Came for a holiday...,Davie helped develop Gisborne surf culture

WHEN surfing pioneer Bob Davie arrived in Gisborne from Sydney in 1964, surfing was in its infancy.

He was here only three years but helped grow the sport and left a legacy that evolved to make Gisborne (arguably) New Zealand’s surfing capital.

When news broke of his sudden death this week at his home in Whangamata, the Gisborne surfing community was quick to offer condolences and recount tales of his time here.

Several preliminary interviews for an obituary made it clear Davie had a profound influence on the Gisborne surfing scene (the obituary will run in the Herald at a later date).

He was a prolific surfboard shaper. It is estimated that at one point 90 percent of the boards ridden in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay were from his Bob Davie Surfboards brand.

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But he was not only a great boardmaker. He was a champion surfer and trained up his young protégé Allan Byrne.

He helped set up the Gisborne Surfriders’ Club (now Gisborne Boardriders’ Club), which has gone on to become a cornerstone of surfing in the region.

It is safe to say Gisborne surfing would not be what it is today without the influence of Davie.

On Saturday evening is the Gisborne screening of the Aotearoa Surf Film Festival at the Dome Cinema.

It features a series of short films, and three feature-length films taking the audience to explore unique surfing tales from South Africa, the United States, Brazil and Iceland.

Sold out screeningThe screening does not need much hype, however, as it sold out well ahead of time.

Those desperate to get along should email the organisers at info@asff.co.nz to be put on the waiting list.

The competition scene continues to be all about the groms with the Rip Curl Grom Search this weekend in Taranaki.

On the local scene, the next GBC competition is on March 25, when the first of three events in the stand-up paddleboard (SUP) series will be held.

Ricardo Christie’s tough start to the year continued this week with a first-round exit at the Australian Open of Surfing at Manly Beach, Sydney.

The early exit at the World Surf League Qualifying Series 6000-point-rated event comes after a third-round exit at Newcastle Surfest last week.

Both events were held in small and messy beachbreak conditions. We all know Christie excels in the big stuff, but to get there he has to do the hard yards.

The next 6000-point-rated event is the Ichinomiya Chiba Open at Shida Point (another beachbreak) in Japan, starting on May 21.

The Gisborne surf forecast this weekend looks promising.

The best chance for a wave on Saturday will be in the morning before predicted onshores kick in. It will be small though.

The next real swell will start to hit on Sunday with a long-period pulse from the south-southwest kicking in.

Winds look variable at present but should persist from the west, offering good conditions.

Monday is looking the goods also, before a southerly change hits on Tuesday night and lasts to Wednesday.

The rest of next week will see light winds and the swell holding.

See you out the back.