I was studying Oceanography Physics in France.I had to train 6 months as part of my Master graduation. I ended up working for Artifical Surfing Reef-ASR Ltd in Raglan (kiwiland)!
Raglan or Whangaroa in Maori is a laid back bohemian style little town by the sea. Not more than 3000 people during winter season. A supermarket, 2 coffee shops, a post office, one pharmacy and one hair dresser. That's pretty much it!
Raglan is also world renown for its black volcanic sand and its famous serie of surf breaks: Indicators, Whale bay, and Manu bay (featured in Endless summer in 1966). I didn't know a lot about surfing at that time. I could barely stand on a surfboard. I only had some vague souvenirs of the surf lessons i took at Trois Bassins years back when I was in Reunion island. But it was time for me to really learn. So surfing is was!
The master training program consisted mainly in modelling the wave refraction effect of the Mount Maunganui reef and splashing in the wave tank testing new reef prototypes.... pretty damn cool!
So I had plenty of time to go surfing...What else to do anyway?... And if you don't surf you have to. Everybody surfs there! It is in the blood. Guys don't go to work in suit but boardshorts and slops with a surfboard under the armpit! And if you don't have any skill for reading charts...it is easy to know when to go... is the office empty during working hours? Well that means that waves are cooking somewhere!!! So basically, it was surf before work, during work and after work...and that for 6 months!!!!
I bought my first surfboard there too... in one of the 2 surfshops of the town. A Pinao, crap indonesian factory shaped epoxy tank! As one say, everybody makes mistakes..and that was a big one!but i learned my lesson...never listen to your mates when you have to choose you first surfboard!...still have it though. Now it is my housemate who has the priviledge to struggle with it!
To resume, Raglan was great, super chilled and very friendly. I made goods friends there I promised to come and visit one day soon.
You might wonder though why Raglan is called "the long pursuit"? It has been rumoured that on very large swell the serie of surf spots link together making a potential ride of up to 2 km!!!...which locals say has only been achieved once...
