What ever happened to the lone Canadian Competitor at the 2009 Kneeboard Surfing World Titles

Local Paddock Advertising, NZ style

The Contest officially started Saturday April 11. All the teams met around 11am for a parade down teh main street in Opunake. There were representatives from Australia, NZ, UK, USA, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Tahiti, South Africa, and Canada. The opening ceremonies were held in a large tent where the competitors and community members congregated to listen to speeches and watch/listen to a cultural performance by a local Moari childrens dance group.

It was a wonderful welcome. There is a great video put together by by Visual Journalist, Michael Fernandez, that captures a bit of NZ and the atmosphere of the contest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS-QH5dpo7E

The surfing events started sunday. The first heats of the contest, which included the womens, cadets and teams event, were held at Opunake main Beach. Conditions were small, the wind was predominantly on shore and overall made for really challenging conditions.

I made it thorugh the first round of the womens event, but with conditions becoming more difficult, and small as the tide went out and the day went on I was unable to get the waves and score the points to move on to the final.

The following day I surfed the Open (mens) Trials, challenging for me and did not make it to the next heats.

The surf seemed to get better as the week wore on. By the time I had to surf again a few days later in my age division we had much better waves than sunday. I had one decent scoring wave and was surprised to be in second place for part of the heat, however, I was unable to connect and catch a second waves to hold second place.

Contest surfing is a bit nerve racking, but it is a great way-a catalyst- to push your surfing. I was disappointed to not make the womens final, but I certainly enjoyed free surfing the rest of the week. I also really enjoyed seeing so many good surfers out showing their moves. Heat after heat, wave after wave, it really was a treat to see so much performance kneeboarding.

Other Peoples Photos

I was very slack during the contest in terms of taking pictures, there are som many talented photographers in the global kneeboard surfing commnunity....

http://www.kneeboardsurfingworldtitles.com/index.php

http://www.ksusa.org/Forum/album_cat.php?cat_id=113

http://www.surfingnz.co.nz/coleman_defends_title_while_christophers_takes_one_for_kiwis.htm

http://www.surfingnz.co.nz/coleman_defends_title_while_christophers_takes_one_for_kiwis.htm

NZ

I arrived in NZ a few at the beginning of April. I flew direct from Vancouver to Auckland, all pretty easy save for my tooth ache. I had a wisdom tooth removed the day before departure, which did cause a bit of discomfort, however the pain pills for the tooth ache knocked me out for most of the 14 hour flight. The more I travel the easy each trip gets, and the more I learn what are good things to do to prepare for easy travel and what not to do. I learned it's probably a good idea to go to the dentist more than every 9 years and not to leave tooth removal for the day before grueling international flights.
When I arrived at the airport in Auckland all the kneeboard surfing mania had already begun. I ran into a few of the Kneeboard Surfing team USA, a couple of characters I have met at previous contests in the states. I was a bit tired, but they were totally fired up about a few days exploring NZ and chasing waves before the big worlds event. Their enthusiasm and smiles in the early morning Auckland light helped combat my post 14 hour flight fatigue and I left the airport totally stoked and ready for adventure and surf.
I wondered around Auckland and stumbled on the YMCA swimming pool downtown. A great place, free showers and big, lucious, clean white towels for hire for only 2 kiwi dollars. Life certainly is grand.
After wandering around boring Auckland for a few hours, unable to get a hold of the family in Opunake with whom I was to stay and tired of waiting for the bus I opted to hire a car. Freedom. The day was glorious , 23 degrees, sunny and just me and the open road. Tunes playing and wind in my hair.

Mt Taranaki, Opunake NZ

I arrived in Opunake aroun 9pm, to the open arms of the Weir family. Not only have they become close friends of mine over the past few years, but they are also the brains, and spirit behind the 2009 Kneeboard Surfing World titles. An event which they have been planning for a few years now.
Over the course of the next few weeks the Weir Household woud have its doors open from the early hours of the morning 'til the wee hours of the night. All the rooms and beds were full. There were so many travellers and kneeboard surfers staying, they set up a circuis tent in the front yard to accomodate everyone. A few mornings the lounge chairs and couches were taken up by sleeping bodies, teeangers and other wounded souldiers. It was a full house. The kiwi hospitality really is amazing, no matter how many people stopped by there was always enough food, drink and places to rest our weary bodies.

Extra accomodation at the Weir's place during the contest, there are two large rooms in the tent, mine was the one in back.

The week before the contest was fairly relaxed, a few friends arrived form Aussie, and as the week went on more kneeboarders started honing in on little Opunake. The weather was sunny and then rainy, there was swell, but it the wind was howling onshore for most of the week. The weather had cleared by good friday, and the surf looked like it would pick up for the following weeks events.

View from lookout in Opunake

Up, Up and Away!!!!!

It's been a great time in BC, the weather a bit much at times but there sure are some beautiful sights and wonderful people in this part of the world....

I'm off to NZ tomorrow..........

Surfing Pics

I spent the past year traveling, a few months in Mexico, a few in Australia, New Zealand and nearly 2 months in Indonesia where I ended my trip. The primary purpose of the trip was to surf, everyday, for a year. There isn't much photographic evidence that I did such a trip and surfed as much as I did. However, I was fortunate enough to bring these snaps home to show my friends and family that I was really surfing on my trip....

Small, sunset surf at Lakey Pipe, Sumbawa. Taken ealry August when I was there for two weeks, by Erik Aeder.


Another small day at Lakey Pipe, great conditions , another gorgeous day. Photo also taken by Erik. Lakey Pipe, photo by Erik.


After Sumbawa I flew back to Bali and spent a few days at Uluwatu. I didn't surf the first day there, mostly because I wasn't that keen on surfing with a 150 people.
The next day was small and I got out and got some good waves, despite the crowds. I ran into the fisrt kneeboard surfer of my trip, a guy who I actually met while surfing in Margaret River WA in may.
The next day the surf was a bit bigger, conditions were great and I actually ran into 4 other kneeboard surfers, three from USA and one from Aussie. We had a great surf in the morning and getnerall just had a really fun day.
It was the perfect ending to the perfect trip.
I caught one of my best waves of the year and had an awesome surf at an epic spot on my new Flashpoint.
Uluwatu August 19.
Uluwatu August 19, 20008

Waiting in Singapore..

Just killing a bit of time in the singapore airport.
The Indo extravaganza wrapped up with flare and was a totally smooth ending to a great year. A few dozen more hours of traveling and I will be home sweet home.
I still can't believe it all went down the way it did, and it's already been a year. I can't wait to do it all agin in 2009!!!
I will be posting my sumbawa pictures when I return, and doing the last posts for Uluwatu, and bali.
take care.

Back in Bali

I just spent nearly two weeks in Sumbawa. It really was geat, but you'll all hear about it later when I post some pics. I am safely back in Bali, staying up at Ulluwatu for a few nights. I flight out of Denpasar on Wednesday, it will be a long haul home.
Definately looking forward to a steak, and good bc brew and the sweet company of friends and family.
See you soon.