“There were five kids, so it was a real cross-section of people.
“We just hung out, period. There was always something happening there.”
Even then, Carol displayed the characteristics that would define large portions of her life, Tannahill said.
“Carol was kind of the matriarch of it, especially when she was the oldest sister there.”
As surfing became more popular through the 1970s and the '80s, Carol was able to morph her passions to travel the world.
In 1989, she and her sister Janice organised and ran the National Scholastic Championships to find the first New Zealand junior surfing team to compete at the inaugural World Grommet Titles.
It was in 1990, in the second year of the championships in Raglan, where Maz Quinn would compete in his first big event and finish seventh.
Despite the result, his talent was apparent, and he was still scouted for the team, according to New Zealand Surfing's history.
“Carol reckons Maz has potential and invites Quinns to Bali anyway, just development, good move!”
Gary Quinn, father to Maz, was introduced to Carol through surfing, with Gisborne Boardriders making a name for themselves on the national scene.
After being appointed Surf New Zealand executive officer in 1992 and then serving as president of the board, being awarded life membership in 2002, he said his involvement with Carol grew quickly from their first encounter.
Quinn said that at that first Scholastics event, he spent a lot of time just watching how it was all run.
He credits that event with helping to grow his interest in sports management.
“Carol was the one that nurtured us into it,” he said.
“She started a career for a lot of us in that area.”
He said Carol, who also represented New Zealand as a surfer herself, opened the door for a generation of surfers to fulfil their dreams on the world stage.
“Carol was the leading light in getting that organisation to New Zealand . . . I don't think Scholastics would have existed without her.
“Before, you had only a handful who travelled overseas to surf. Once Carol got involved, it was over a dozen.”
Quinn said that after he was put in charge of organising the event, he realised how much work it had taken to get off the ground.
With regional competitions feeding into a national event, he would select a team of 12 surfers and then organise them and their parents to go to Bali to compete.
“It was just huge.”
Carol was awarded life membership of Surfing New Zealand in 2000 but rarely boasted of her sporting accolades to her peers.
Margaret Hansen said she counted herself lucky to have known Carol as a friend and an educator for almost 40 years.
She spoke of being introduced to Carol as one of the kindy teachers for her eldest child before they worked together at both the Tairawhiti Polytechnic and then Te Wananga o Aotearoa.
“Later again we were colleagues at Te Wananga o Aotearoa, where Carol was initially the leader at Whare Amai — the early childhood centre — and then stepped into adult education, becoming a kaiako (tutor).
“Along with her passion for education, Carol brought great determination, her unique personal flair and buckets of creativity. And food.
“Carol never showed up anywhere without her sense of humour or food.”
