KEY POINTS:
Surfing has long been a way of life for the Quinn family.
Dad Gary, 53, and sons Maz, 31 and Jay, 24, are all competing in the 2008 Surfing NZ nationals and sister Holly would be too but she's now living in Sydney.
Maz finished 90th on the world circuit last year, Jay 125th, his friend Bobby Hansen the best-ranked Kiwi at 87. The brothers have made their living from the sport for several years now and Gary is keen to see them push on.
"The top guys go to age 40 now so Jay in particular has a long way to go," he said. But he admits he's starting to feel the pinch. "I'm slowing down."
He still likes the waves bigger than the 1m average they've had for the nationals this week. It's been nice and clean at Makarori but Gary Quinn would like it at 2m.
"It's a bit more speed, more of a rush."
He has 10 boards of different styles. In the contest he's been riding a 190cm "CD", a new design rounded on the nose and tail, with five fins.
"They're good in smaller waves. I haven't been on a board this short for years." He can't ride the boys' competition boards. "They're like feathers, I'm sitting underwater."
Quinn snr left Wellington for Gisborne in 1978, "for the surf". He's lived there ever since, travelling to surf around the world, from Scotland to South America, the Pacific Islands, the US and Australia.
"It's better here; less crowded," he said.
In 1992 he was appointed Surf NZ executive officer and he later became president of the board, involvement that ate up 10 years.
"Surfing has consumed pretty much every living moment for a long time," he said. And still does. A year ago he bought the Wainui store, straight across the road from the beach.
"I get there pretty much whenever I want, bar the mad period over Christmas and New Year. I don't like watching good surf from across the road."
The nationals are like "a tribal meeting really, you see everyone you know from all round the country for a week - it's great".
Quinn snr made it through the first two rounds of the under-50s and was eliminated yesterday. Brothers Maz and Jay are in the last 16 and face quarter-finals today, with the competition winding up at the weekend.
