In 1995, Greg Townsend became the first full-time employee of Surfing New Zealand, a grassroots organization founded in 1963 to develop the sport of surfing throughout the country. “I took a gamble”, Townsend says. “When I started they had a lot of history. But financially, they had nothing.” At the time, there were disparate surfing communities around the country, but little to no reach promoting its beaches as top-tier surfing destinations. Townsend’s first plan of action: buy an old car and tour the country, assembling anyone and everyone, from local riding clubs to independent wax makers, under the blanket of Surfing New Zealand. Today, Townsend is CEO, and he’s played a hand in developing New Zealand into a surfing capital of the world.
2015 marked both 20 years for Townsend at Surfing New Zealand, and also saw the debut of The Ultimate Waterman, an invite-only competition across six different disciplines, which include, among others, shortboard surfing, stand-up paddleboarding and waka ama, the New Zealand term for long-distance canoeing. (Daniel Kereopa, a New Zealand local, took home the first year’s title.) Today, Townsend still spends what little free time he has in the ocean, mostly in his backyard of Raglan, the home of Surfing New Zealand’s headquarters. Ask him to recall where he caught his best wave ever and he can answer immediately: “Mangahume, in Taranaki. It was just one of those sessions that you’ll never forget.” Here, Townsend shares his five favorite spots across New Zealand to catch waves. “It’s cold”, he warns. “But pleasing for us [locals] — keeps away the crowds.”
Mangahume
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Region: Taranaki, North Island
Closest Airport: New Plymouth Airport (38 miles)
Type: Reef
Surf: Reliable
Hazards: rocks
