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Having never been to the surfing haven that is Oakura, Taranaki, we thought we may as well take the journey and check it out. At first we found it really challenging to find accommodation for the Yeah Gnar team and couldn't figure out why. 

Apparently the band Toto were playing in New Plymouth the same weekend, which somehow turned into "Africa" being the theme song of that road trip. We showed up in Oakura not knowing what to expect having never been there or seen many Taranaki skaters in action. First of all, their seaside skate-park is a dream. A mini-ramp that has a tranny to die for and the bowl...the bowl is so smooth and has lines for days. We finally got to see local Niwa Shewry for the first time ever, and seriously, if you don't know this young man you need to follow him on instragram @niwaskates now. The skater and spectator turn out was massive, and the Yeah Gnar team joined forces with the Henare whanau to run the groms competition, before the Taranaki Skateboarding Association took over for the opens. We were left in awe at the depth of talent in the Taranaki skateboarding scene and can't wait to go back! A special shout out to the Oakura Boardriders Club for putting on an epic event. They have been supporting surfing and skating in Oakura since way back, and you can find more information about them on their Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/OakuraBoardriders/