Surfing NZ in partnership with Te Puni Kokiri held the first of three Rangatahi Development Wananga for young Maori Surfers in Raglan during the weekend.

The purpose of the three wananga (coaching and training programme) are to enhance aspects of competition surfing and to provide the tools to assist surfers to reach their potential within the sport.
Surfers who were selected for the wananga had demonstrated that they had the potential to be club, regional or national champions with the likelihood of becoming New Zealand Team members of the future.   

Gisborne surfer Michael Fitzharris had the task of coaching the group. Fitzharris has a long history of success in the sport winning 7 national titles. Recently retired from competitive surfing and a passion for junior development he has taken on the role of mentor and coach for young surfers in the Gisborne region.
“I am honoured to be given the task of passing on my knowledge and experience to this roopu (group). I am aware that Maori are naturally talented water people and have a high success rate in the sport. Initiating a programme like this for young Maori Surfers has many benefits and is what is needed to help keep them focussed. Being a top athlete has many pressures and teaching them how to address and manage the pressures will enable them to remain at the top and to do better” said Fitzharris.

2009 National Longboard Champion Daniel Proctor (Ngati Uepohatu) was also on hand to support the wananga as assistant coach. Proctor accredits his national title to Fitzharris who had coached and trained him for 12 months in his build up to the Nationals.
“Fitzy has a wealth of knowledge that will benefit the roopu (group). How they approach the challenges and how much desire they have to reach the top is up to them. We can give them the tools and guidance but they need to apply them. I am privileged to be given the role of assistant coach and I also I feel this is a good opportunity to reunite those within the roopu who have become urbanised and alienated from Maori tikanga and kawa (customs). Teaching the taha Maori aspects of the programme and being on the Marae will be a new experience for some but once they have completed the wananga they will understand better the various processes” said Proctor.

During the coaching and training sessions each surfer documents their performance and progress in a workbook. This helps them recognise areas that need to be improved on and they have until the next wananga to address these before being reassessed and a new set of task given.