Shot of the Day: local rider Hugh Ritchie

Local surfer Hugh Ritchie catches some air during the North Wai Juniors Competition on the 8th of May, photo by MJames.

Check out more daily photos at surf.co.nz, you never know, may just be a photo of you one day!

Stranded Whale saved by Seventhwave Surfers!

A group of locals helped refloat a 25-year-old killer whale that had beached itself at Ruakaka in Northland yesterday afternoon.

It is the second time Putita has beached himself in 11 years. Volunteer surfers and DOC workers, directed by orca expert Dr Ingrid Visser, worked to push Putita back out to shore, while his distressed mother and brother swam back and forther across the shore.


Putita was finally returned to his pod around 2.30pm - half an hour after his stranding.

See the footage shot by Nicolas Brikke here

Zing! Seventhwave website changes

We've made a few changes on our website to make things easier to get to! The top home bar has been shortened as it was a tad cramped.  The side menu now has all the goodies: news & views, feedback, video feedback, photography and more. Have a look-see!

Greatest wipeouts on video!

Even the pro's take beatings like the rest of us... only on a much larger scale! Check out the crazy video action and interviews here: http://www.surfline.com/surflinetv/greatest-wipeouts

The VW Kombi Turns 60!

Sixty years ago the first example came off the German production line. That 1950 model - officially called the VW Type 2 - was a miracle of space efficiency: fillable with people and/or cargo from bumper to bumper and edge to edge, thanks to body sides that were slightly thicker than a Home Brand tin can.

Read about the history of the original surfing road trip vehicle here

The 10 best surf shots of all time?

Just like all forms of art, what makes a memorable and legendary surf photo is a matter of personal opinion. One man’s treasure is another man’s trash. Every surfer has their own idea of what makes an image special, and trying to pick images that stand out as “the best” is a difficult procedure and not one to be taken lightly. However, some images are so remarkable they simply rise above debate. We scoured the past twelve volumes of TransWorld SURF and pulled hundreds of amazing images, making dozens of slideshows. We had special viewing parties where we poured over each image, recalling the impact the photo had on our readers, the surfers, the photographers, and the magazine itself. After narrowing our pick down to a few dozen choices, the battles began, and we started to see patterns in the types of photos different staffers and magazine fans liked. In the end, picking ten of the best surf photos in the history of TransWorld SURF was a challenge, and there were still a few hurt feelings and wounded egos when all was said and done.

Check out the amazing pics here.

New homepage pics!

We have some fresh pics on our homepage banner: check them out! Thanks to Amee Donohoe, Maru Pou, Al T, Jimi Crooks, Sam Wells and Ryan Isherwood for the sic pics.

Moretti Brothers dominate event one of the 2010 Northland Scholastic Surfing Series

The first event of the Northland Scholastics Surfing Series kicked off in fun 1.0m waves at Mukerau Beach in Ahipara on Sunday 18th April. Perfect offshore conditions and clean waves breaking around the point offered the perfect setting for the 30 strong field of competitors and there was some great surfing action through out the day.

The Under 18 Boys division was another eye opener for the crew watching on. As the finalists hit the water the tide had backed off and the points seemed to pulse. Louie Smith (Rodney College), fresh from a year at the Raglan Surfing Academy, started strong in the final linking a couple of the bigger waves in the heat all the way to the beach. But it was Seventhwave rider Joe Moretti (Mimiwhangata) who nailed a couple of massive turns and stylish cut backs to take out the final.



2010 Northland Scholastic Surfing Series
Event One - Ahipara - Sunday 18th April 2010
Event Two - Sandy Bay - Sunday 23rd May 2010
Event Three - Mangawhai Heads - Sunday 20th June 2010

Shot of the Day!

Spotted on Surf.co.nz's Shot of the Day: Wade charging Kahutara!

Shot of the day: a blue whale!

Sightseers onboard a Black Cat cruise got their money's worth yesterday when a blue whale surfaced next to the boat. Black Cat Cruises Managing Director Paul Bingham said the increase of whale sightings off the Canterbury Coast was “certainly proving to be a bonus”.
“Black Cat has been operating for twenty five years and over the last twelve months we have seen more varieties of whales than ever before off Banks Peninsula.”
Sightings have also included a Fin Whale, Orca, Curviars Beaked, Humpback, Pilot and Southern Right Whales, as well as Hector dolphins. Larger than 25 elephants, the blue whale is the largest animal ever to live on earth but numbers have been severely depleted due to commercial whaling. Today the number of blue whales in the southern hemisphere is estimated at less than 500, compared to 250,000 prior to commercial whaling.