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RNZ News
25-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
'I just let it flow': Meet 16-year-old James Kusitino, Fiji's first pro surfer
@kanebrownphoto. James Kusitino riding the wave. Photo: Kane Brown At just 16 years old, Fijian surfer James Kusitino is already making waves in the international surf scene. With a natural talent and effortless appearance on the water, Kusitino has quickly captivated surfing communities around the world. Now, the youngster has become Fiji's first sponsored professional surfer, having recently been backed by renowned surf and skate brand FORMER. Photo by Guy Mac. James Kusitino, pictured, now sponsored by FORMER. Photo: Guy Mac, @guy__mac Kusitino was only five years old when he caught a wave, pushed into the whitewash by his uncle. "I don't remember much," he laughed. "Just that I was scared but also didn't want to get off the board." But any initial fears, even at that age, did not last long. By the time he was eight, Kusitino was already surfing Cloudbreak, one of the world's most iconic and formerly exclusive surf spots. It is the kind of break most surfers only dream of, once called "the best wave on Earth" by 11-time world champion Kelly Slater. But Cloudbreak has a complicated history, something that was recently explored by Stab Magazine writer Christian Bowcutt. For years, access to the wave was tightly controlled by the nearby luxury Tavarua Island Resort, which held a private lease over the surrounding reef, effectively barring local surfers. That all changed in 2010, a year after Kusitino was born, when Fiji's then-Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama ended exclusive surf rights following mounting pressure to open the country's waves to everyone - locals included. "My first time surfing Cloudbreak was actually part of a competition…I was surfing alongside Jake Maki," Kusitino said. It is a lucky thing it all changed, because Cloudbreak is Kusitino's main hunting ground, the place he thrives, and where he believes "all the mana is." "Everyone from all around the world, all the good surfers come out here. I would just watch them, and get better as a surfer by just watching," he said. "There weren't any other people my age out there," he added. "...and it just felt right. I started getting good waves, and I was like, wow. I should just keep doing this and see where it takes me." His free-flowing, instinctive attitude has drawn praise from surf watchers around the world, setting him apart. There's a lot of eyes on him - but one of Kusitino's keys to success is that he "doesn't overthink it." "I just go with what feels good, I don't like to force things," he said. "I just do what feels good. Just what feels nice. If you force a style, it looks bad. I just let it flow." Photo by Guy Mac. James Kusitino, pictured, now sponsored by FORMER. Photo: Guy Mac, @guy__mac Committing to the surf, especially as his talent continues to grow, meant stepping away from school as he began missing too much class. Both Kusitino's parents have supported the decision, though his mum is "a little more hesitant." "I'm not at school anymore. It was my parents idea for me to drop out of school, they believe in chasing the dream…and doing what I love. My dad had so much trust - my mum, not as much as my dad," Kusitino laughed. "Even when I was in school, the teacher would go around, asking, what are you trying to be when you grow up? It was the same…doctor, pilot, doctor. Then they come to me, and I'm like, I want to be a professional surfer." Kusitino currently splits his time between his family home in Kulukulu and a yacht he works on, which is anchored in Nadi for the moment. "We just work on the boat…clean it up, keep it clean for the boss when he comes. When he's here, we do jobs, cleaning, things like that. "But most of the time, I just surf. That's my job…and that is a good job to have." Kusitino agreed that his reality seems like fantasy for other young surfers. However, he added that the water is simply his "real home." "I drop everything on land, I'm very clumsy," Kusitino said. "But in the water, I'm like a fish. The water is healing for me. When I'm sick, I just go swimming. I get in the water. I feel better straight away." After perusing a few sponsorship deals, Kusitino signed with iconic surfer Craig Anderson's label, FORMER. "Craig's the best person on earth. Just being around him is all I need," Kusitino said. "I don't even want to look for more." Shot by @jakefissendencreative. 16-year-old James Kusitino riding the wave. Photo: Jake Fissenden He's inspired by the likes of Anderson, and other legends like Mason Ho. Kusitino added that his mentor, local surf legend Che Slatter, has also been a pivotal part of his journey, encouraging his capability since day dot. Looking forward, Kusitino's biggest dreams are to take on the world's most massive waves. "I want to surf Waimea, Chopes, and the Eddie. And I want to win Cloudbreak as a wildcard. No wildcard has won it yet - maybe I can be the first." For now, though, he keeps it simple. He wakes up, checks the waves, and "breathes deep" before paddling out. "When the first set comes, I let it go. I just see where it breaks and how it looks," he said. "No pressure. I just go with the flow." Kusitino added that he is thrilled to be representing the Pacific, especially Fiji, and his family. His advice for other young surfers, especially other youngsters around the Pacific: "Just keep surfing. Do what you love with your heart. The more you surf, the more special things will happen."
Scottish Sun
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Loose Women star Andrea McLean breaks down in tears in emotional video as she confirms she's quitting UK
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FORMER Loose Women star Andrea McLean broke down in tears as she confirmed her plans to quit the UK for Spain. The TV favourite, 55, is starting a new life abroad after her business folded and she nearly died from pneumonia and sepsis. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 2 Andrea McLean broke down in tears as she confirmed her move to Spain Last night The Sun exclusively revealed Andrea was upping sticks and now she has opened up about her departure to fans. Speaking from her home surrounded by boxes, she said: "I've had a bit of a shocker over the last few years, not only health wise but obviously my business failing." Andrea then grew emotional as she said: "What is made me realise is, oh gosh, you only get one shot and you have to seize the day." Her husband Nick then stepped in to give her a comforting hug. She continued: "I've always wanted to live by the sea and in the sun, so that's what we're doing. The timing, of course, is not perfect. There's never a perfect moment. "What I realised at the start of this year is you don't know how many moments you have left. You have to seize them." Andrea's female empowerment brand, This Girl Is On Fire, was dissolved in February after failing to make money, despite a hefty investment from the sale of herSurrey home. Around the same time the business was wound down, Andrea revealed she came terrifyingly close - just 24 hours - to dying after being struck down with pneumonia and sepsis. Now she's seeking a fresh start and focusing on her writing career, having already published three bestsellers - This Girl Is On Fire, Confessions of a Good Girl and Confessions of a Menopausal Woman. A source said: "It's been a tough couple of years and the business never financially recovered. Andrea made the decision to dissolve the business officially earlier this year. "Now she's planning a new life in Spain with husband Nick [Feeney]. After she nearly died, Andrea's focused on what really matters - family and friends. "She's in a really good place, positive, loved up with Nick still, her kids are all grown up so she's happy and making life work for her." Loose Women star faints and is left with nasty black eye - hours after Lorraine Kelly sports shiner on TV A television favourite for more than two decades, Andrea previously told how her endorsement deals dried up overnight when she announced she was quitting Loose Women to focus on her business. Suddenly, the money she was planning on using to fund the early days of the brand disappeared. She said: ''On the day that I announced I was leaving, every brand dropped me... so I went from, 'OK I knew I had this amount of money coming in and this much work that will see me through to the next six to eight months,' it disappeared overnight. ''That's how big a deal moving away from TV is. It was financially like a punch in the stomach, my safety net was gone. I was like, 'Oh my god I only have my savings. I can't turn back and change my mind. I have no other income.'" Andrea turned to the stock market after selling her home and moving into a six-bedroom rental, but it remains unknown what sort of return she made. The most recent accounts for her former business published in December 2023 showed it had just £292 in assets. Her decision to leave Loose Women behind came after she suffered a nervous breakdown. Announcing her exit live on air, she said: "Last year I had a nervous breakdown and what I felt was this year, collectively, the world had a breakdown and the experience I had means that this year I was mentally really strong to deal with everything that the pandemic threw at us. "But it made me stop and think: 'What do I actually want?' If there is anything that can show us you only get one life… "Are you living it the way you want? Doing everything you want to do? Being brave and taking chances? And I realised no." Through all her hardship, Andrea has had husband Nick by her side and now the pair are committed to starting a new chapter in sunny Spain.
Scottish Sun
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Bargain Hunt star David Dickinson shows off £280k Bentley as he does his weekly shop at supermarket
David explained his love for the luxury car brand bentley barg Bargain Hunt star David Dickinson shows off £280k Bentley as he does his weekly shop at supermarket FORMER Bargain Hunt presenter David Dickinson turned up to do his shopping in a six-figure Bentley. The 83-year-old was spotted at the Marks & Spencer Handforth Dean in his native Cheshire which he had driven to in his Bentley GT Supersport. 5 Bargain Hunt star David Dickinson was spotted at a M&S in Cheshire Credit: Eamonn and James Clarke 5 The TV star drove his luxury Bentley to the shops Credit: Eamonn and James Clarke Clad in a brown leather jacket and jeans, the TV presenter pushed a trolley full of shopping towards the black convertible on Thursday afternoon. The TV icon was an antique dealer before a chance meeting with a producer at a barbecue led the BBC making a two-part documentary about him preparing for an antiques show at the Olympia. He became a favourite among viewers thanks to his appearances as an antiques expert on This Morning and The Antiques Show on BBC Two. David then landed his own game show called Bargain Hunt which cemented his status as a TV star and he would go on to front for nine years until 2003. "I couldn't understand it at first I was just doing what came naturally but everyone seemed to pick up on my catchphrases such as 'cheap as chips' and 'what a bobby dazzler'," David said of the show on his website. "I was delighted when the show won a National Television Award in 2002 and I was there to accept it." After leaving Bargain Hunt, David had a lucrative TV career which helped earn him his estimated £2million personal worth. David also competed in reality TV series, Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here the following year. "When I was asked to go into the jungle in 2005, everyone advised me against it but I thought 'I'll give it a go'," David said on his website about his stint in the Aussie jungle. "Some people go to a health farm and pay a couple of thousand pounds, but in there I lost more than a stone and had a detox, just a shame the weather was so rainy I was hoping to top up the tan." Iconic daytime TV show returns to screens after host was forced to deny he'd quit The antiques expert has long been a car-lover and has previously owned four Chevrolet Corvettes and several Rolls-Royces. He explained his love for Bentleys after getting his first one in 2003. "Bentley is a deluxe vehicle; a wonderful, classic marque. But it's not OTT," he told The Times in the same year. "The attention to detail is fantastic." 5 David rose to fame hosting BBC's Bargain Hunt Credit: Will Ireland/PinPep 5 He was a long-time antiques dealer before hitting the small screen Credit: BBC
IOL News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Jacinta Zinhle MaNgobese Zuma's campaign against illegal immigration gains support
March and March campaign supporters Scelo Mlaba, Gcina Dube, Mxolisi Nxumalo and Msizi Ngidi after their picket outside the Pietermaritzburg Magitrate's Court on Thursday. Image: Bongani Hans FORMER radio personality Jacinta Zinhle MaNgobese Zuma's newly established March and March Until We Win campaign against illegal immigrants is gaining traction around the country while being allegedly shunned by the government. On social media, ordinary South Africans have expressed their support for MaNgobese Zuma's campaign. However, she expressed concern about the government departments' lack of support. MaNgobese Zuma, who also enjoys support from ActionSA, said the national police and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, were the only ones not hostile and who were willing to hear her concerns. 'Otherwise, all the other departments are very, very hostile when we try to work with them. 'We write letters without getting responses, we try to facilitate engagements, we don't get feedback from them, and we tried reaching out to the president,' she said. She spoke to this reporter telephonically on Thursday after a group of her supporters picketed outside the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate Court where a suspect, who was believed to be from Malawi, had appeared for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girl from Copesville. Although she welcomed Ntuli's campaign against illegal immigrants, she stated that this was not sufficient. 'My point is that you cannot do something once off and keep quiet for three months because the situation is dire and requires serious intervention,' she said. She wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a state of emergency against illegal foreigners and deploy the army to assist the police in flushing them out of the country. 'The police cannot do this by themselves, as they are already overwhelmed. 'Our courts and the national defence force need to play their parts,' she said. She called on the South African citizens to assist by stopping to rent out spaces in their homes to the illegal immigrants to open spaza shops. MaNgobese Zuma described the issue of illegal immigrants as the country's crisis that has depleted already scarce resources earmarked for the local citizens. She said there was no way that the government could misinterpret the March and March campaign as xenophobic because it was supported by legal foreigners who understood the situation. She said the crisis was clear because people were losing their jobs as companies were opting to employ illegal foreigners. 'We state all those things in our communication with the departments, and if they keep ignoring us, things are going to get worse. 'Look at the health department, people complain about overcrowded clinics and hospitals, leading to the lack of access to healthcare, and that leads to more tension on the ground. 'We recently saw a report from ActionSA stating that 70% of the files at the Department of Health in Johannesburg belonged to foreigners, and that speaks to the situation that is not healthy,' she said. Responding to ActionSA MP Dr Kgosietsile Letlape's parliamentary questions last year, Public Service and Administration Minister Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi said out of 12 million employees of government departments nationally and various provinces, more than 6,000 were foreign nationals. MaNgobese Zuma said she started the March and March campaign on March 24 this year after realising the future of young South Africans was bleak. 'I was inspired by looking at the future of this country and seeing the pain from thinking of my poor children of South Africa, where they can no longer be able to go outside and play because there is kidnapping, human trafficking, and drugs. 'The youth of South Africa don't have jobs,' said MaNgobese Zuma. She alleged that illegal immigrants were contributing to the high crime rate. 'They are armed to the teeth with all kinds of ammunition and guns, and there is even a spaza shop mafia run by Pakistanis and Somalians, and when South Africans try to open a shop, it becomes a crisis. 'How is that even possible that a country cannot allow its citizens to open spaza shops?' she said. According to the Home Affairs website, the department deported close to 47,000 illegal immigrants in the 2024/2025 financial year alone. In a statement issued on April 2, Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber described the country's deportation rate, which he linked to improved working relationships between his department, the Border Management Authority and police, as having improved than the previous years. 'The fact that Home Affairs now performs more than double the number of deportations conducted in a country like France, which has the highest rate of deportations in the European Union, sends a clear message to offenders that the days of impunity are over. This improved performance, coupled with our digital transformation reforms that will automate entry and exit to prevent people from entering the country illegally through our ports of entry, is contributing to enhanced national security and trade facilitation,' said Schreiber. [email protected]
