A surfing competition at Ward Beach? Before the earthquake this would have been laughable

Sunday, 11 June 2017

James Spence catches another wave at NZ's newest surf spot.

Seismic waves along the quake-hit Marlborough coastline have surfers excited and eager to hunt out more undiscovered gems.

Before the 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit, the idea of holding a surfing competition at Ward Beach, about 45 kilometres south of Blenheim, would have been laughable.

Another set of waves roll in at Ward Beach on Sunday.

Fishermen launched their boats from the beach, divers scoured the area for crayfish and paua, but it was too deep to ever get a good wave.

But that all changed last November. The force of the earthquake lifted the seabed by about 2 metres, instantly transforming the beach into a new surf break.

* Kaikoura surfers catch first wave post-quake

James Spence competes in the Riki Walker Memorial surfing competition, at Ward Beach, on Sunday.

* Kaikoura discovers silver lining to November 14 earthquake

* Kaikoura surfers pioneering new breaks**

Seabed uplift after the earthquake has created a new surf break at Ward Beach.

On Sunday members of the Blenheim Boardriders Club gathered at Ward Beach to hold the Riki Walker Memorial Surfing competition.

Surfers hit the water, riding 1m waves, as spectators and judges looked on from the top of the stony rise leading down to the ocean.

Bryan Bailey, left, and Matt Lindquist shake hands after competing in the Riki Walker Memorial surfing competition.

Club vice chairman Richard Norton said surfers used to pass through Ward before the earthquake to get to beaches around Kaikoura.

'A year ago we would have laughed if you'd said we were going to be surfing here. There was nothing,' he said.

Hayden Stockwell and Pip Wratt, with Frankie the dog, watch the surfing action at Ward Beach.

'There's been about 10 feet of uplift, whereas before it was too deep to break.'

As well as Ward Beach, Norton said surfers had also discovered a new surf break near the Ure, or Waima River, slightly further south.

Blenheim Boardriders Club vice chairman Richard Norton at Ward Beach, which has become surfable after the earthquake.

He described the finds as positives to come out of the earthquake, agreeing it was almost like a Christmas present for surfers in Marlborough.

'There's probably some undiscovered breaks along the coast too, so some of the guys are thinking about taking four-wheel-drives out to look for other opportunities,' Norton said.

Sean Johnson, whose cleaning company Restore sponsored the competition held in honour of a Marlborough surfer who died in 1994, first started surfing Ward Beach in December.

Johnson, who discovered the site's potential after being sent pictures of the uplift by his uncle, a fisherman who worked in the area, said it was exciting for surfing in Marlborough.

'I spent the past 25 years living in Dunedin surfing really good quality waves and then I moved back to Blenheim, which isn't known for being near any good breaks,' he said

'But the earthquake has created some really good surf spots.'

Both Johnson and Norton were hopeful the new breaks would increase interest in surfing in Marlborough.

Micheal Stephens, who had been surfing in Marlborough for more than 25 years, described the waves at Ward Beach as challenging but fun.

'The bottom's come up so much - it was deep here before so the waves would just dump on the beach,' he said.

'No-one would ever bother surfing it, but now it breaks offshore. It's pretty cool.'