GUEST BLOGGER ►► SHAUN CSB

Guest Blogger//Shaun Devine
 Surf & Adventure Co. team rider and Nomad Extraordinaire
Part I


Six years ago I met a soft-spoken, humble kid from Dunedin, New Zealand. His name was Basil. We worked together at a surf camp in San Diego and quickly became friends. One night during our summer campaign he showed me some 4-by-6 photographs of the house and property on which he grew up, as well as a few local surf breaks which were absolutely pumping. I had never seen anything more beautiful in my life. I clearly remember in that exact moment promising to myself that I would one day travel to New Zealand and see the 'Land of the Long White Cloud'.

Fast-forward through four years of college, commitments and relationships to the spring of 2010. After a three month adventure in Australia, I found myself flying over the Tasman Sea straight for Dunedin, New Zealand and a long over due rendezvous with Basil. After spending just 3 days in New Zealand I started having a nervous breakdown. Not because the experience was bad, but because the surf was pumping, the crowds were light and the people were so friendly. I kept asking myself why I hadn’t come earlier.

There is a special connection between the landscape, environment, people and the ocean in New Zealand. It is rugged, raw, powerful and doesn’t care if you're cold or not. I quickly realized I should have brought a sweater and some wool socks.

On my last night in New Zealand, we traveled to the north coast of Dunedin and scored the wave that had been in my dreams since Basil first showed me those little photos. This right-hand pointbreak is the kind of wave you travel half-way around the world in hopes to score. After that session of chest- to head-high, mechanical rights with multiple barrel sections, there was no question that I would be back.

Two weeks was not enough — 'I’m coming back for two months', I promised myself.

__________________________

And thus began the adventure...This is just a sneak peak of much more to come from Shaun's amazing travels through NZ. Keep checking back for more and make sure to follow him on Instagram and on the Surf & Adventure Blog too!