Sharing the stoke . . .

Hector Coombes

Welcome to Stoke of the Winter.

It’s a four-month contest combining surfing and photography.

Gisborne Boardriders Club is running the contest, with the emphasis on surfers “sharing their stoke” about riding waves.

Club surfing development manager Flo Bub said the contest had two categories — Wave of the Winter and Share the Stoke.

“Wave of the Winter is about sharing your best surfing photo,” he said.

“It doesn’t have to be the gnarliest or the biggest wave. It’s about showcasing a great wave.

“Share the Stoke is a category that encourages people to get out there and enjoy surfing. It can be anything from someone riding a wave on a soft-top, or friends gathered round a bonfire on a surf trip.”

Monthly prizes will be awarded for May, June, July and August, with an awards evening and movie night at The Dome in September.

Two cash prizes, each of $700, will be given — one for Wave of the Winter and the other for Share the Stoke.

Bub says how the photographers and the photo subjects share the prize money is up to them.

The photograph, by Flo Bub, is an example of the type of picture that might be entered in the Wave of the Winter category.

It shows Hector Coombes riding a wave at the Chalet break at Wainui Beach on Monday.

Entry details are on the Gisborne Boardriders Club website.