After almost half-a-century covering the nation's premier surf lifesaving event, Grant Morrison is something of an authority on New Zealand's national championships.

So much so that for the past decade, the Papamoa man has compiled the definitive history of the tournament.

Video produced by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services.

As the timespan suggests, it involved a mammoth research project, with days of scouring old SLSNZ annual reports dating as far back as 1915.

The process also involved interviewing club stalwarts, but like any history project, the more Grant discovered, the more he wanted to know.

The Mairangi Bay life member, journalist and broadcaster sat down at his Papamoa home to talk about his motivations and involvement with the iconic summer sport.