MANDY SMITH
Nigel "Surfie" Martin, of Napier, a 59-year-old Vietnam War veteran, was 21 when he was inked by the top tattooist in Asia.
Describe your favourite tattoo:
It's a big golden eagle in a perched position, and its full-length from my shoulder to my elbow.
It was great in its day, in vivid
white and red with big yellow eyes. A real proper thing back then, but it's faded since. That was 39 years ago, after all.
It covered up this nude woman which I had done when I was stationed with the army in Waiouru.
We were all in the barracks one night and getting bored. We couldn't go on leave so I let some of the boys do it with just a couple of pins.
It was pretty rough - you can still see a couple of marks under the eagle's bottom tail feathers.
What were the circumstances?
At the time, Johnny Gerka and Johnny "Two Thumbs" were the top tattooists in Asia. I was doing a loadmaster's course at a Pommy airbase in Singapore and we were out having a few beers one night and went past the booth.
I saw the tattooist, and had this ugly thing on my arm so I just went in there and got it done. Bang.
Who did it and how much did it cost?
Johnny Gerka, and no more than $NZ10. I didn't care what he put on. As long as it covered the other one, it didn't worry me. It was a good tatt in its day.
Was it worth the pain?
It wasn't really painful. I mean, it bled a bit but it was a lot better than the two pins in the barracks.
How do people react when they see it?
I don't really take any notice. Generally, I'm wearing a shirt and that covers most of it.
Any regrets?
No, it's good as gold.
Would you get another?
I was going to get one. Our motif was a big fat kiwi with a bottle of beer and a skinny abbo - the whole Anzac thing.
But it hasn't happened yet. I want to have it done by Derek August, nicknamed The Fiddler.
He's a very good artist but he's a hard man to pin down. So we'll see.
