Playwright and surfer bond over boards

A scene from Gliding On, circa 1984.

Renowned playwright Roger Hall has ridden a wave of success for decades and gifted more than 40 mainly comedy plays and television scripts to New Zealand's cultural cache. Remember the 1970s satire Glide Time about the foibles and perks of working for the public service, and its post-Rogernomics sequel Gliding On, Middle Aged Spread, Conjugal Rites, et al?

Ruakaka master surfboard crafter Roger Hall has ridden his own wave, too, in his life-long pursuit of surfing and board shaping. He made his first board when he was 13 years old - "It's been a life-long pursuit."

The two met yesterday at the Surfline factory when the writer came to discuss the two boards he's ordered from his namesake for his surfing 40-something-year-old kids.

One of the conditions of the deal will be that the boards are called Glide Time or Gliding On, playwright Hall said.

Ruakaka's Roger Hall, well-known in surfer circles for his Surfline brand, said he's often been asked if he was that Roger Hall.

"There have always been references to the other one," he said.

"I've always kind of been in his shadow, and my dad's. He was a good man too, so it's been an honour, not a problem."

Yes, there's a third Roger Hall in the equation. Hall's father, whose name he bears, was well-known in Ruakaka for his management of all things Marsden A when the power station was being commissioned back in the 1960s. Hall senior's job included looking after the community of workers and families, and the village built to accommodate them, as well as running the power station. His contribution to Ruakaka is recognised in the Roger Hall Memorial Park.

Meanwhile, Roger Hall, CNZM, QSO, was the first New Zealand playwright to receive the Prime Minister's Literary Award, only weeks ago.

"I thought one way of marking the occasion was by buying each of my children a surfboard. I'm not a surfer but I was aware there was this chap Roger Hall who made boards that were works of art. I knew he'd even had boards exhibited in the Auckland Art Gallery."

The commission is still in the early stages but as Hall and his wife were returning to Auckland from a stay in the Bay of Islands, it was a good opportunity to check out his namesake's boards on the way past, he said.

The two Halls enjoyed a cuppa and a chat.

"It was a blast," said Hall of Ruakaka.

"When he sent me an email I could hardly believe it... I thought is this real? Here is this Roger Hall who's got all this recognition and fame. I had no idea he had a recognition of me and my work, too. I felt honoured."