Jono Lockhart - Image Ryan Adams

New Zealand’s premiere big wave arena, Papatowai awakes after going into hibernation and a handful of kiwi big wave chargers are on the spot to paddle and tow into the biggest waves ridden in New Zealand for years.

With the Metservice calling a rising 8m SW swell for Foveaux Strait only two days from the event, this swell and storm was lining up to be a once in a lifetime opportunity to surf some of the biggest waves ever ridden in NZ waters.

Papatowai has for years been regarded as New Zealand’s very own Mavericks (One of the world’s biggest waves in Northern California) providing surfers with the opportunity to paddle into waves exceeding 10m+ (40ft) on the face, experiencing the ultimate ride from top to bottom as the swell focuses on what surfers refer to as “The Bowl” jacking up to a steep vertical drop where the surfer must have 100% commitment to turn their 9ft+ surfboard around and paddle with all their power and speed to catch the wave. 

In recent years the introduction of personal water craft (PWC) or Jet Ski’s has allowed surfers to skip the drop and already be riding the wave strapped in on a much shorter surfboard as the wave hit’s The Bowl allowing the surfer a greater opportunity to get inside the wave on take-off, getting barreled or maneuvering on the face of the wave with sharper turns.

The introduction of Jet Ski’s have also made what is a very high risk sport a much safer option with no surfer having ever died tow surfing due to the PDF’s or life jackets worn, no leg rope required and powerful safety machine (PWC) ready to pick up any surfer in danger.

In comparison paddle surfers are regarded as the ultimate watermen with the commitment and courage required to face such massive walls of water a special talent only held by a small number of athletes all around the world.

Sunday proved to be a day for both paddle surfers and tow surfers with one of the biggest swells ridden over the last few years’ peaking through the morning at a solid 30-40ft+ on the face of the wave with offshore winds keeping the faces relatively clean and perfect for both disciplines.

A small handful of Dunedin and Christchurch big wave surfers were joined by ex National Champ Motu Mataa, Miles Ratima and Doug Young who traveled down from the North Island the day before the swell to surf one of the biggest swells to hit the spot in years.

Having already won the biggest paddle in award in the Oakley ASL Australasian Big Wave awards a record 2 times at Papatowai, New Zealand’s Doug Young was also one of the first surfers to pioneer the break, paddle surfing it every time it got big from the turn of the century. “I have never in all my years of surf forecasting seen the Metservice call an 8m swell in Foveaux Strait! Sure I have seen it that big over in Milford, but I knew that this was something special and had to drop everything to be on the spot,” he said.

Taranaki surfing royalty Motu Mataa had not been back to Papatowai since the last Rex Von Huban Big wave event in 2003 and was towed into one of the biggest waves ridden on the day, measuring in at well over 40ft on the face. “I have surfed all around the world at some of the best spots with some of the best surfers but that one wave was the biggest and best ride I have ever had in my entire life, and it was here in Aotearoa with my bro’s! It has re-ignited a fire inside me to paddle surf big waves and chase down the biggest waves the world has to offer” said Motu.

Young 20 year old Christchurch surfer Jono Lockhart (aka J Diggly), now residing in Dunedin, paddle surfed into the biggest wave of the day on “Big Red” a back up board owned by a small syndicate of big wave chargers. The wave measured in at around 40ft on the face and along with Motu’s wave has been entered into the 2012 Oakley ASL Big Wave Awards. “That wave has put me into a new realm of life! The feeling was like nothing else and all I want to do now is spend the rest of my life trying to get waves as big if not bigger than that wave” exclaimed Jono.

With the Big Wave season coming to an end in the Southern Hemisphere, New Zealand has once again solidified itself as a true big wave nation with genuine big wave surfers ready to commit to the biggest waves the ocean can throw at our coastlines.

For details about video footage or photo enquires contact:
Doug Young
dougyoung@surf.co.nz
Free phone: 0800 4 SURFING
Cell: +64 021 452 758