Mount Maunganui and world big wave surfer and longboard shaper Warren ‘Wazza” Thompson. Photo / Supplied
Mount Maunganui and world big wave surfer and longboard shaper Warren ‘Wazza” Thompson. Photo / Supplied
Warren ‘Wazza” Thompson was one of life’s “givers’ and a “darn good mate”.
Tomorrow the big wave surfer, longboard shaper and world traveller will be farewelled at a service in Tauranga.
The 75-year-old father and grandfather died in an accident in Mount Maunganui on January 12.
Warren was the eldest brother of siblings Malcolm, Pauline (Fitzgerald), Carey Thompson and the late Gail, and was father and father-in-law to Ryan and Shawna, and his two daughters Aimee and Tahnee.
He and his wife, Karen, known as ‘Kaz’, were married for 35 years and he is also survived by his grandchildren Taylor, Toshi and Bailee.
Warren first tried surfing with some of his siblings in the 1950s and they quickly became “hooked”, younger brother Malcolm said.
In the decades to follow Warren pioneered surfing, establishing the Bay Boardriders Club, made custom longboards and worked for surfboard companies nationwide and overseas.
Malcolm Thompson said his eldest brother never lost his passion for the ocean, protecting the planet, nor his positive outlook on life and spent the Christmas and New Year holiday break visiting family and friends and checking out his favourite haunts, including walking up Mauao every day.
“While Warren wasn’t physically able to surf any more, despite having surgery to rebuild his paddled-out shoulders, he was always up at dawn to check out the local beach conditions and also used to walk along the beach picking up any rubbish, unique shells and rocks that took his fancy, followed by a swim and body surf or two.
“My brother was one of the most chilled-out people I have ever known, Warren was a very kind and gentle person, who wouldn’t even hurt a fly. And he became a vegetarian after he left home to travel the world and he lived a very healthy lifestyle, He was known as the avocado king.”
Thompson said his late brother was one of life’s “givers’ and a “darn good mate” to many people, evidenced by the “hundreds and hundreds” of emails from people around the world wanting to pay tribute to him, and a number of those people from overseas would be attending his memorial service.
“Warren has left a huge legacy in the world surfing scene, He was very much a pioneer of surfing in the Bay of Plenty and with several other locals established the Bay Boardriders Club. And probably there are thousands of custom-made Thompson Longboards still in existence around the world.”
“Our family is still coming to terms with Warren’s tragic death and he is sorely missed,” he said.
A devastated Pauline Fitzgerald said Warren was an “awesome” big brother.
“Being the eldest he took care of all of us. I still cannot believe he has gone.”
Warren was born in Morrinsville on March 26, 1947, and he and his family moved to Mount Maunganui in 1959 when he was 12. He attended Mount Maunganui College where he was head boy and a member of the first XV rugby team.
After leaving school in 1963, Warren’s first job was helping to survey the Kaimai Tunnel approach and the Kaimai Range Rd. But after being bitten by the surfing bug he left New Zealand with good mate Barry Elliott at age 18 and they travelled the world for about six years pursuing their passion for the sport.
That included working for Dewey Webber Surfboards in California and they used to save up their money so they could spend their winters in Hawaii, France, England, the Canary Islands, Spain, Portugal and South Africa, chasing even bigger surf.
For the majority of those six years, Warren lived on the north shore of Ohau, Hawaii where he made surfboards for friends, and for Lighting Bolt Surfboards and the Haleiwa Surfboarding Company, Malcolm said.
In 1968 Warren competed in a World Surfing Championship competition, winning a heat, but he was more of a “soul surfer” than a competitor.
After travelling the world surfing and shaping boards for some of the best, he and Karen moved to Denmark in Western Australia where they raised their two daughters. Warren established Thompson Longboards.
His first wife, Patte Thompson, who lives in Utah, said she first met Warren in 1972 in Hawaii. After their son Ryan was born in 1973 they travelled to New Zealand. Warren worked for Grey Seal Surfboards in Mount Maunganui and Bob Davie Surfboards in Whangamata.
In 1978, the couple moved to Perth, Western Australia where Warren began making surfboards for himself,
Warren also established a surf school and was a “kind and generous mentor” who taught others to surf and shape surfboards for free, Patte said.
“Warren was an amazing human being. He was one of the kindest and most caring people [anyone] could ever hope to meet. He always had time for everybody and that is why so many people want to pay tribute to him. And we stayed firm friends and regularly contacted each other, even after he remarried.
Legendary surfer and longboard shaper Warren "Wazza' Thompson died on January 12, 2023. Photo / Supplied
“It’s been a huge shock to learn of Warren’s unexpected death and it’s still very hard to accept.”
Warren will be farewelled at a service at the Tauranga Yacht Club from 2pm tomorrow.
There will also be a paddle-out to honour Warren at 8am tomorrow from Hart St on Marine Parade and two similar paddle-outs in Western Australia.
