Sunset at Fitzroy Beach 2
Taranaki, New Zealand, the third stop on the 2012 ASP Women’s World Tour. Rightly-so, this leg of the trip was tagged with the running moniker of ‘fun’. At 17 years old, Lakey is truly living the dream. The waves at the TSB Bank New Zealand Surf Festival were as good as they get… paired with amazing weather, beautiful scenery and great friends, you really can’t ask for more as a competitor. Bettering both of her first two tour stops, Lakey found her way to a the semi-finals in Taranaki, notching the highest single wave score of the event with a 9.85 and securing a current 6th place ranking on the World Tour. But beyond that, she’s having fun with it and taking the time to enjoy each place she goes. On some of her down time Lakey did some exploring in the NZ bush, walking lush botanical gardens and helicoptering into the legendary Jurassic Falls. The pictures below tell the story better than I ever could, so check out PART II of the EN ROUTE with Lakey Peterson photo journal below, and since I’ve already labeled this part of the trip with the word ‘fun’, heres a few ‘fun’ facts about the island country of New Zealand. Check PART I here.
1. A kiwi is not a fruit – it is New Zealand’s native flightless bird and a slang term for a New Zealander. Kiwis call the fruit “kiwifruit” – they are also known as Chinese Gooseberries.
2. New Zealand was the first country to have its three top positions of power held simultaneously by women: The Prime Minister (Helen Clark), the Governor General (Dame Silvia Cartwright), and the Chief Justice (Sian Elias).
3. New Zealand was the first major nation to have universal suffrage. In 1893 it became legal for all male and female citizens of New Zealand to vote. (facts provided by: www.listverse.com)
Copy & Photos by Aaron Lieber
