Tyde Maihi endured headband thievery, a swatting cat, and getting his long locks caught in a tent zipper on a Clarence Valley hunting trip.
But the five years growing his hair was all worth it, knowing that someone with less will benefit from his donated clipped coiffure.
What started as an in-house longest hair contest with his brother Blade when they couldn’t have it professionally cut during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, Tyde later gave it another strand.
He converted it into a good cause when he moved to Foxhill from Kawakawa Bay that December, and it grew from eight to 32cm at the last measurement on 16 April, that same day it was hacked off by hairstylist Swaye Robertson at Wakefield’s Hair-Raisers.
The hairs were interwoven and sent to Freedom Wigs, a Dunedin-based company that uses unprocessed human hair to craft customised prosthetic hair pieces for individuals experiencing extensive hair loss.
Tyde says his inaugural long locks mostly flowed with Waimea College and Intermediate, and Wakefield School was “more than accommodating” with a special pass for his hair length.
But hairy moments were never short.
“Since I go hunting with my dad, I sleep in a tent out there, and the last time we went hunting there was a helicopter that flew right over us, and I tried to get out but my hair got caught in the zip, and it hurt because I was trying to pull it off,” he says.
“My friends used to steal my headbands, they all used to run around after each other and try and get them, and my cat has played with [my hair] sometimes.
“[My hair now] feels free, whenever I walk around my hair doesn’t swing around and hit me in the face, it doesn’t get in my eyes anymore, I don’t need to wear a headband, and there are no more knots, I hated that.”
Tyde says it “probably will be the only time for a long period” he grows elongated hair, but he’ll be happy for someone to be empowered with a new look from his donation.
