Matt Scorringe

Coach Profile

For so long, the primary perception of surfing has been romanticized as a recreational lifestyle activity for the adventurous and carefree. However, there is a growing mindset shift and appreciation of surfing as a serious sport that requires dedication, training and respect for the ocean.

Growing up on the Whangamata beachfront, Matt Scorringe was destined to surf and live a life connected to the ocean.

From the age of two, Scorringe was on a surfboard riding waves, and now he coaches Olympic-level surfers.

A talented young surfer, Scorringe, found his way around surf breaks in the national board rider events with immediate success.

Selection into national junior teams followed, and Scorringe was picked up by iconic surfing brand Billabong as his primary sponsor.

“It was a dream travelling to these beautiful locations and surfing perfect waves.”

While Scorringe admits there were a couple of prominent Kiwi surfers ahead of him, he looks back on this time in his life competing in the World Tour qualifying series, and you can hear the smile on his face.

“It was the rise of surfing, and there were big brands and money flowing, and we got the lion’s share of what has been available. It’s a very different dynamic today.”

When Scorringe eventually stepped down from competing, he remained with his sponsors as a ‘free surfer,’ utilising his talent and passion for surfing to create content for brands.

Scorringe’s transition to coaching started when he was asked to become Pro Surfer Josh Kerr’s who was on the WSL Tour’s “caddy” – which involved filming the surfer and giving any feedback required, in essence coaching.

With a background in videography (both shooting and editing), Scorringe became intently curious about the influence of coaching on surfing.

“During that time, there was only a handful of the very top surfers like Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning who had coaches. Everyone was looking at them, thinking that’s what we should be doing.”

The growth of surfing coaches and a performance mindset shift quickly developed, coupled with the inclusion of the sport in the Olympic programme in Tokyo 2020.

Scorringe was quick to realise that New Zealand needed to have quality coaching and that he wanted to be part of the solution.

During this time, Scorringe’s life changed dramatically when he was diagnosed with leukemia.

A life-altering illness prompted him to reflect on his direction, and he was determined to do something that he felt passionate about and that served him.

In 2012, The Art of Surfing business was born with Scorringe at the helm. Scorringe guides surfers from development to elite level, honing their craft and becoming better through technical and tactical coaching.

“People (including friends) said I was nuts to go out on my own. They thought I was setting something up to fund my next surf trip,” laughs Scorringe, who now lives at Mount Maunganui.

“I wanted to help our top junior surfers to get to the next level. Coaching is something I didn’t get in my career, but I know it would be of great benefit.”

One of the unique aspects of Scorringe’s business is that he coaches from development to elite through one-on-one delivery through the virtual programmes he has developed.

Seeing athletes come through his pathway is hugely satisfying, and he admits that seeing Saffi Vette compete at the Paris Olympics is pretty special.

“I remember when I first met Saffi as a 10-year-old girl from Gisborne who was initially just turning on her board one way. To see her in Tahiti at the Olympics was really a full circle of the pathway.”

Watching some of Scorringe’s many coaching videos, it’s clear there’s a huge amount of detail and precision involved in the ‘art of surfing’.

But while the technical side of surfing is critical in coaching, Scorringe says it’s actually about connecting with people.

“Coaching is about creating relationships with people.”

He remembers an English teacher at his high school who empowered his learning by relating everything to surfing. That experience not only made him want to stay in school, but the years have had a lasting effect on the power of being able to relate to others.

“I love nothing more than finding a way to connect with people.”

The greatest thing that coaching has given Scorringe is the lifestyle he wanted to create for himself and his family.

“Absolutely, for me, where it started was helping people. But staying in the game has been about lifestyle, and that’s what keeps me motivated.” Absolutely. First and foremost, it’s about helping all surfers become the best surfers they can be, but to stay in the game, creating a lifestyle for my family to enjoy travelling and the sport is what helps keep me motivated.

As Scorringe’s search for the perfect wave continues, so does the commitment to coach and improve Kiwi surfers on the world’s sporting stage.