A century ago, overdressed crowds flocked to New Zealand beaches to see if the rumours were true - that a strange man from foreign shores could walk on water.

Raglan surfer Billy Stairmand lived up to his favourite's tag at the national surfing championships yesterday, winning the open men's division in ferocious conditions at Piha Beach.

Top surfer Zen Wallis looks for a safe landing after hitting the eject button on a wave during the 2015 national championships at south Piha, Auckland, yesterday.

A new era in female surfing was ushered in at the 2015 Billabong national surfing championships yesterday as six young surfers forced their way into the semifinals of the open women's division.

A shark hooked by a fisherman that "tail-walked" before breaking free may well have been a great white, a passing charter skipper says.

A former South Auckland man has described watching his friend escape from the jaws of a great white shark while surfing in California.

New Zealand surfer watches in horror as his friend is dragged under the water by a great white shark off a Californian beach.

Kiwi surfer Ricardo Christie faces an anxious wait to discover whether his dream has come true.

Some of the world's best water sports athletes - including surfers and stand-up paddleboarders - will be based in Auckland next March competing for the title of the The Ultimate Waterman. Competitors in the elite section will compete in six different disciplines; shortboard surfing, longboard surfing, stand-up paddleboard endurance and stand-up paddleboard surfing, waka ama endurance and tow-in surfing.

Some of the world's best water sports athletes - including surfers and stand-up paddleboarders - will be based in Auckland next March competing for the title of the The Ultimate Waterman.

Dropping in on another surfer's wave is the sport's greatest crime. So when a Brazilian gatecrashed Kiwi Tim Thompson's ride on three straight barrels, he decided to do something about it.

A video of Kiwi surfer Tim Thompson tackling a Brazilian man who dropped in on his wave has gone viral.

A master surfboard maker has sold a handcrafted board to a New Zealand buyer for a staggering $1.5 million.

Head over heels for NSW waves, Duncan Gillies feels the fear but does it anyway.

Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning were fighting for the crown and the only thing separating either man from another world title was a 10-foot wave at Pipeline. For Mick, the scenario was simple, win two heats by catching four waves in the excellent range and he'll cement his spot among surfing royalty.

Is this the moment Andrew Cotton, a plumber from Devon, broke the world record for the biggest wave ever surfed?

A renowned Kiwi surfboard designer has found himself riding the global 3D printing wave after using the state-of-the-art technology to create a world first product.

Paige Hareb has lost all her funding from High Performance Sport NZ - but NZ's only professional surfer is still confident 2014 could be her best season yet.

Australia's top surfers have won the battle to save one of the best waves in the world, but the war to save the Gold Coast's surfing future is just beginning.

Jack Johnson isn’t your typical rock star – he breaks the mould in terms of how the well-off behave.