#AlmightyPeople - Ambrose McNeil

Hi Ambrose, thanks for chatting with us!

Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Kia ora Almighty, my full name is Ambrose William Leighton McNeill (4 names for extra impact!) and I was born and raised in the idyllic little seaside town of Sumner, Christchurch, NZ. After I finished uni and a few years of traveling I ended up settling at the southern end of Australia's Gold Coast. Eight years later I'm still here living with my girlfriend Montana, and trying to spend as much time doing things that make me happy.

Almighty has been lucky enough to connect with the Single Fin Mingle (SFM) - What is the Single Fin Mingle? And what makes it so special?

The Single Fin Mingle is a festival like no other! It's a celebration of surfing, art, film, music, and human connection held in our beautiful hometown of Sumner, Christchurch. There's a magic to The Mingle that has to be experienced rather than explained but I believe it's one of the most beautiful events in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

You're a lover of Jazz music and the way you integrate this into the SFM is very smooth. Where does this love come from?

My Dad (Malcolm McNeill) was one of NZ's foremost jazz singers and for as long as I can remember I grew up either listening to him singing or to the music he would play. Naturally, his love of jazz rubbed off on me and if you're going to throw a party you tend to play the music you like.

The SFM is hitting its 10th year anniversary. How exciting. What’s been the highest high and the lowest low so far?

Yes, it feels like a huge milestone and we can't wait! Every year the SFM is a roller coaster of emotions. Seriously running a festival is a wild ride and not for the faint-hearted. We've experienced our fair share of highs and lows. Like most in the event space, we were dealt the devastating blow of having to postpone our festival one week before we were set to run due to COVID-19. It was heartbreaking, a year's work was complete and we were ready to rock n roll. However, on the flip side, 4 months later we got to experience a great high of becoming one of the first festivals in NZ to go ahead post-lockdown when we ran an extra special Winter Mingle.

You are from Christchurch, New Zealand but now live in Gold Coast, Australia. What was it like growing up in Sumner Christchurch? What’s it like living in Australia?

Sumner in the 90s and early 2000s was the perfect place to play. It was a low-key place in those days and I spent most of my childhood playing rugby or skateboarding around the village. Then when I was in high school I started surfing so most of my spare time was spent either in the waves at Scarborough and Taylors or hanging on the Esplanade wall. 

Living over the ditch today is wonderful and the climate and relaxed lifestyle make it a perfect place to live as a surfer. 

Building community is important to us and being a part of the SFM community has been awesome.

What does community mean to you?

For me community is essential and I think it's part of our DNA to connect to the tribes we live in.  People thrive when we have a sense of belonging and communities play a pivotal role in this.

How do you practice balance in your life?

I've always pursued my passions and tried not to let them get pushed aside as I've 'grown up'. In the last year or so I actually started writing lists for each day that not only include the work I want to tick off but also things for me - like getting in the ocean, enjoying a coffee, having a bbq for dinner ect, etc. Although it's big Tony Robins vibes it's been helpful for me.

Who is your favourite Jazz artist?

Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz, Sarah Vaughan, Bill Evans, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass and Dad are a few favourites.

If you can share, where’s the best spot you've surfed in the world?

Hmmm it's too hard to pick one - I'd say somewhere in Mexico or Indonesia.