Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Surfers flock to biggest Summer Sessions competition ever at Ocean Beach

Adam Pearse
By Adam Pearse
Deputy Political Editor·Northern Advocate·
19 Jan, 2020 11:00 PMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Adam Baker cuts back to connect with the pocket of a great wave at the 2020 Summer Sessions surf competition at Ocean Beach on Saturday. Photo / John Stone

Adam Baker cuts back to connect with the pocket of a great wave at the 2020 Summer Sessions surf competition at Ocean Beach on Saturday. Photo / John Stone

The annual Summer Session surf competition saw its biggest ever number of entries as local surfers flocked to Ocean Beach on Saturday.

The event, which lasted from 8.30am to 5.30pm, attracted 80 surfers which was the highest in the competition's history.

Tama Te Kauwhata competes in the open men's semifinal. Photo / John Stone
Tama Te Kauwhata competes in the open men's semifinal. Photo / John Stone

"It was a good full day of surfing," competition co-organiser Caleb Piggott said.

"It's attracts all the Northland crew from around other boardriders clubs, some from Mangawhai, some from Sandy Bay, some from the Far North."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Clinton Ashill looks down the wave. Photo / John Stone
Clinton Ashill looks down the wave. Photo / John Stone

Throughout the day of mainly good conditions, surfers were treated to sightings of dolphin pods, which appeared at multiple times in near the competitors.

When asked why the competition was so popular, Piggott said word of mouth played a big role in spreading the word about one of Northland's premier surfing events.

Renee Ruddell makes the most of a smaller wave. Photo / John Stone
Renee Ruddell makes the most of a smaller wave. Photo / John Stone

"What's happened is that we have the same crew every year, they all turn up and they bring a friend every time so it's growing."

Piggott admitted that at 80 surfers, the event was at its capacity if organisers wanted to keep the competition to just one day.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Piggott thanked the Bowling Infrastructure Group, Mega Surf and a number of other sponsors which made the event possible.

Ryan Boyd sends the spray flying after a big turn at the top of the wave. Photo / John Stone
Ryan Boyd sends the spray flying after a big turn at the top of the wave. Photo / John Stone

Discover more

IRBs and juniors in action at Ruakākā

12 Jan 09:00 PM
Education

Surf patrols on education mission and winning Lotto numbers

12 Jan 06:00 PM

Rare dotterel chicks roaming Matapōuri beach

20 Jan 07:00 PM
New Zealand

Game fishing holds a place in NZ culture

18 Jan 06:00 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Sport

Māori All Blacks beaten by Scotland

Northern Advocate

'Incredible': Northland retirees become world champs in new sport

Sport

NZ shearers prepare for Scotland's toughest sheep


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Māori All Blacks beaten by Scotland
Sport

Māori All Blacks beaten by Scotland

Visitors bounce back after a flying start from the hosts in Whangārei.

05 Jul 05:39 AM
'Incredible': Northland retirees become world champs in new sport
Northern Advocate

'Incredible': Northland retirees become world champs in new sport

27 Jun 07:00 PM
NZ shearers prepare for Scotland's toughest sheep
Sport

NZ shearers prepare for Scotland's toughest sheep

25 Jun 10:36 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP