Back to Raglan…A Life Changer and The Last Last Supper!

Arriving back in Raglan we were started to notice a lot of young men with really bad facial hair cutting about in all the latest surfing fashion atire. At first we thought nothing of it, and assumed it must be the time of year, but after a quick check of the surf next morning we were confounded by the same youths. Only this time busting out airs in the small morning beachy mush. It should have clicked then, but didnt it was only once we drove past Manu Point and saw the compition on we realised these weirdos were actually semi/wannabe pro surfers and they were there competing for the regional title. Although the surf was still fairly small at Manu the youths were ripping it to shreads and doing things on waves as far as I'm aware go againt all the laws of physics/luck.

 After watching for a while i was getting pretty pumped up for a surf in some proper waves so we headed on round the coast to Whale Bay. It was packed with all the pros not competing and breaking fast and hollow real close to the rocks. So I plucked up the nerves to make the paddle over to Indicators and see what all the fuss was about. By the time I got into my suit and waxed up the sun was getting low and the wind had died off. During the long paddle across the bay my nerves started tingling as wave after wave spat surfers out of long clear glassy tubes into the channel infront of me. Reaching the point my perception of the wave went from oh s#!t this is a intesne wave to HOLY C@#P their getting multiple tubes and I've still got along way to paddle. Taking it wide round the point i fell in behind the last surfer as we paddled south down the point. On reaching the take off point i flashed my smile at a few of the older grumpier looking dudes sitting deeper than any one and sat back accepting I was going to get snaked for the first few sets. Despite the crowd being small the level was high and the take off point small, but after a while I got called into a wave, a quick look gave me the impression it was a close out and being real close to the dry rocks and the sets being over head the sphincter started twitching, but instead of passing it up i put my head down and dug deep, popping up and looking down the line I was greeted with one of the most beautifully scarry images I've ever seen. Sun shining through this over head clear glassy wall which had lined up as far as i could see and looking down seeing the rocks all sharp and angry looking whizzing past below me, one big pump and I knew why the guys had called me into it. The section ahead of me threw out and I dived head first through the shimmering wall. After paddling back out past all the older dudes who had called me onto it and who were now laughing i kept paddling and sat further out and deeper. The first wave of the next set was mine head down and arms going like the clappers I paddled past them on the inside and popped up behind the peak, a big retro hand drag bottom turn got me past the lip and onto the face and again I was again presented with the same view only this time I wasn't looking down at the scary rocks or the sun set through the wobbly wall but on the lip and concentrating on getting a good few pumps in. Reaching the 2nd section I was so realived I took my eye off lip and the face and looked at boiling water just front of me as i bounced over it I noticed the sound of rushing water and spray hitting my head, ducking down I grabbed my rail and looked up to see the lip race on ahead and throw out landing in the flats in front of me. Getting low and trying to force my front foot through the deck i aimed for the window into the outside world and held on. The spary caught up with me and when i opened my eyes again i was out on the open face. A couple of victory carves and then a grab rail cutback into the white water as the wave backed off then my heart started racing again as I saw it line up again...

Indicators over behind that headland, surfing all the way through to the inside with that section out of view behind the headland being a barrel section, I made it as far as the end of the point...

Only this time I felt invincible. I wasn’t HaHaHaHa

After driving back through Manu to see if there was any free stuff going we got waved down by Richie…our new best Maori mate. Only we thought he was going to give us grief, maybe he was mates with the old git from my last visit. No he wanted us to stay in the night parked next to the judges tent and have a premier spot the next morning to watch the comp. the only catch we had to guard the tent. Make sure no one runs off it with it in the night. However in agreeing to this and through some very clever layering of guilt we ended up cooking him his dinner, and helping him set up the next morning. We laughing about what muggs we were and if there was a limit to what we do to get away with not paying for a campsite when he came round with a big box of nature valley bars.
The next couple of days were spent surfing around raglan and paying for camping and wishing we were up at 4am helping set up a surf contest and not paying. The last night we had in the van Niall and Anna offered for us to go round to their house to share some of our adventures and have a home cooked dinner. Anna cooked a sensational Indonesian meal and it wasn’t long before boards were being pulled out and debates on what was the perfect wave. One of the boards Naill had hidden away was a Cambell’s Brothers original Bronzer 5 fin. Meeting Naill at the beach the next morning we were disappointed to see that any shape or form from the previous days had left the surf and after checking everywhere else decided to go have a play at the beach. With much board swapping and over dramatic dismounts it was finally time to head back and quickly give the van a last clean and pack up. Naill kindly gave us a lift back up to Ian’s house where we had our last last supper in Nz.

Manu Bay

this wee guy was on fire