly waxed my board and jumped in after Mark and Keni who were already out there.
The waves were peeling and we surfed for hours.
The swell was dropping off pretty quickly and i went in to the beach to get a few snaps of the boys and take it all in.Some goat skeletons , fishing buoys and discarded boat rubbish was the only sign of any other civilization and it was a tranquil moment as waves peeled gently down the point.We had enough so rode the swells back to the boat ramp , stoked with the whole mission.When we eventually got back to Nelson the sun was out , it was offshore and the local break was offering long shoulder high barrels with a a bunch of local guys enjoying it , about as good as it gets at that size. Cleaning of the boat could wait as we paddled out for more. It was a dream day in Nelson and i sank into the couch totally washed out and stoked.
Photos and story by Bruce Wilson.
When we arrived at our destination the tide was not quite right so we motored around the corner to another potential spot and it was peeling , big on the sets and breaking right in front of raw rocks and cliffs . Super exposed , we went in for a closer look. A large set loomed out of the grey sea and broke violently down the reef.
Keni had been quietly watching from under his hoody and when i said (half jokingly) you keen on that bro , he turned round and said yeah mate keen as!! Mark mumbled something about being from Tasmania and then they were over the edge and paddling towards this psycho wave.With swirling winds and currents and not good anchorage in the reefy foul i was a bit relieved to have to stay with the boat. I did wonder how i would explain to Linda and Debs how i had let the fellas go out there if things went wrong.Any way the boys charged it and started to pick off some medium ones. It looked heavy and close to the rocks. I could see the point we had just checked starting to peel with an offshore and when Keni started to paddle further inside towards some gnarly looking reef with with no safe exit , i called the boys back to the boat . They were pretty stoked but i was keen to get some waves so we pulled up the anchor and headed back to the point.
When we got there a nice set peeled all the way down the point and we knew we had scored.There was a good anchorage and i quickly waxed my board and jumped in after Mark and Keni who were already out there.
The waves were peeling and we surfed for hours.
The swell was dropping off pretty quickly and i went in to the beach to get a few snaps of the boys and take it all in.Some goat skeletons , fishing buoys and discarded boat rubbish was the only sign of any other civilization and it was a tranquil moment as waves peeled gently down the point.We had enough so rode the swells back to the boat ramp , stoked with the whole mission.When we eventually got back to Nelson the sun was out , it was offshore and the local break was offering long shoulder high barrels with a a bunch of local guys enjoying it , about as good as it gets at that size. Cleaning of the boat could wait as we paddled out for more. It was a dream day in Nelson and i sank into the couch totally washed out and stoked.
Photos and story by Bruce Wilson.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
No Slouch.... A short Sea Story
... well, I like to think that im no slouch - not that its a choice so much as a driven thing, if you know what I mean - an unquenchable desire to Do ... absolutely man, lets do it! If there is no-one to do it with, I tend to do it anyway, but lets face it, unless you are in a particularly Zen moment, its nicer doing it with friends aye? So last night, with this firmly in my subconscious, at 5.30pm I joined Marky Mark Nichols and another friend, Wairarapa Rob in his tinny at the Akersten St slipway and in our wetties, took off into the swarming gloom and 40knot winds to go and surf The Cut, next to Haulashore Island.
On the way there we were heading with the weather, but I was glad of the 3mm vest/hood I had on under my winter steamer, because I planned to bodysurf the spot and I wanted to be toasty warm. Marky is an old hand at The Cut but I had been waiting for a while now, to bodysurf it and looking at the top two images below, you might be able to see why I wanted to get in there. Bodysurfing on a small handboard, which I have practiced extensively over the last four years, ideally needs a hollow wave and this spot is renowned for delivering just that. We arrived in the nook just behind The Cut on the Haven side of the Boulder Bank and after an interesting struggle to moor the tinny (Rob nearly broke both Marky`s legs in his efforts to tie up) we jumped overboard and swam/paddled to the Bank for a looksee over the other side. So in my minds eye I was seeing the first two pics below, but in reality it was the following pics (these were taken at The Glen after I got home) which greeted our hunched-against-the- 40 knot- stormforce-wind-forms. Marky reckoned that if you hug the concrete and wood structure (see first pic) there is a back-eddy and you dont get sucked down the Bank and with this in mind the three of us dived into the maelstrom. Of course, I had spotted what I thought to be a more makeable section a little further out and before you could say Shag-on-a-rock, the current had me and I was gone ... the tide was coming in so no worries - I just had a speed-blur vision of passing rocks and the two forms of Marky and Rob walking back, as I swam back over to the Bank. Getting in and out on boulders while wearing swim-fins is always a challenge and as the surge unceremoniously spat me up the Bank, I consoled myself with the knowledge that I had been very toasty warm throughout my (en-)light`ning trip. Rob and I sat on the Bank in the gathering gloom and watched Marky duck-dive 50 unmakeable waves in 30 mins until it finally dawned on us ... 'Its not going to work bro!' and we headed back, somewhat thankfully, to the security of the tinny.
Surfing in such outrageous conditions in such full-on surroundings (calculated risk - we are all very experienced surfers) was nothing to the insane high-speed run in the tinny, back up the Haven - against the weather! Spine jarring, gut-wrenching, water-smakking 10 mins later, we arrived back at the slipway, pleased as hell with our adventure and looking forward to home and families, warm fires and food. I had picked up a large, heart-shaped stone which I managed to swim back to the boat as a present for Janice, my partner and climbing into the boat, I left it on the transom. When Rob climbed up, he saw it and in astonishment said, 'Where did that come from?' I very nearly told him the wind had blown it off the Boulder Bank onto the boat ... Words by Mike Baker.
On the way there we were heading with the weather, but I was glad of the 3mm vest/hood I had on under my winter steamer, because I planned to bodysurf the spot and I wanted to be toasty warm. Marky is an old hand at The Cut but I had been waiting for a while now, to bodysurf it and looking at the top two images below, you might be able to see why I wanted to get in there. Bodysurfing on a small handboard, which I have practiced extensively over the last four years, ideally needs a hollow wave and this spot is renowned for delivering just that. We arrived in the nook just behind The Cut on the Haven side of the Boulder Bank and after an interesting struggle to moor the tinny (Rob nearly broke both Marky`s legs in his efforts to tie up) we jumped overboard and swam/paddled to the Bank for a looksee over the other side. So in my minds eye I was seeing the first two pics below, but in reality it was the following pics (these were taken at The Glen after I got home) which greeted our hunched-against-the- 40 knot- stormforce-wind-forms. Marky reckoned that if you hug the concrete and wood structure (see first pic) there is a back-eddy and you dont get sucked down the Bank and with this in mind the three of us dived into the maelstrom. Of course, I had spotted what I thought to be a more makeable section a little further out and before you could say Shag-on-a-rock, the current had me and I was gone ... the tide was coming in so no worries - I just had a speed-blur vision of passing rocks and the two forms of Marky and Rob walking back, as I swam back over to the Bank. Getting in and out on boulders while wearing swim-fins is always a challenge and as the surge unceremoniously spat me up the Bank, I consoled myself with the knowledge that I had been very toasty warm throughout my (en-)light`ning trip. Rob and I sat on the Bank in the gathering gloom and watched Marky duck-dive 50 unmakeable waves in 30 mins until it finally dawned on us ... 'Its not going to work bro!' and we headed back, somewhat thankfully, to the security of the tinny.
Surfing in such outrageous conditions in such full-on surroundings (calculated risk - we are all very experienced surfers) was nothing to the insane high-speed run in the tinny, back up the Haven - against the weather! Spine jarring, gut-wrenching, water-smakking 10 mins later, we arrived back at the slipway, pleased as hell with our adventure and looking forward to home and families, warm fires and food. I had picked up a large, heart-shaped stone which I managed to swim back to the boat as a present for Janice, my partner and climbing into the boat, I left it on the transom. When Rob climbed up, he saw it and in astonishment said, 'Where did that come from?' I very nearly told him the wind had blown it off the Boulder Bank onto the boat ... Words by Mike Baker.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Club Meet a Small Success
Saturday afternoon saw about a dozen of us get together for a BBQ and combined with wives and children
it didnt take long for the foot traffic to become heavy. Good food and good weather made for stunning scenery and jovial conversation. Smack bang in the middle of the holidays meant a few couldnt make it but the crew that turned up were the ever-strong and thanks we had a good afternoon!!
A few conversations regarding the club went down which I will elaborate on further down the page but just firstly, a personal point of view we have approximately 35 members on the books contributing to the club each year and it kind of leaves me wondering what and why people join?? Surely its not for stickers and t-shirts so maybe its a sense of belonging which then again poses the question... what is is that you want to belong? Anyhow, one idea that arose from the afternoon was perhaps a facebook page for the club and that way more people could get involved and have input. I personally think it would water-down the boardriders site and with 2/3 of members not involved with FB maybe not that useful, however there is a Nelson Weekend Warrior FB page just developed so check it out Nelson Weekend Warrior FB Page
The one thing on everyones lips at the moment is the state of road and carpark at Snappers so anyone keen to help out with organising a fix to that and in general helping out with anything and ideas always feel free to email nelsonboardriders@hotmail dot com.
See you in the water,
it didnt take long for the foot traffic to become heavy. Good food and good weather made for stunning scenery and jovial conversation. Smack bang in the middle of the holidays meant a few couldnt make it but the crew that turned up were the ever-strong and thanks we had a good afternoon!!
A few conversations regarding the club went down which I will elaborate on further down the page but just firstly, a personal point of view we have approximately 35 members on the books contributing to the club each year and it kind of leaves me wondering what and why people join?? Surely its not for stickers and t-shirts so maybe its a sense of belonging which then again poses the question... what is is that you want to belong? Anyhow, one idea that arose from the afternoon was perhaps a facebook page for the club and that way more people could get involved and have input. I personally think it would water-down the boardriders site and with 2/3 of members not involved with FB maybe not that useful, however there is a Nelson Weekend Warrior FB page just developed so check it out Nelson Weekend Warrior FB Page
The one thing on everyones lips at the moment is the state of road and carpark at Snappers so anyone keen to help out with organising a fix to that and in general helping out with anything and ideas always feel free to email nelsonboardriders@hotmail dot com.
See you in the water,
Friday, October 4, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Psillakis and the Baker
Three years ago Mike Baker's van got broke into in the Atawhai area and his boards, wetties even Hendrix Liberache ( obscure stuff) cd's were stolen. Mike was and has been pretty gutted the whole time about it until a couple of weeks ago Bruce Wilson was trolling through trademe and came across Mikes custom Psillakis with custom green spray. Left in the sometimes capable police hands Mike has had everything returned to him 3 years later. Surfing communities and our own Nelson surf community are pretty tight-knit and to the crooks who thought they could get away with it........what a bunch of kooks!!
Congratulations Mike on a hard fought win and big up's to Bruce for being such a board merchant!!
Sit back and enjoy this clip of Mike from 2009 ripping Snaps to Shreds and we hope to see him out there soon with more knee jarring action!!! Yeeoowww
Congratulations Mike on a hard fought win and big up's to Bruce for being such a board merchant!!
Sit back and enjoy this clip of Mike from 2009 ripping Snaps to Shreds and we hope to see him out there soon with more knee jarring action!!! Yeeoowww
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Photo of the Week
Since moving to Australia a couple of months ago, Nelson grommet Jackson Gregory seems to be having
a great time not only crossing the ditch but changing teams also!!! We miss ya mate!!
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Wet Willy's - gettin you out there faster!!
Hi Guys - Graeme Bird has some friends in Aus that have invented this slippery little sucker!!
Watch the promo clip and if your keen get in contact with us here and if numbers ammount
then we as a club may get a shipment!! Wet Willy's All Round!!!
Thats gotta be a good thing right???
Watch the promo clip and if your keen get in contact with us here and if numbers ammount
then we as a club may get a shipment!! Wet Willy's All Round!!!
Thats gotta be a good thing right???
Nelson Weekend Warrior Facebook Page.
Northland import "90mile" Joe has created this page to network with
crew keen to hook up for missions out of town. A great idea so check it out!!
Nelson Weekend Warrior Facebook Page
crew keen to hook up for missions out of town. A great idea so check it out!!
Nelson Weekend Warrior Facebook Page
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Spring Flings
Windy Spring is upon us with Northwest/Southwest combinations lining up in the Tasman seemingly on a weekly cycle for now.... Some fun ones through the week with the wind playing a bit of a cat and mouse game but for 'Johnny on the Spot' there were some fruits available.
(above): Secret Squirrel at relatively empty Snaps Thursday Afternoon. |
Sunday, September 8, 2013
No Meat/Meet just yet.
Due to unreliable weather predictions and lack of organisational skills the Club meet has been postponed for the coming fortnight. There is however a chance we will all meet in one way or another over the coming days . Have a good week.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Get Ready to Be Blustered!
(above): James "laff" Laird's speed blur. |
Spring is classic for these blustery conditions, its how the seed is spread some say.
Daylight hours have finally toppled the nights so make the most of the coming early morning light before daylight savings kicks in.
(above): Jack Malcom's awkward moment, knee deep on the ledge at The Glen. |
(above): Jim Tyson with a hint of his fathers classic style. |
(above): Olin P. Crouching Crane, hidden Dragon. |
Thats about it and once again thanks to grommet Jimmy Jay Wright for more amazing photos!!!
thanks for watching
Monday, September 2, 2013
Club Meeting Soon!!!
While not so much a meeting but more a social gathering, looking at holding a club meet
soon.... TBA (possibly this friday arvo evening now so stay tuned).
Please check the members page and let us know if your name is not on the members list when it should be.
Suggestions for Club meet have included big screen movie night at the freehouse, BBQ on my own p.diddy deck overlooking The Glen, a bonfire at Snappers (permit pending). Any more suggestions most welcome as were long overdue to get together tell stories of our hey daze. We may even decide on what to do with the kitty of funds semi formally, eg: re-gravel the carpark (we do get refunded from NCC eventually).
soon.... TBA (possibly this friday arvo evening now so stay tuned).
Please check the members page and let us know if your name is not on the members list when it should be.
Suggestions for Club meet have included big screen movie night at the freehouse, BBQ on my own p.diddy deck overlooking The Glen, a bonfire at Snappers (permit pending). Any more suggestions most welcome as were long overdue to get together tell stories of our hey daze. We may even decide on what to do with the kitty of funds semi formally, eg: re-gravel the carpark (we do get refunded from NCC eventually).
Photo of the Week
As if getting the cover shot on last months SPOKE magazine wasn't enough, Nelson surfer Leif Christenson
backs it up solidly in this months magazine with a sneaky barrell shot at PK's whilst on the same trip.
Hang on isnt it meant to be a bike magazine ?!?!?!!?
backs it up solidly in this months magazine with a sneaky barrell shot at PK's whilst on the same trip.
Hang on isnt it meant to be a bike magazine ?!?!?!!?
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Happy Spring and Fathers Day.
Spring bursts into action this weekend with ridiculously calm clear weather and most of our surfing dads are either enjoying a relaxing morning in bed and the lucky ones may even be elsewhere catching some waves because unfortunately on our local shores it also ridiculously flat and if you stare into the crystal ball at this stage it paints a pretty grim picture.
Lets not dwell on it though and look forward to some warmer water temps and longer daylight hours as we have seemed to sneak through winter without the water getting too, too cold.
Lets cross fingers that the record breaking warm temperatures in Aussie this weekend disturb the Tasman enough to spawn something later in the week and get out and enjoy that vitamin D.
Cheers.
Lets not dwell on it though and look forward to some warmer water temps and longer daylight hours as we have seemed to sneak through winter without the water getting too, too cold.
Lets cross fingers that the record breaking warm temperatures in Aussie this weekend disturb the Tasman enough to spawn something later in the week and get out and enjoy that vitamin D.
Cheers.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Photo of the Week
Photo of the week goes to this insanely sick punt of Nelson surfer Joe Leeper reaching sickening heights in Dunedin and showing his fellow scarfie mates how its done.
Photo: Copyright Aquabumps 2013
www.aquabumps.com
www.aquabumps.com
Monday, August 19, 2013
Snaps comes to Life
Last Saturday morning saw a long awaited North/Northwest groundswell filter into the bay after 6 weeks of hopeless smaller swells. Dropping a little from solid 4-5ft on dawn ( sounding even bigger earlier at 1am ) the swell stuck around all day and even into Sunday with a small lucky crew reaping the rewards of having a look with flawless lines stacked to the back making Snappers turn very Trestles like.
(above): Bruce Wilson in full flight on a 7ft plus single fin. |
On a darker smellier note, the sewerage ponds absolutely reeked and the water quality left a lot to be desired.
Back to the brightside of life as Brian would have it there seems to be more swell on the way and maybe even noted is people being a little more courteous and communicating better in the water of late with calling themselves and others into waves with pre-set organization meaning everyones getting their share.
A very long time between "club" get-togethers so be looking at organizing something in the coming month
a lot of newer faces and members keen to get involved and get some stuff done with the carpark at Snappers now sprting a trendy fence it would be great to get another base coat of gravel thrown down and some other ideas including the re-emegence of a night surfing session idea at The Glen have not gone unheard !! Stay tuned and see you in the water.
Back to the brightside of life as Brian would have it there seems to be more swell on the way and maybe even noted is people being a little more courteous and communicating better in the water of late with calling themselves and others into waves with pre-set organization meaning everyones getting their share.
(above): Empty one goes spare. |
a lot of newer faces and members keen to get involved and get some stuff done with the carpark at Snappers now sprting a trendy fence it would be great to get another base coat of gravel thrown down and some other ideas including the re-emegence of a night surfing session idea at The Glen have not gone unheard !! Stay tuned and see you in the water.
Photos: Jimmy Jay Wright Copyright 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
A Change of Chart.
Time to pull the plug on your depression bath as the weather gods finally swing in our favour again.
Its been a hard few weeks but it looks as though we are in for some swell again over the next couple of cycles.
Some pretty desperate times late last week saw half a dozen guys on mals fighting for half a foot scraps at Snappers, it
was definately cringe-worthy from the witness stand but for those amongst it was the 1983/84 Huntington Beach Pro assured!!
A few crew have been getting away with FItzy, Blink, Stevo-Devo and Keni heard to be haunting Kahutara like cameo locals
whilst folk like Gary Miller have been sticking it out west making the most of favourable West Coast winds.
Rob Sheridan (pictured below) just got back from Devils Island, Samoa , claiming it was surreal and dream like whilst
Jeremy Pooley has headed to Maylasia on a work then surf sabbatical.
The days are getting longer by a good 10 minutes per week at the moment so force a smile and see you out there!!
(above): Ruby Bay Rob, not at Ruby Bay. |
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
A Problem With The Weather ?
It doesnt take a meteorologist to see an alarming trend in the weather patterns of late with another low looking to set into the northeast of the country in the coming week replicating the last weeks weather pattern. Totally uncharacteristic for this time of the year more commonly seen in summertime, this paints a pretty grim picture for Nelson's up and coming surf prospects.
Thats right, do not hold your breath for the next swell here as you may turn blue and end up swimming with the fishes, sea.
Snow you say?... Not that myself personally is an expert in this field but you may have noticed a rapid decline in the amount of white stuff on the hills over the last few days so that backup plan may be slowly flailing.
The upside is that both West and East coasts tend to revel in these settled patterns as both coasts receive long distant,
well groomed lines.
Unfortunately the only waves we may see in Nelson over the next couple of weeks will be if we get a cracker of an earthquake and the chances of that happening are, well........
Take care
Take care
(above): Rob Sheridan, GoPro Framegrab at Snappers. |
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Conal's Nine Days
Conal and Ana Parkes are set to leave our shores again and we wish them well on their travels to Whangamatta, London and beyond!!
Conal had dropped 4 clips to me which I shall drip feed over the next couple of weeks to keep you guys hanging and to keep the site hits up...ahem. (double-click for full screen)
Enjoy and many thanks to Con-Dog !!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Photo of the Week
This girl waits patiently for the waves at Snappers often getting over-run by the cool guys but here she is snagging a wave for herself and also getting her first ever surfing photo!!!
"How can this be, I dont catch any waves", she said..
Annika Wagenhoff, stealing a wave off the boys!
"How can this be, I dont catch any waves", she said..
Annika Wagenhoff, stealing a wave off the boys!
Co-Worker makes Surf Flick!
A workmate of mine came out with this random footage and added some of his own original music to the images. A great take and Snapshot clip of a lone surfer, Dunedin Rob and some sultry light!!!
thanks heaps to Peter Grahame. ( double click for fullscreen)
thanks heaps to Peter Grahame. ( double click for fullscreen)
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Confessional Frother..
The term "frothing" is a surfing term which kind of replaced the word "stoked" after the word "stoked" went mainstream and even your grandmother was saying it. Frothing refers to the foam created from the copius amounts of saliva produced when one starts drooling over anticipated surf time. Heavy frothing occurs when an actual "beard" of froth begins to form on ones chin often associated with low tone constant groaning..
Being a sufferer of this condition myself for many years I find it hard to go more than 6hours without checking a 7day isobaric map. I often find myself planning my surfs 3 to 4 days out from the actual occurence constantly cross-referencing tides and even tide heights become crucial. I record the time it takes to drive to different locations and then add walking distances/wetsuit change times and the like to make sure I hit the water right at the intended time. I polish the bottom of my board and think speed32 is a viable invention. I infact get so adrenalised I shake and tremble before a surf , and once I hit the water I often find it anti-climatic and leave the water dissapointed as its the thrill of the chase that haunts my poor soul.
I can feel it brewing inside me now and its still 7days away from the event,
The admission of a chronic frother that I am.
I live for whats around the corner.
Being a sufferer of this condition myself for many years I find it hard to go more than 6hours without checking a 7day isobaric map. I often find myself planning my surfs 3 to 4 days out from the actual occurence constantly cross-referencing tides and even tide heights become crucial. I record the time it takes to drive to different locations and then add walking distances/wetsuit change times and the like to make sure I hit the water right at the intended time. I polish the bottom of my board and think speed32 is a viable invention. I infact get so adrenalised I shake and tremble before a surf , and once I hit the water I often find it anti-climatic and leave the water dissapointed as its the thrill of the chase that haunts my poor soul.
I can feel it brewing inside me now and its still 7days away from the event,
The admission of a chronic frother that I am.
I live for whats around the corner.
Reprieve
A near two week reprieve between swells means its time to catch up on stuff back on land and free up some glide time for the next onslaught from surf city. A cold week just passed and some fresh dumpings of snow means it wont be long until the "real" water temperature kicks in.
The upside of this downturn in water temperature generally means less crowds as the fashion weeds out from the function!! Some great surfing going on from all the crew lately and luckily enough we have a couple more photo's to spill about the place.
Looking for input from you guys out there and would love someone/s to come forward with their own stories of Nelson or elsewheres surf experiences. Dont be shy.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Whangamoa Dreaming
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Just When you thought it was over someone grabs you by the cucumber 🥒
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