J Hustle takes the manu back to the South side on Auckland Anniversary weekend

Peleti Oli demonstrating the art of the manu at Havelock North Village pool. He is selecting people for a Hastings Bomb Squad. Photo / Paul Taylor

Community advocate and musician J Hustle is taking one of his passions, the art of manu, back to Māngere where it is thought to have originated, running a community event that will offer spots in the Z Manu World Championships as it heads to Auckland. The Z Manu World Champs kicked off in Wellington last weekend.

Today’s event will be held at Moana Nui-a-Kiwa Pool and Leisure Centre, which boasts a dedicated 2.5m-deep “bomb pool”, one of the only official bombing pools in New Zealand. Māngere has long been associated with manu — many enthusiasts say it originated there and refer to V-shaped bombs as “Māngeres”.

Manu World Champs organiser Scott Rice and J Hustle.

J Hustle (Justin) and his father Toko — DJ and music producer for artists who include hip-hop star Savage — want to provide Māngere people a safe opportunity to showcase their skills on home turf. “It’s where we learned our skills and we have the privilege of sharing it with others,” J Hustle says.

During summer J Hustle and his father have run other competitions in regions such as Moerewa and Whangārei where they crowned three local winners who will compete in the Auckland qualifier for the Z Manu World Champs. Successful qualifiers could find their way to the grand final in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour on March 9, where $30,000 cash and prizes are up for grabs.

As well as supporting Māngere residents to carry the manu torch to a worldwide platform, J Hustle will be recording local history, shooting his new single — Crouch Jump And Tuck It In — dedicated to the art of bombing.

The father-son duo are thrilled to see the art of the manu gaining attention on a larger scale, acknowledging the skill and dedication required to perfect this unique form of expression.

Māngere musician J Hustle will be recording local history too, shooting his new single — Crouch Jump And Tuck It In — dedicated to the art of bombing.

“It was the most fun thing we did growing up,” J Hustle says. My friends and I would walk to the Māngere pools every day after school to practise. I learned from watching others and honing my skills. There’s a lot of skill in it, and this could potentially be a worldwide sport. Our rangatahi could represent us on a global platform. It’s an art, just like any sport — the more you train, the better you get.”

J Hustle grew up watching his father Toko take part in and later run community events. Toko’s achievements in the music industry include starting a hip-hop radio station and launching a record label. He supports his son as an artist and entrepreneur.

“We are really pleased to see the manu receiving attention at such a scale, acknowledging the skill set that is involved in the execution and the hours it takes to perfect the art,” says J Hustle. “And to see competition thrive at our popular community pool.”

Moana Nui-a-Kiwa centre manager Waitangi Mike says the pool is a vital community hub that brings people together safely with a permanent lifeguard on hand. Participants can register on the day between 11am and noon on Auckland Anniversary Day.

“It’s great to have a safe place to practise. Manu divers put hundreds of hours into their craft and experienced bombers understand the etiquette of bombs/manus — in particular ensuring clear passage and an empty pool below before making the jump,” says Waitangi.

J Hustle has a popular clothing brand/label and is the official merchandise label for the Z Manu World Champs with a range of T-shirts, caps and others available both online and at events.

There are still places available for qualifying events in Auckland, Christchurch and Hamilton. Successful jumpers from regional qualifiers will go through to the grand final, which will be held at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour on March 9, where the first world champions will be crowned. The qualifiers will showcase cutting-edge “ManuTech” video judging technology to measure splash volume and height, which will be shared on screen, adding to the spectacle.

There are three age groups — for Tamariki (10 to 12), Rangatahi (13 to 17) and Adults (18+), and $30,000 in cash and prizes to be won. Manu enthusiasts are invited to register for the event at manuworldchamps.com