Shaping the waves

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One of less than a handful of surfboard shapers in New Zealand, from a young age Ian Manze was "hooked" on the ocean and on being on some kind of surf craft. So much so, he’d eventually turn his passion into a career.

By Katie Farman. Photos by Lucia Zanmonti.

Under the label "Hotwire Surfboards", Ian designs, handshapes and custom-makes surfboards from his Palliser Bay home. His specialty is short boards, especially quads (4-fin surfboards) and developing performance-focused hybrid designs using bio-based epoxy resins and a variety of unique materials and techniques in his construction.

"I started shaping after returning from Australia in the early 2000s and being frustrated that the boards I wanted to ride were unavailable. I also had a desire to experiment with alternate designs and construction techniques," he says. "I started making boards just for myself but over time more people would ask me if I could make one for them. My business grew from there."

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And when he’s not making boards, he is riding them, surfing the icy waters of the Wairarapa’s South Coast. There are many prized surf breaks dotted along the sparse, wild and windswept landscape from Lake Ferry to Cape Palliser and further north to Tora Point. They have names such as Craps, Bombora, and Shipwreck and their appeal is few crowds and amazing waves -– whether big or small.

"Surfing here is unique in that it is fairly isolated, and the weather conditions can be fickle, so you need to be somewhat resilient. There are no sandy beaches so it is not really suited to learners."