an option for the boys in the summer of 2020–2021,” he says. “Now, more than 20 boys – across all year groups – are part of the College sport. It is only our second summer of Surfing, and participation continues to grow. Another 50 to 70 College boys surf but play other sports for the school.” Sumner-based Nolan says that the boys travel up and down the coast over the summer, searching for the best waves on training days. “We surf from Taylors Mistake to Waikuku Beach, depending on the conditions,” he says. “We just look for the best waves on the day, with after-school sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays and time in the water early on Thursdays.” While several College surfers compete nationally, others are “still learning and having fun”. “At College, it is mainly a recreational sport. It is not like Rugby or Cricket, where you need a game to compete – you can just go out and surf all day. However, we do have a couple of boys competing at the top national level.” College landed the top spot at the 2021 Canterbury Secondary Schools Championships, with sibling standouts Tai and Jack Mckenzie winning the U14 section and the U16, respectively. In the 2021 Canterbury Scholastic Championships, Jack Mckenzie – a member of the regional squad – again snared the U16 honours while Archie Whithear triumphed
in the Men's Longboard event. Among the other competitive surfers, Nikau Davies also helped steer College to the top of the table in the Wednesday Surf League at the end of last year while the Mckenzie brothers won their league age groups early this year. Nolan highly values the wellbeing element of Surfing, being in your own space on the waves.
“The ocean is just a really good place,” he says. “It is a totally different space, with limitless benefits – a space where everything else can be forgotten. When you are getting pounded by the surf, you cannot worry about anything else but focusing on the next wave. “It’s incredibly good for mental wellbeing, offering an escape, a focus, a reset, and a release.”
Photo: Derek Morrison
Photo: Derek Morrison
COLLEGE 2022
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