By Seventhwave Team-Rider and Guest Blogger Ambrose McNeill
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| The Writer, Photo: CPL www.photocpl.co.nz/ |
My adventure started at Christchurch airport. In order to maintain a slender budget for
the trip I had decided NOT to take my surfboard (instead borrow a friends) and also to
catch a standby flight. For anyone that hasn’t traveled standby before, the
idea is that you rock up to the airport half an hour before your planned flight
with no ticket and they will sell you an unsold seat for a piece of banana
bread and a live chicken or alternatively $69. If you don’t get on your
intended flight they put you on the next one. Well, when I arrived at the
airport there was a line longer than the tower of terror at Dreamland. Despite
being a student myself, I had forgotten to take into account that university
started on Monday and every man and his chicken were ditching Christchurch.
By the time I reached the front of the
line there were no flights to New Plymouth and all that was left was a lone
flight to Palmerston North…
On the plane ride to Palmerston North
I frantically tried to colour in the words New Plymouth on an old banana box as
this was hopefully going to be my ticket to making it the contest, I had 12
hours. I arrived in Palmerston North at 8.30pm and had a Taxi drop me on the
main road out of town. As the sun went down on me and about twenty cars speed
past things were looking grim. Just as I was about to call Mumud (the taxi driver who gave me his card)
and find a hostel, a wee Toyota sedan pulled over. A middle aged couple said
they were going to Wanganui and that I could stay the night with them there and start again in
the morning. Although I could hear my mother’s voice telling me never to get
into a car with strangers and stay at their house, I went with my sensible
conscious and jumped in.
Carmel and her husband Tom were on
their way to surprise their daughter and family for their grandsons first birthday. The family had no idea Carmel and Tom
were coming to stay, let alone bringing a hitch hiker. After the initial surprise,
“why the hell did you bring a hitch hiker to stay mum?” vibe, the Keppa family completely
took me under their wing. I had an awesome night talking about the upcoming
Super 15 season and being shown magic tricks by 12 year old Josh.
The next morning I set out at 6am.
Wanganui to New Plymouth is a two hour drive and I had potential to be in the
first heat at 8am. After only waiting fifteen minutes a huge milk tanker halted
up in front of me. The truck was bound for Inglewood, about 20 minutes from New
Plymouth. The driver, Paul, was a typical kiwi good sort and he filled me on
his life as a Dad, the great parts of NZ, rugby picks for the year, and how all
the truckies will radio in when they’ve seen a hot chick. We even stopped at a
farm to pick up a few thousand litres of milk.
I texted my mate Sam Bound, a local
surfer from Taranaki to see if he could pick me up in Inglewood and take me the
last leg, “No worries Bro!”. I also texted the contest director Ben Kennings to
see the start time of my heat and much to my joy he responded the contest wasn’t
starting till 9.30. Yew!
Sam and I arrived at the contest at
9.30am and I had 2 hours until my heat. Mission accomplished.
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| Ambrose McNeill in the first heat of the Open division Photo: Guy Rencher |
Hanging out in-between the heats is often the best part of going to contests. Surfing is such a cool way to connect with people and I’ve made a bunch of rad friends from going to these events.
It’s fun just hanging out with
everyone and lying about all the perfect barrels each of our home breaks has
had in the last few weeks.
Hyundai sets up a massive covered deck
with couches and umbrellas which is all really flash. I think it’s really for
the corporate sponsors but the surfers always invade it and claim it as their
fortress. There’s always a mean barby making burgers and sausages which is the
perfect pre-comp meal for any good athlete.
At the end of the day I surfed my
quarter final narrowly getting 3rd so was knocked out of the event.
Despite the bumpy little waves there was some awesome surfing going on in all
division in the early rounds.
On day 2 of the event the action
really started to heat up, as did the sausages. The surf had cleaned up again
and the sun was blazing and stayed like that all day. I got to surf in the
‘log’ division where surfers have to ride traditional heavily weighted single
fin boards. The division is pretty much a free for all, the contestants are all
sent out at once for half an hour and places are determined by who stood out
for that whole session.
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| Moti Proctor, a true legend Photo: CPL www.photocpl.co.nz/ |
Prize giving was wrapped up and then
that was it. I said good-bye to all my North Island buddies and then hopped in
a strangers car (nah, just jokes, thanks Brian and Branko) to Auckland were I got
the last standby flight home to Christchurch.
Thanks to the Keppa family, Mumud, Paul
the milk truck man, Ant McColl, Sam Bound, Brain Western and Branko, Mickey T
and everyone else for all helping me out on the trip! You’re all rad.
A full list of results from the event can be seen at
Have you got a story to share? Would you like to be a guest blogger?
If so, we are keen to meet you. Get in touch and send us an email to: seventhwave.co.nz@gmail.com
