Kia Ora

Ko Richard Christie taku ingoa,
Ko Huhana Mete toku mama,
Ko Rick Christie toku papa,
Ko Takitimu toku waka,
Ko Ruataniwha toku marae,
Ko Wairoahaupupuhaunengengematangirau taku awa
Ko Ngati Kahungunu no Rongomaiwahine me Ngapuhi toku iwi

Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou Katoa

The ocean was always going to be a part of me whether it be my preference or not. I was born in Dunedin, an unexplainably beautiful town on the south east corner of the south island. Mum always said i have lived in a bubble from birth. ” You Gushed out on a water slide, still inside your bag and landed on the midwife” she tells me every 13th of October. There to greet me was an already established ocean enthused family. I had two brothers, eldest Ryan and Danny who surfed and an older sister Lisa. My youngest child favouritism didn’t last as long as i’d hoped as just over a year later my baby sister Charlotte was born. Last but not least our youngest little sibling, a beautiful little girl Waimarie joined the masses.

My mother decided against wintery Dunedin and opted to move to the magical island-esque Mahia Peninsula on the central east coast of the north island at age 6 which by complete chance happens to boast undeniably world class waves. This move north was to be the most significant factor in my life. Mahia has roughly 600 residents therefore it is by no means a city nor a town, rather a small tight-knit Maori community. This meant that through my primary and intermediate school years Maori culture would play a considerably major part in my life, through learning history of the historic area and the annual event with more hype than the olympics, the Kapahaka(Maori performing arts) festival. Having this background gives me a true sense of belonging and a completely different view of the world to most, contributing to my self-proclaimed opinionated personality.

My brother Danny was one of the cool dudes, a sponsored surfer. He took me out surfing for the first time at age 7 and I can still remember the feeling of standing up for the first time. From here it all began. The next couple years I biked 3 kms to the beach every day after school with some older boys. I absolutely idolised my older brother who was constantly traveling and receiving flash clothes in bulk FOR FREE! He would surf the infamous black’s reef, so once I grew some balls I joined him. I would get dropped off by myself at blacks in the weekends and holidays with a packed lunch in hand, first thing in the morning(by this stage my old surfing buddies had found the love of steinlager beer, marijuana and gang patches). I would surf, scab off travelling tourists and let a few of their tyres down,
before finally being picked up on dark.

I entered my first surfing contest when I was 10, and at age 12 I gained the under 14 NZ national title, which lead to my first sponsorship deal and my very first trip over the ditch with the NZ grommet team.?Nearest city Gisborne, the so called ‘hotbed’ of NZ surfing was to be where I went to high school and what a culture shock that was, people wore shoes! I was now also bumping shoulders with the likes of Maz Quinn along with a handful of nz’s best which was pretty rad I thought. Surfing had kinda taken over my life by this stage. At 16, to my astonishment I won the Open NZ National Championships along with the junior crown prompting my major sponsor to insist I do the full Australasian pro junior series that year. So I decided against my final year at school and began vigorous travels across the ditch to mix it up with the best junior shredders on shred-sticks in the world. This was to be my focus for the next four years.

All that time away from home by myself out in the world, like a fish out of water forced me to grow up fast and adapt quicker. I was almost eaten alive by a pack of carnivourous piranhas. This helped me understand that people are different from those who i grew up with. The world is a highly contrasting place. Each country has its own culture, customs and beliefs and they are neither right nor wrong, just different. Being able to accept people for who they are is something i believe i have attained. I am me and they are who-ever they want to be. Who am i to judge?

2009 was my first year on tour and what an experience that was. I ate kangaroo in western australia, frog legs in france and partied through portugal. I stayed on a honeymoon resort in the maldives before jetting to bali for some barrels and babes. In brazil I ate beans, which wasn’t my favourite moment of the year but the huntington hop(us open) cured the curse, too bad I missed out on the 100k prize purse. 30 hour red-eye escapade back to europe and I island hopped the azores, then trod on ciggie butts in service stations in spain before a month of mingling in france prompted a new found need for the language of love. Hawaii was heavy with large waves and large-warriors. All in all, life in 09 was sweet.?2010 will be my second year on the WQS full time and i can’t wait to dive in to a concrete pool headfirst. Now i have a helmet on i’m hoping for only some minor whiplash. Hopefully i can get some good results too, that always keeps the sponsors happy
Go Go Gadjit
Aren’t ya??
WhAAAAAAAAT??
Joe-fish
Joe-boy
Pardon 
Right Hand Fist pump at a rave
ohhh yeahhhhh

CHUR CHUR
MYISSSSS.