The groms mid training

Pukehina Marae was the venue last weekend for the first Rangatahi Maori Surfers Development Wananga.  Sixteen of New Zealand’s top Maori juniors surfers aged between 8 and 16 were selected to attend an Elite training camp under the watchful eye of Surfing New Zealand High Performance Coach Lee Ryan (Tauiwi) and Maori Development Coach Daniel Proctor (Ngati Uepohatu).

Selection for the camp was determined by individual results and attendance at the various grommet contests that Surfing NZ deliver. This ensured that both coaches had a solid base of surfers that were already competing in contest at a national level.

I saw a lot of natural talent in the group and my focus is to enhance this natural talent by strengthening their knowledge of the competition rules, judging criteria, heat assessment, heat strategy and tactics along with lectures on fitness and goal setting said Lee Ryan. These are some of the key areas that will help the rangatahi to become more adapt to the contest environment and give them the edge and possibly a national title.

The training camps are designed to improve their contest performance and develop and enhance the skills that each surfer possesses, commented Daniel Proctor (Ngati Uepohatu). Various workshops contained in the program will provide the rangatahi with information and tools that will assist them to develop and utilize their skills more efficiently. Most think that natural talent is all that is needed to become a champion but hard work, commitment, sacrifices, passion and a desire to be the best is what we need to instil in them if they want to succeed. I wish that there were training camps and coaches when I was at the peak of my career as it may have helped me win a national title and make a New Zealand Representative team a lot sooner.

Incorporated into the training camps are portions of tikanga and kawa said Surfing NZ Maori Projects Manager Steve Ria (Ngati Ruapani/Rongowhakaata). It had become apparent that many surfers have been urbanised and had not had the opportunity or exposure to tikanga and kawa let alone being on a Marae. By delivering our Maori projects on the Marae was one way for us to address this and to introduce aspects of tikanga that would act as stimuli to encourage the rangatahi to reinforce their cultural and iwi identity and reunite themselves with their taha Maori.

The training camp is one of three planned in partnership with Te Puni Kokiri and Surfing NZ with the next training camp scheduled for the 21^st-22^nd August in Whaingaroa (Raglan).

For more information contact Maori Project Manager Steve Ria by email on steve.ria@surfingnz.co.nz or visit  www.surfingnz.co.nz 

The Groms at Pukehina	Tane Bowden
At the Marae	Kahu Ranga