Boardriders spread word

Noho on the coast: A drone-mounted camera gives a bird's-eye view of the action at a joint Ngati Porou and Gisborne boardriders weekend of surfing festivities at Tokomaru Bay. The noho drew 49 youngsters and their families.Picture supplied

GISBORNE Boardriders Club's first noho (stay) of their 2021-22 learn-to-surf programme on the East Coast was their biggest and best yet.

After starting the programme last year, Gisborne Boardriders had 23 club members travelling to Tokomaru Bay to help with a weekend of surfing festivities attended by 49 youngsters and their families.

The programme is a joint initiative between Gisborne Boardriders (GBR) and Ngati Porou Boardriders. It aims to get youngsters in the water while strengthening the connection between the clubs.

GBR surfing development manager Flo Bub said 20 youngsters attended the same event last year. The attendance at last weekend's event highlighted the appetite for surfing on the Coast.

“It was a fantastic weekend,” Bub said.

Conditions were small but made for plenty of fun, and they all had “an awesome time”.

“The kids surfed for five hours on Saturday and then three or four hours on Sunday.”

Four youngsters attending walked away with a new surfboard donated from the local surfing community.

Bub said community feedback had been overwhelmingly positive and they were excited to be going back for another noho at Waipiro Bay in December.

The programme was “growing so much” and the weekends were a lot of fun.

“Our next goal is to make it more sustainable, with coaching for kids so they aren't waiting for us to come up to have a surf.”

Noho on the coast: A drone-mounted camera gives a bird's-eye view of the action at a joint Ngati Porou and Gisborne boardriders weekend of surfing festivities at Tokomaru Bay. The noho drew 49 youngsters and their families.

Picture by Regan Pahewa