Anyone who knows me knows I have a huge whole in my heart that only New Zealand can fill. Struck with boredom this morning I did what I usually do and try to dig out the work of photographer’s I’m not familiar with. I was led to Derek Henderson’s work through last year’s Hey Hot Shot! Winner’s list. This shot of Mangamanu above really hit me because of my personal experience. I was at Mangamanu, an isolated, rocky bay on the South Island’s East Coast near the small town of Kaikoura, at around this exact time 5 years ago (man that’s sad). It looked grey and misty just like this, was pretty cold as winter was coming around, and I couldn’t surf due to some bruised bones from being thrown into some boulders by some surprise waves a few weeks before (surfing nonetheless). So I just sat on the rocks, sick with food poisoning, watching my friends surf. At least they were shivering when they got out of the water haha. I’ve hardly surfed since then.