Mike Gunson

I have stepped down from committee as there are numerous grommets in the line up wanting an active role on the  SPS committee, which is great! I am now focused on my role as an ex-officio research and communications officer to the committee.

Typical surfer – found work to augment my surfing addiction as a cab driver, which meant surf when I want, even with kids to feed. Love surfing the Wairarapa when I get the chance. having spent nearly 40 years surfing the Welly region, cut my teeth on removing the Jet ski free style area out of Lyall Bay, motivated by rights of access for surfers and swimmers, as well as common sense safety concerns.

Over the years I  witnessed the Council, airport authority, and Harbours Department make substantial changes to Lyall Bay, modifying the wall, car parks, and placing jet ski free style areas. All done with either little or no consultation with the Surfing community, or even worse, completely rolling right over us. Mind you this is mostly our fault, as a tribe, we are not organised…Until now! I attended the Mountains to Sea conference hosted by DOC representing the Surfbreak Protection Society, just several weeks before we had incorporated! Out of 200 plus user groups at the conference I was the only one representing Surfing. I put forward a recommendation that areas of high value or heritage sites to certain user groups be recognised by DOC, and given stakeholder status. This was readily accepted, and now with our SPS submission on the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement being accepted in draft form, we are well on the way to protecting our Taonga. Although we have already lost a few surfbreaks, it is up to you, we have built the foundation, join us, become a kaitiaki, guardian, of our coastline, our playgrounds. We need a strong national surfing advocacy group like the Surf Break Protection Society to speak up on our behalf. I Now live in Auckland, and despair of the traffic just to get to the waves