The pre-dawn of February 26 1983 emerged with a bracing breeze, as early mornings often do in the shadow of New Zealand’s tallest mountain peaks.
In the half-light, thunderous waves crashed into black sands at Kumara, just south of Greymouth. At the water’s edge 79 hardy souls tentatively anticipating the start of one of the biggest adventures of their lives.
An excitable little man with an impressive beard and a commanding character screeched through a mega-phone: ‘Back, get further back!’
This small contingent of scantily-clad individuals retreated, the reluctance at starting a new day immersed in the vast Tasman Sea written all over their collective faces.
As the chills enveloped them, I asked myself what these crazy adventurers were doing there. Equally, what was I doing in such a desolate place as the sand flies honed in for the kill, especially at that ungodly time of the day?
Alongside me was Graeme Brown, a young cameraman in the infancy of his career but eagerly desirous of having his work presented to the adventuring world. At that frozen moment in time he admitted to having those very same thoughts.
Little did he know it but he was capturing on film - digital imagery hadn’t been conceived at that time - adventure racing history in the making. [Graeme’s fantastic images accompanied my words in the next Adventure Magazine].
Bu hikaye Adventure Magazine dergisinin December 2020 - January 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Adventure Magazine dergisinin December 2020 - January 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Papua New Guinea
Four reasons to add Papua New Guinea to your bucket list
The benefits of being a Multi-Trick Pony
"A broad skill base and how you can draw from one platform to the next – women often pigeon hole themselves"
The RELUCTANT adventurer
An eighteen-year-old princess, who paints his (yes, his) nails and dyes his hair bleach blonde, embarking on an adventure trip with his family, sounds like a plot for a bad 80s movie.
The Meaning of Tramping
What does tramping mean to you?
Keala Kennelly owns Red Bull Magnitude
The North Shore season of 1957 is recognized in the surfing world as the start of an era. When Greg Noll, a young Mickey Munoz and company went out and rode Waimea for the first time, it was a glimpse of what could be in the world of big-wave surfing.
North West Circuit Stewart Island
I found myself in limbo during the winter of 2020, in between jobs in a strained covid economy. And so, I did what any outdoors person would do with a large amount of free time on their hands. It was time to pack up my belongings and hit the road. It was time to leave behind home comforts and go adventure-seeking.
Emilie's adventure to Angelus Hut
“I want to be the leader!” Miss Six announced, pushing past me in her determination to be in front. Momentarily off-balance with my heavy pack, I narrowly avoided twisting an ankle on the sharp rocks and silently swore while cracking a bright smile.
Nancy Jiang Breaking stereotypes
I recently watched a youtube movie entitled, “Her Way” (check it out on the Adventure Website) which introduced a woman who had an overwhelming passion for running. The preface at the bottom of the clip, read as follows:
Adversity at Altitude
The wind and snow is whipping at my face. I’ve readjusted the stiff frozen fleece buff around my neck and mouth, desperately trying to protect myself from the -20 degree bitter wind. Adrenaline is still pumping through my body but I know I’ll start to get cold soon.
Last Great Mountaineering Challenge
Ground-breaking mountaineer Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja MBE has attained an incredible new world record by submitting K2 as part of a collaborative team in the depths of winter. Until now, it was a record that was believed to be impossible to accomplish and was famously known as the ‘last great mountaineering challenge’.
