Check out the whole interview here
Speed canoeists Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald are New Zealand’s most successful Olympians. ‘Ferg and Macca’ gained New Zealand sporting immortality at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. On the lake Casitas course they were unstoppable, Ian won gold in the K1, K2 and K4 events and Paul in the K2 with Ferg and the K4 along with Grant Bramwell and Alan Thompson.
Both followed up with gold in Seoul (1988) in the K2 500 and a silver in the K4.
There was a suggestion that their results were questionable due to the Eastern block boycott, so the following year they won gold at the World Championships in Belgium, beating crews from Eastern Europe and Russia. They had also beaten all crews leading up to the Olympics in the previous year
Sir Peter Snell is one of New Zealand’s greatest sports achievers – some say the greatest. He was voted New Zealand’s ‘Sports Champion of the 20th Century’ and one of 24 inaugural members of the International Association of Athletics Federation Hall of Fame in 2012.
Sir Peter won three Olympic gold medals; Rome in 1960 800m, Tokyo in 1964 800m and 1500m and two Commonwealth Games titles for the 880 yards and 1 mile in Perth in 1962. He was knighted in 2009.
I sent my caricature to him at the University of Texas in September 1990, and he signed and returned it with an accompanying letter.
The 34th America’s Cup is currently taking place in San Francisco.
It’s known as much for controversy, complex rules, courtroom wrangles and rich men posturing as it is for cutting edge design, world class sailors and absorbing racing.
Emirates Team New Zealand and Italy’s Luna Rossa are sailing in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final to determine who will challenge the defender Oracle for ‘The Auld Mug’ next month.
Using revolutionary high speed 72ft multi-hulls known as AC72s with rigid ‘wing’ sails and hydrofoils to lift the hulls clear of the water, has created drama, controversy and tragedy dubbed ‘The Fiasco in Frisco!’
The America’s Cup’s is the oldest active trophy in International Sport. Originally awarded in 1851 by the Royal Yacht Club for a race around the Isle of Wight. It has was won by the scooner ‘America’, renamed ‘The America’s Cup’ and donated to the New York Yacht Club under the terms of the Deed of Gift, which made it available for perpetual international competition. And there it stayed, from 1857 until 1983 when ‘Australia II’ skippered by John Bertrand came from behind to beat Dennis Connor’s ‘Liberty’ 4-3 in the best-of-seven format, ending the biggest winning streak in the history of sport.
In spite of being the first defending helmsman to be defeated in the 132 year history of the cup, Connor won it back in 1987, beating Australia’s ‘Kookaburra III’ off Freemantle for the San Diego Yacht Club. Hosted by the Royal Perth Yacht Club, the series was also notable for New Zealand’s entry, a fibreglass hulled boat, helmed by Chris Dickson, nicknamed ‘plastic fantastic’.
‘Mr Americas Cup’ Conner became ‘Dirty Dennis’ when he accused Team New Zealand of cheating. Core samples were taken and the New Zealand was cleared and declared within the rules.
Conner however went on to win the Challenger series over New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton Final before winning the Cup itself against the defending Aussies.
New Zealand’s syndicate head, Sir Michael Fay lodged a successful challenge to the New York Supreme Court by the Mercury Bay Yacht Club. In 1988, New Zealand’s gigantic 90ft boat sailed off against Conner’s catamaran, which the court ruled unfair and awarded the Cup to New Zealand. This was overturned on appeal.
Team New Zealand finally triumphed on the water in 1995 with ‘Black Magic’ (NZL32) in San Diego, skippered by Russell Coutts, they defeated Conners ‘Stars and Stripes’ 5-0.
The late Sir Peter Blake was the syndicate boss for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Team New Zealand successfully defended the Cup in 1999-2000 against Prada, the first time it was contested without an American challenger or defender.
My ‘Black Magic’ sketch was signed in San Diego, arranged by New Zealand’s legendary sailing commentator Pete Montgomery ‘The Voice’ of the America’s Cup. ‘PJ’ has covered every America’s Cup regatta since 1986. The signatures include Sir Peter Blake, Russell Coutts and tactician Brad Butterworth along with the crew of NZL32.
Both Dennis Conner and John Bertrand visited New Zealand in 2004 to compete in the Etchells National Championships, sailed off Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. Conner was the defending champion and Bertrand had won it the previous year. They renewed old rivalries and signed my respective sketches at the same time.
Sir Richard Hadlee, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Sir Ian Botham were the top four cricket all-rounders of the 1980’s and early 90’s. They are all inductees into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. New Zealand’s ‘Paddles’ Hadlee is considered one of the great fast bowlers of all time. The 2002 edition of Wisden listed him as the second great test bowler in the history of the game. ESPN named him as the 12th Best Cricketer of all time in its Legends of Cricket selection.
Playing for the Black Caps from 1988-1994, his right-arm bowling was initially extremely fast, with devastating control. Over time his pace reduced but he gained more accuracy and movement off the wicket. The master of conventional ‘swing’ batting, he was the original ‘Sultan of Swing’, with his most potent delivery the unplayable outswinger. He was the first player to take 400 Test Wickets and after 86 Matches, ended his career with 431 at an average of 22.29. He scored 3,124 test runs, with two centuries including 151 not out. He was Knighted in 1990.
Kapil Dev replaced Sir Richard’s wicket-taking World Record in early 1994 and was Wisden’s Indian Cricketer of the Century (2002). Known for his grace and pace (involving a majestic leap at the crease) his right-arm outswinger and a potent inswinging yorker enabled him to take 434 test wickets before he retired in 1994. A naturally aggressive batsman, he scored more than 5000 runs in test matches and in ODIs and captained India to the 1983 World Cup Championship, beating the mighty West Indies who were looking for a hat trick of titles at Lords.
‘Paddles’ signed 15 limited edition prints as part of a set of New Zealand’s Best Cricket XI at his home in Christchurch in the mid 1990’s. They were sold for various charities. The caricature was signed at a sporting function in Invercargill in 1989. Kapil Dev signed his caricature on his final visit to New Zealand in 1994 during India’s one-off Test in Hamilton.
Tomorrow: Part 2, Khan and Botham
Kiwi Valerie Adams made history on the 12 August 2013 to become the most successful shot putter in history with her fourth consecutive World Title in Moscow.
This installs Valerie as the most dominant athlete in the sport – male or female. Val is now unbeaten in a streak spanning 9 events across three years, holding every major shot put title.
She first won in Osaka in 2007, followed by titles in Berlin, Daegu, and now Moscow. She also secured two Olympic titles inbetween, although she was unable to stand on the dias and hear her national anthem because Nadzeya Ostapchuk from Belarus originally won the gold, but was disqualified for doping.
I was asked to provide a sketch of Valerie (then with the surname Vili) at a Celebration Luncheon in Invercargill, New Zealand in October 2007, which was presented to her. She loved it and signed a copy for me.
New Zealand Indy Car driver Scott Dixon had a great week, winning the last three races in the current series, including back-to-back wins in last weekend’s double header in Toronto. That was his 32nd win in IndyCar.
Indy Racing League Championship, winning in 2003 and 2008. He is currently second in this year’s standings. His most memorable victory was winning the Indianapolis 500 in 2008 from pole position.
I sent a copy of my cartoon, published in the Southland Times, to Scott at his Chip Ganassi Team HQ in Indianapolis, which he signed and returned.
I drew this sketch of Peter Jackson to illustrate my feature article on the chances of the first instalment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy – The Fellowship of the Ring – at the 2002 Academy Awards.
A friend of mine was a production assistant at WingNut films. I sent the sketch to her and she got Sir Peter to sign it for me.
I was lucky enough to meet Ralph in my Dunedin days, I really loved his use of stencils and protest artwork. When I was a designer at the Manawatu Art Gallery I actually hung the famous black Union Jack, which was his anti-Springbok Tour piece, which is depicted in the homage.
I’ve spent the weekend watching New Zealand vs South Africa in the cricket…
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