pioneer : 5 videos

Jack O’Neill, surfer, ocean lover, wetsuit pioneer, boating enthusiast, and founder of the iconic surf company O’Neill, recently passed away in Santa Cruz, California, of natural causes at the age of 94. Through the invention of the wetsuit and his passion, the legendary waterman changed the face of surfing forever. In celebration of the life of Jack O’Neill, his company O’Neill invited watermen all over the globe to join collective paddle-outs on Sunday, 9th of July 2017, simultaneously a...

KIWIS PREVAIL IN EPIC PIONEER MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE New Zealand’s James Williamson and Scott Lyttle (Team Watson & Sons Manuka Honey) took out the 2017 Pioneer Mountain Bike Stage race, holding off the fast finishing Spaniards Tomi Misser and Ibon Sugasti (Imparables) on the final stage into Queenstown today while Nina McVicar (Nelson) and Reta Trotman (Christchurch) in team Hirepool took out the women’s honours. In a race that has already established itself as amongst the best in the worl...

SPANISH LEGEND LOVING HIS PIONEER EXPERIENCE In the world of downhill mountain bike racing, indeed in the world of mountain bike racing full stop, there are few with the careers to match that of Spaniard Tomi Misser. He is a little bit of mountain biking royalty, and he is loving his time here in New Zealand riding The Pioneer Stage Mountain Bike Race. Misser and Imparables partner Ibon Zugasti shared the overall stage win with Team Watson & Son Manuka Honey (James Williamson and Scott...

There was drama and excitement aplenty on stage two of The Pioneer as the Mountain Bike Stage race took the 338 riders over the 106km course from Geraldine to Fairlie on another blistering hot day in the Central South Island. Line honours were contested by three teams in a sprint finish, with the win going to Imparables riders Ibon Zugasi and Tommi Misser (ESP) as they nudged out Kiwis James Williamson and Scott Lyttle (Watson & Son Manuka Honey), with Oamaru brothers Tim and Kris Rush (Al...

Jack O’Neill single-handedly revolutionised surfing in the 1950s. Without him surfing in cold water would simply not be possible for any length of time, if it wasn’t for his invention of the wetsuit in early 50’s. This ingenious garment single-handedly broke down the barriers allowing dedicated surfers to enjoy waves in the planets coldest conditions. Jack O’Neill was in San Francisco at that time, where it gets quite cold and drops down below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. He wanted to work on somet...