Surfing: Unbound Vol 1 pays tribute to surf culture with images, interviews

Whangamatā surfer Ella Williams with surf photographer Rambo Estrada, of Mount Maunganui. Photo / Craig Levers, PhotoCPL

It was forecast to be a “flat” day in Whangamatā last Wednesday – perfect conditions for two of New Zealand’s leading surf photographers, Rambo Estrada and Craig Levers, to unveil their latest passion project, Unbound Vol 1.

The Salt District Brewery was abuzz with surf industry stalwarts, groms and salty art appreciators for the sixth stop in a tour that’s equal parts book launch and surf culture homage, “complete with free brews, bites, and coastal camaraderie”, according to the organisers.

At a hefty 2kg, Unbound Vol 1 is now officially New Zealand’s largest hardcover surf book.

The book weaves together spectacular images with in-depth interviews, offering an intimate look at key surf personalities from every region, including many images of the Coromandel coastline.

Each conversation is a “visual intermission,” adding context and depth to the imagery by Estrada, a photographer based in Mount Maunganui.

Local featured voices – interviewed by Estrada – include Whangamatā surfers Ella Williams and Rangi Ormand and photographer Daniel Davie.

Estrada, who boasts a following of 117,000 on Instagram, has a portfolio rich with the wild beauty of New Zealand’s coasts.

His collection was published by fellow surf photographer Craig Levers, whose photos have inspired and assisted surfers for more than three decades.

Levers, known also as CPL, said he gets great joy from celebrating others through his publishing efforts and that his friend Rambo’s collection was “an obvious one” to publish.

“No one has gone to the lengths that Rambo has to celebrate and explore our surf coasts,” he said. “He’s widely regarded as New Zealand’s best surf photographer, and I would certainly back that.”

Since 2008, Photo CPL Media has published 11 books and Levers worked with Estrada as a key photo contributor on his first South Seas edition and then as the main contributor for the Revised Edition.

“I also involved him in the Recreationalists book, which features [Tairua photographer] Jackson Bright’s camper on the cover. During that, I was priming him for his own debut solo book.

Surf photographer Craig Levers.

“Two years ago we pressed the go button on this project. It’s the biggest hard-cover surf title in NZ, so the most ambitious. It’s 304 pages plus covers and weighs in at 2kg.”

For Levers, the journey to this moment was years in the making, starting from his days editing surf mags and working as the right-hand man at a magazine publisher.

“After 15 years of creating and publishing hardcover NZ surf books, it’s all led up to this,” he reflected. “South Seas was long regarded as New Zealand’s best surf book – but Unbound is better.”

Launched in an “old school surf film” style, the Unbound tour is hitting grassroots venues like surf shops and artist galleries, sidestepping bookstores in favour of spaces that resonate with the surf community.

Unbound Vol 1 adds its weight to the inspiration that comes from reminiscing on thousands of waves – ridden and unridden – and captured by artists of the surf.

True to the tour’s vibe, Whangamatā’s Salt District Brewery became a gallery for the night, displaying prints from the book and offering copies for sale, giving attendees the chance to reconnect and later immerse themselves in Estrada’s vivid seascapes and surf moments.

Alison Smith is a former editor of the Hauraki-Coromandel Post.