METRONEWS
© New Zealand Broadcasting School 2025

by New Zealand Broadcasting School students

Hang-fives and good vibrations at the Single Fin Mingle

Sport

Aimee Stanton
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The Single Fin Mingle welcomes people from all over the world.  Aimee Stanton/NZBS

The Single Fin Mingle has returned to Sumner for the 11th time, still bringing the style in and out of the waves.

More than 50 competitors from 11 different countries descended on the small beach suburb over the weekend, along with thousands of spectators ready to check what the surf had to offer.

Festival director Ambrose McNeill says the festival is about celebrating surfing, music and art, but at the core it's about human connection.  

“Bringing people together to have positive experiences in our community and to make positive connections with people near and far,” he says. 

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Surfers lined up for the festivals annual party wave. Supplied- Ed West/Single Fin Mingle

Many Sumner locals have been attending the festival since its inception.

They are proud of what it brings not only to their community, but to the whole of Ōtautahi. The festival has become a key part of the community.

McNeill believes the festival stands up against other iconic Christchurch events such as the Buskers Festival.

"The opportunities are abundant if we can get that full city backing.”

Though he would love to see support from the wider Christchurch community, he doesn’t want it to scale up. The intimate, community feel of The Mingle is integral for McNeill.  

“It offers the city and New Zealand something that’s so unique and it speaks to a global audience.”
Ambrose McNeill | Director of The Single Fin Mingle

Since its start in 2015, the Single Fin Mingle has shown Ōtautahi what surf culture is truly about - making memories with people.

It is the only longboarding contest in Aotearoa that brings in international talent.

The Mingle has a unique point of difference to other surf contests, incorporating traditional style single fin longboards, instead of the short thruster boards seen in the World Surf League contests.

Longboards are 8-10ft long, featuring a rounded nose and often one large fin.

Known for their stability, the boards allow surfers to incorporate tricks into each wave such as hang-tens, 360 spins and walking up and down the board.

Sumner Beach lends itself to the classic style of surfing with its gentle, rolling waves.

Surfers shredding the waves in the finals on Saturday.

McNeill grew up in the longboard community and feels it brings a lot to the Sumner community.

He loves the culture that surrounds this classic form of surfing, especially the style it brings in and out of the water.

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Winner of the women's final, Mahina Akaka, performing a hang five. Supplied- Single Fin Mingle

It is not lost on McNeill just how significant it is to have the event running for more than a decade.

“It’s a great testament to the community of people who work on it and the community of Sumner,” he says.

One day he hopes to take the festival international, taking a little piece of Sumner to the communities the Mingle has connected with across the world.