Wiremu Ormsby

It’s a world where lineups have become busier and everyone is out trying to catch the wave of the day, or attempting to leave

their own mark on the sport of surfing. In that very world where an intense serious vibe smothers a lineup, there is something quite refreshing about the sound of laughter, hooting and general banter making its way up the surf break as each rider lays their line on a wave. The first time I met this issue’s rising grom, I actually heard him coming several minutes before he showed face, loud laughter echoed over the sand dunes behind and when he appeared all smiles, screaming at how pumping the waves were, it immediately lifted the mood of the day. Here was a grom surfing simply for the love and kicks he got from the experience, he wasn’t being dragged to the beach by over eager parents or made to get out there on the coldest day of the year by a sponsor needing coverage. He immediately made his way over, introducing himself in a humble manner, asking where the best peak was and ran off hooting. I didn’t get to see him come back in that day, as darkness had set in and he was still out there. Several weeks later while swimming out on the ‘Ledge’ at Raglan, I heard that familiar laughter make its way through the car-park and out to the jump rock, once again hooting as he made his way across to the takeoff, he rode several deep tubes to the delight of his screaming mates, hooting from the shoulder before flicking off and paddling out and returning the hoots to each and everyone that rode those next few waves. Some groms turn heads by sheer freakish ability, others as they are super cheeky, but this issue’s rising grom Wiremu Ormsby of Raglan has put the fun times back into surfing and that we admire. Keep it up Wiremu!