News > The Ben Kennings Report
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The Ben Kennings Report Winter-like Conditions Greet Surfers At Sandy Bay A wintery reception greeted surfers at the third event of the 2012 Hyundai Tour held at the idyllic Sandy Bay on Northland's Tutukaka coastline today (Friday 3rd February). However, the strong onshore winds and occasional rain squalls didn't hamper the enthusiasm of the large number of competitors and spectators that had gathered around the event site. Messy 1.0m - 1.5m waves broke throughout the day providing ample opportunity for competitors in the Over 50 Men's, Stand Up Paddleboard and Women's Divisions to showcase their individual talents. Over 50 Men's Division In the Over 50 Men's Division Northland veteran Viv Treacy (Ocean Beach) stamped his mark in the opening round with the highest individual wave score of the division (7.83). Treacy, who has been based overseas for the last twelve months, was clearly stoked to be back home on familiar soils and will surely be a top contender in the Over 50 Men's Division. "I've been back in New Zealand for a week, and this is the first contest I've been in since last year's final at Port Waikato, so it was good to get one under my belt" he said. Orewa Longboard Club surfer Bryan Western (Auckland) also enjoyed the waves on offer at Sandy Bay winning his first heat comfortably ahead of Steve Andrews (CHCH). Andrews is part of a small group of Christchurch surfers who make the annual pilgrimage to Northland for the event and is enjoying the change of scenery. "It's been a hard year in Christchurch with the earthquakes, so it's great to be back at Sandy Bay in 2012, and we are excited for a good weekend of surfing" he said. Other surfers to progress to Round Two of the Over 50's Men's Division included Mark McNicol (Auckland), Steve Bowling (Ocean Beach), Michael Gray (Auckland) and Paul O'Donnell (Whangarei). Stand-Up Paddle Board (SUP) Division One of the major growth areas in New Zealand surfing has been the Stand-Up Paddle Board Division, with the largest field of competitors at the Sandy Bay event. This year the line-up hosts a number of top distance SUP racers including World Number Two Annabel Anderson (Auckland) and 2011 Molokai 14ft Solo-Division Champion Armie Armstrong (Raglan). Both surfers progressed through their heats today, along with Karlos Aarsen (Whangamata), Sean Hovell (Gisborne) and Jeremy Stephenson (Auckland). Hyundai Ambassador Daniel Kereopa (Raglan) dominated his first heat of the SUP Division with a combined heat score of 15.5 out of a possible 20. Kereopa, who won the first event of the 2012 Hyundai Tour in Raglan, was optimistic about the conditions at Sandy Bay. "Any event with waves is a great event to surf in" he said. Kereopa will be looking to move ahead of number one ranked and National Champion Shayne Baxter (Chch) and look for his second win of the year this weekend at Sandy Bay. Baxter (Chch) dominated his Round Two heat winning convincingly. Baxter picked off the best waves in his heat and showed why he enjoys coming back to Sandy Bay each year to compete. "I love coming to Sandy Bay, there's always waves and it's one of the most pristine locations in Northland" he said. Baxter set the bar high with a series of major scoring rides showing confidence but by no means complacency. "I am a continually trying to improve on my performance in the Hyundai events. Winning the National Title was amazing, especially getting the recognition of my peers and past champions. But I want to remain focused and do the best I can this weekend" he said. Other surfers to progress through to Round Three of the SUP Division included Shane Murrell (Auckland), Mike Cann (Auckland), Eli Barnfield (Ohope) and Robert Hawkins (Raglan). Round three of the SUP Division will be contested later today. Open Women's Division Round One of the Open Women's Division took to the water after lunch with an improvement in conditions due to the higher tide. This year there is a record number of entries in the Women's Division, including a handful of top Australian's. In Heat One young Sydney based surfer April Charles (Australia) dominated her competitors picking off the best waves of the heat. Charles was the first of three Australian surfers to advance through to the quarterfinals, with Sam Suendermann (Victoria, AUS) and Molly Powell (Victoria, Australia) advancing in heat three. In Heat Four goofy-footer Mischa Davis (Piha) showed the same form that saw her win Event One of the 2012 Hyundai Tour at Raglan, picking off a couple of good left-handers and scoring highly with the judges. "It's great to see the Australian girls here at Sandy Bay. The level of women's surfing has improved so much, and I'm excited to be into the next round of the event" she said. Other surfers to progress to the Quarterfinals of the Open Women's Division included Ai Sumihira (Auckland) and Belinda Goodwin (Raglan). Tomorrow will see the highly anticipated ASP Open Men's Division take to the water. The division, which is part of the ASP Australasia Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS), features a bevy of some of the best international longboarders in the sport today, including multiple US Champion and 2011 ASP World Longboard Champion Taylor Jensen (USA) and 2010 Australian Champion Dane Pioli (Queensland). The 32-surfer draw is stacked from the outset and spectators should expect to see some of the best longboarding ever witnessed in New Zealand if conditions deliver as expected. Contest Director Lee Ryan is hopeful for an increase in swell and more favorable winds for Day Two of the contest. This weekend's event will include a Trans Tasman Challenge between Australia and New Zealand where a team of five surfers from each country will compete in a tag team format event. The 2012 Hyundai Tour travels to Raglan, Piha, Sandy Bay and Mount Maunganui before the season concludes at Port Waikato in early March. Overall the Hyundai Tour boasts $20,000 in prize money. The remaining events for the 2012 Hyundai Tour follow: Hyundai Tour Event 4, 18-19 February, Mount Maunganui (4-star) Hyundai Tour Event 5, 2-3 March, Port Waikato (6-star) Waiting Is Finally Over For New Zealand's Grommets The waiting game is finally coming to an end for New Zealand's youngest surfers who get the chance to compete in the first event of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge at Mount Maunganui this weekend (4-5 February). The swell is forecast to increase leading into and throughout the weekend providing the perfect platform for the groms to let rip at Tay Street. The Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge will bring together close to eighty surfers from both the North and South Island for two action packed days of surfing in the first of three events to be held this summer. The strength of the Bay of Plenty Region is looking ominous for the rest of the travelling surfers heading to the event. The Bay of Plenty region fills the ranks in the younger Under 14 and Under 12 Divisions with several star studded surfers already coming to the fore over the summer months. Kehu Butler (Arataki) is one surfer that continues to impress and surfing at home this weekend he will be looking for big results to kick off the series. Butler finished the National Champs runner up to Sandy Bay surfer Manu Scott - Arrieta with the two youngest finalists in the event going wave for wave in one of the closest finals of the event. Butler will compete alongside his younger sister Iritana Butler who will contest the Grom Series for the first time. In a full family affair, they will be joined by their Cousin Maaia Reid - Bennett who is also from Mount Maunganui. The three youngsters lead a strong group of Bay surfers showing the growth of the sport in the region. In the Under 16 Boys Division, locals Jordan Griffin, Quin Matenga and Kayden Mayes will have their work cut out for them with 'seniors' of the grom events such as defending series champion Dune Kennings (WGM) and Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha) along with winner of the Under 14 Boys Division in 2011 Harrison Whiteside (Chch), McKenzie Bowden (WGM) and a throng of Taranaki groms all keen to make their presence felt at the start of the series. In the Under 16 Girls Division, the Sansom twins Gabriela and Bianca of Albany will face off against Gisborne girls Jasmine Smith and Dayna Story, all four surfers part of the New Zealand Junior Squad. The New Zealand Junior Surfing Team is being named after the second event of the series and this will add increased pressure on the top surfers who will aim toward selection and a chance to compete at the Da Kine International Surfing Association (ISA) World Junior Championship to be held in Panama during April. The national squad has already met once this summer with a further two-day camp taking place at Mount Maunganui after this event. The Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge also awards five surfers airfares to Australia and entry into one of Australia's elite events for those that win their respective divisions. The Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge encompasses crazy land based activities like the blow up slippery soccer pitch and horizontal bungy to keep everyone amused. There will be spot prizes added to the mix with wild giveaways from Sony, Skinny and others to keep the groms foaming to do their best. Set out below are the winners of the six divisions over the past five years. Who will get the best start to 2012 and a chance to get their name on the honours board. Under 16 Boys 2007 - Matt Hewitt (Mnt) 2008 - Alex Dive (Mnt) 2009 - Ben Poulter (Rag) 2010 - Adam Grimson (Gis) 2011 - Dune Kennings (WGM) Under 14 Boys 2007 - Tane Wallis (Piha) 2008 - Tane Wallis (Piha) 2009 - Paul Moretti (Mimiwhangata) 2010 - Dune Kennings (WGM) 2011 - Quin Matenga (Mnt) Under 12 Boys 2007 - Peri Matenga (Mnt) 2008 - Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha) 2009 - Korbin Hutchings (Gis) 2010 - Manu Scott - Arrieta (Sandy Bay) 2011 - Kehu Butler (Mnt) Under 16 Girls 2007 - Rosa Thompson (Auck) 2008 - Alexis Poulter (Rag) 2009 - Grace Spiers (WGM) 2010 - Ella Williams (WGM) 2011 - Ella Williams (WGM) Under 14 Girls 2007 - Alexis Poulter (Rag) 2008 - Ella Williams (WGM) 2009 - Ella Williams (WGM) 2010 - Gabriela Sansom (Auck) 2011 - Dayna Story (Gis) Under 12 Girls 2007 - Ella Spiers (WGM) 2008 - Gabriela Sansom (WGM) 2009 - Dayna Story (Gis) 2010 - Milly Crewe (Mur) 2011 - Gabrielle Paul (Piha) Please see below for dates of the final two events: Billabong Grom Series pres by Oceanbridge Event 2 - 11th - 12th February, Whangamata Billabong Grom Series pres by Oceanbridge Event 3 - 10th - 11th March, Piha Beach, Auckland Entry into the events can be completed at Surfing New Zealand under events. World Champion Surfer Heading To New Zealand Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Longboard Champion Taylor Jensen (USA) is heading to New Zealand to contest the Hyundai Tour this week, the event doubling as the first event of the Australasian ASP Longboard Qualifying Series. The Hyundai Tour event is being held at Sandy Bay, Whangarei from Friday this week and will run through to Waitangi Day on Monday (3 - 6 February). Jensen confirmed his entry late last week and will travel from California to contest the one-star rated event. "I just love being in New Zealand and seeing all my friends down there and being able to compete in the tour here and there. Its one of the best run events in the world and it's always a pleasure to head over for it" Jensen said in between packing for the long journey across the Pacific. Jensen has the ASP Banquet to attend and receive his World Title trophy at the end of February so figured a detour through New Zealand would work well with his travel plans. He will only be in the country for a five day whirl wind stop taking in the Sandy Bay event before travelling back to his second home of Australia where he has not been in the last three months. Jensen claimed his world title in Italy during November after finishing runner up in the final event of the year. It is the first time the American surfer has held the title despite his amazing talent on the longboard. "Not that much has changed really" said Jensen of the win. "I'm a lot busier now. I have a few more commitments than usual but other than that, things are still very much the same. I've managed to secure a few new sponsors so that's been a huge bonus." Along with Jensen, the event has attracted a number of top longboard and stand up paddleboard surfers including world number 14 ranked Jared Neal (AUS) and number 21 ranked Mitch Surman (AUS). Surman placed runner up at the Sandy Bay event in 2011. The Sandy Bay event is the first of three on the ASP Australasian LQS with two events remaining at Kingscliff, New South Wales and Perth, Western Australia. The top two surfers on the ASP Australasian LQS gain automatic qualification to compete on the ASP World Longboard Tour. The Sandy Bay event marks the third event of the Hyundai Tour with Auckland surfer Thomas Kibblewhite (Rodney) having won the first two events including the Hyundai National Championships at Piha two weeks ago. Kibblewhite finished runner up on the 2011 Hyundai Tour behind Australian Josh Constable. He was also the highest placed Kiwi surfer on the ASP Australasian LQS Series finishing ninth overall. Kibblewhite will spearhead the New Zealand attack which will include 2010 tour winner Dylan Barnfield (Ohope) and New Zealand representative Matt Cockayne (Auck). This weekend's event will include a Trans Tasman Challenge between Australia and New Zealand where a team of five surfers from each country will compete in a tag team format event. As well as the premier Open Men's Division, a further six divisions and a stand up paddleboard race will be held over the long weekend with over 133 surfers heading north for the weekend. The Women's Division will see the biggest field of surfers yet take to the water with Alexis Poulter (Rag) going into the event as the number one seed. She will have a good challenge with new National Champion Anna Jolly (Piha) and winner of the first event Mischa Davis (Piha). The Stand Up Paddleboard Division fields a jam-packed field of surfers led by current Hyundai Tour ratings leader Shayne Baxter (Chch) after he claimed his second national title in the division at Piha. Baxter will continue his head-to-head battle with Raglan's Daniel Kereopa who won the first event of the Hyundai Tour at his home break at the start of January. The stand up paddleboarders will also take to the water in the 'King of the Waves' race where over 20 paddlers navigate their way around a 3.0km course running through the waves. Raglan surfer Armie Armstrong currently leads the series after winning the most recent race to pick up this weekend's 'leaders vest' with Jeremy Stephenson (Auck) in second and Shayne Baxter (Chch) in third. In the age group divisions Brian Young (Orewa) claimed the first event of the series in the Over 40's while Michael Thomson (Rag) won the Over 50 Men's Division. The Over 60's Division will also be contested as a one off at the event, Paul Browne (Orewa) being the defending champion. The 2012 Hyundai Tour travels to Raglan, Piha, Sandy Bay and Mount Maunganui before the season concludes at Port Waikato in early March. Overall the Hyundai Tour boasts $20,000 in prize money. The remaining events for the 2012 Hyundai Tour follow: Hyundai Tour Event 4, 18-19 February, Mount Maunganui (4-star) Hyundai Tour Event 5, 2-3 March, Port Waikato (6-star) Entry into all events can be completed at Surfing New Zealand under "events." Complete the entry process online or download entry forms and send them in. The 2012 Hyundai Tour is expected to receive high entry levels at each location, so entries will need to be in well before the cut off dates to assure participants get a slice of the action. Delay Forced on Billabong Pro This Weekend The Billabong Pro presented by Sony, scheduled to take place at Whangamata this weekend 28th - 30th January, has been postponed due to an unfavourable swell forecast. The second of four events on the New Zealand Pro Series has been rescheduled for 10th - 12th February at Whangamata. The event now coincides with Event Two of the Billabong Grom Series presented by Oceanbridge scheduled for the same weekend. "The calendar of events is full for summer so we thought it would be a great opportunity to hold the Billabong Pro on the same weekend as the Grom Series at Whanga and make an action packed weekend of it" Billabong Events Manager AJ Matthews said. The Billabong Pro will remain a three day event commencing on Friday 10th February while the Grom Series will start on Saturday 11th February as originally scheduled. Combined with the two surfing events will be the land based activities with Skinny bringing horizontal bungy and slum dunk as well as a massive blow up soccer pitch to the beach. "We are sure the groms will enjoy surfing as part of a bigger event and sharing the weekend with all of the best surfers in New Zealand" Matthews said. It was a tough decision to postpone the event but after assessing conditions for the early part of this week with differing outlooks, the forecast took a turn for the worst overnight Tuesday forcing the postponement. "It was looking promising for a small swell to build through Sunday and into Monday which would have allowed us to complete the event but that changed last night and the swell has been pushed out by 24 hours" Matthews said. When the event recommences, New Zealand's top echelon of surfers will converge on Whangamata. The delay could allow the return from injury of Maz Quinn (Gis) who missed the recent National Championships held at Piha due to a back injury. New National Champion Billy Stairmand who was entered in this weekend's event will now be unavailable alongside Matt Hewitt (Mnt), the two surfers competing in an international event in Queensland, Australia. Likewise Jay Quinn (Gis) and defending champion of the event, Richard Christie (Mah), will be surfing in an event in Brazil to start their international campaign for 2012. The absence of these four surfers will open the stage for the remainder of the field to step up to the winners podium for the first time this year and build some rating points on the New Zealand Pro Series. Finalists at the National Champs, Chris Malone (Gis) and Tim O'Connor (Mnt) will want to continue with their good form and the return of Bobby Hansen (Gis) will also bring some much anticipated hype to the event. In the Women's Division, new National Champion Thandi Durham - Tipene (Tara) will be out to impress yet again while 2011 National Champion Airini Mason (Chch) has also entered the event with both surfers expected to raise the bar in the division. The Under 20 Men's Division will contest their first event of the year at the Billabong Pro presented by Sony. Great Barrier's Sid West will go into the event as the number one seed after placing fourth overall in 2011. He will be challenged by the likes of Ben Poulter (Rag), Alex Dive (Mnt) and Tane Wallis (Piha). The Billabong Pro presented by Sony is now in its eighth consecutive year and boasts the largest prize pool of the New Zealand Pro Series with over $12,800 of cash and prizes up for grabs. Please see below for winners of the event over the past five years and the top rated surfers in the Open Men's and Women's Divisions on the New Zealand Pro Series. Open Men's 2007 - Daniel Kereopa (Rag) 2008 - Maz Quinn (Gis) 2009 - Bobby Hansen (Gis) 2010 - Maz Quinn (Gis) 2011 - Richard Christie (Mah) Open Women's 2007 - Jessica Santorik (Rag) 2008 - Jessica Santorik (Rag) 2009 - Laura Rishworth (Mnt) 2010 - Jessica Santorik (Rag) 2011 - Sarah Mason (Gis) Juniors 2007 - Ryan Hawker (Piha) 2008 - Ryan Hawker (Piha) 2009 - Keone Campbell (Tara) 2010 - Johnny Hicks (Gis) 2011 - JC Susan (Mnt) Current New Zealand Pro Series Standings Open Men's Division 1. Billy Stairmand (Rag) 2. Chris Malone (Gis) 3. Tim O'Connor (Mnt) 4. Matt Hewitt (Mnt) 5. Jay Quinn (Gis) 5. Bobby Hansen (Gis) 7. Zen Wallis (Piha) 7. Alex Dive (Mnt) Open Women's Division 1. Thandi Durham - Tipene (Tara) 2. Mischa Davis (Piha) 3. Ella Williams (WGM) 4. Jayda Martin - Fitzharris (Gis) 5. Grace Spiers (WGM) 5. Jessica Santorik (Rag) Please see below for the remaining events, dates and locations for the New Zealand Pro Series: Billabong Pro presented by Sony - 10-12 February, Whangamata O'Neill Sequence Surf Shop Pro - 25-26 February, Gisborne Rip Curl Pro - 16-18 March, Raglan Stairmand Simply Sublime Billy Stairmand (Raglan) stormed to his second victory claiming national title after a near flawless performance in the final of the Open Men's Division at the 2012 Hyundai National Surfing Championships held at Piha Beach, Auckland today (Saturday 21st January). Stairmand surfed to a 17.10 point heat total using his impeccable backhand surfing on the lefthanders of Piha Bar. The young 22 year old surfer is ranked 79th in the world and New Zealand's third highest ranked surfer internationally. He is one of but a few in the world that managed to claim a victory over 11 times world champion Kelly Slater in 2011. Today Stairmand notched up several excellent scores in quick succession in the final, his two highest, 8.90 and 8.20 point rides. He won his first national title in 2010 at Gisborne in a similar fashion after getting a massive lead on his opponents and never relenting. "It is good to start the year winning a national title, I am going overseas soon so it is good for my confidence and everything like that but yeah, at the moment, a national title, I can't believe it at the moment" said Stairmand. Despite the ease of the win, Stairmand remained focussed on what he was doing and keeping to a game plan. "Every heat is hard, I just wanted to catch the best waves out there, I saw some on the bar and wanted to get them and it paid off." It was a big decision for Stairmand to surf up the beach. He and fellow finalist Chris Malone (Gis) were the first surfers of the day to do so. However, with the outgoing tide and building swell, the strategy paid off handsomely. "I had seen people getting one or two turns down the beach but I knew if I could get a runner on the bar it would be better than that. I started with a six and then it went from there. I was going wave for wave with Chris and I knew Timmy was down the beach but I was feeling confident after the first wave and yeah it all just happened." 35 year old Chris Malone (Gis) finished runner up in the final scoring 9.5 out of 20 points requiring a combination of waves to challenge Stairmand for the win. Despite the distance between himself and Stairmand he was still stoked to make the final. "It shows me that I have still got it and still can do it" said a more than happy Malone. "There was no way I was going down the end in those closeouts, I headed for the bar, looked around and Billy was following me. I suppose it was a good decision as the waves were peeling but Billy is world class and those waves were perfect for him" finished Malone. Mount Maunganui surfer Tim O'Connor placed third in the final. He surfed the whole 25 minutes on his own at the north end of the beach where every other surfer had competed during the day but the waves simply did not cooperate. "Yeah that is the risk you take, you always hear stories of guys going down the beach and winning and it could have paid off, I saw waves before the final but that is the way it panned out unfortunately." O'Connor considered joining the other two surfers at the south end of the beach but opted to stay put. "It was small where they were and big where I was, if I got two turns on one wave it would have been an eight or more. I mean I have even seen waves since I came in but I just didn't get them in the final." O'Connor was one of the standouts of the event and was confident in his surfing despite scoring only 9.0 points in the final. "I am definitely stoked with the result, I am bummed a bit at the moment but overall it is a good result. I have been surfing well for the last two months and I think it showed at this event, not in the final but that's how it goes." Matt Hewitt (Mnt) was supposed to be the fourth surfer in the final but had to travel to Australia to compete in the final World Pro Junior event today. In a twist of fate his heat in Australia was contested at the exact same time as the final here and he won his heat against surfers from Brazil and Australia. Thandi Durham - Tipene (Taranaki) claimed her first Open Women's Division title in style today posting a 5.40 on her last wave to jump from third to first in the dying seconds of the final. "This is one of my biggest goals that I have ever achieved" said Durham - Tipene. "I have been living at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast and seeing the likes of Mick Fanning, Tyler Wright, all the best surfers, surfing everyday, it is pretty hard not to improve over there" she said obviously happy to get her last wave and show how much she has improved. Durham - Tipene's husband Bachelor won the Peter Byers award for the most outstanding performance at the event. He was awarded the prize for exceptional surfing throughout the whole week. "I am stoked for Bach my husband as well. Winning the Peter Byers 'Most Outstanding Performance' award is pretty special. He was bummed he didn't pick up a title but I know he will be gunning for it next year." she added. Placing second in the final was Mischa Davis (Piha) who led for over 20 minutes but came up short on the final hooter. Davis scored 8.60 to Durham - Tipene's 9.43. The two oldest of the finalists fended off the challenge of the younger girls with Ella Williams (WGM) finishing in third and Jayda Martin - Fitzharris (Gis) finishing fourth. Tane Wallis won the Under 18 Boys Division in the challenging low tide conditions. After Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha) opened the final with a 7.0 point ride, Wallis came back into contention with rides of 7.83 and 6.03 to control the final. Wallis then went to work protecting his lead first watching over Paerata - Reid then Ben Poulter (Rag) after he came back in to contention late in the final. Paerata - Reid eventually finished the final in second place ahead of Dune Kennings (WGM) in third and Ben Poulter (Rag) in fourth. Ella Williams (WGM) claimed the Under 18 Girls Division over long time rival Jayda Martin - Fitzharris (Gis). Williams posted a 9.83 point heat total bettering that of Martin - Fitzharris on 8.57. Bianca Sansom (Albany) placed third in the final ahead of her sister Gabriela Sansom. It was Gabriela Sansom (Albany) that sealed the Under 16 Girls Division win early on in the final after one scoring ride of 8.0 points. Despite only getting a back up wave of 1.70 points, her 9.70 point heat total was enough to claim the victory over Jasmine Smith (Gis) who ended the final with a 9.20 point heat total. Claudia Fraser (Piha) finished in third place ahead of Dayna Story (Gis) in fourth. Dune Kennings (WGM) defended his Under 16 Boys title surfing to a big 16.33 point heat total. It was a long running right hander that Kennings capitalised on scoring an 8.83 point ride with a series of turns and an air reverse to finish. Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha) fought back with a strong 7.67 point ride to bridge the gap but the lead was simply too big for the fickle conditions. Australian based Korbin Hutchings, formerly of Gisborne, pushed his way into third place thanks to his last 6.10 point ride with McKenzie Bowden (WGM) in fourth. Northland surfer Manu Scott - Arrieta (Sandy Bay) defended his Under 14 Boys title by the closest margin of the day - 0.03 points after a mammoth tussle with Kehu Butler (Mnt). Scott - Arrieta held the lead for much of the final but it was a late 6.60 point ride that pushed him ahead of Butler who finished in second place scoring. Isaac Kettle (Tara) was also in the hunt for the title after scoring a 6.23 point ride but never found a good second ride. Waihi Beach surfer Taine Craig - Ranga placed fourth in the final. Thomas Kibblewhite (Rodney) was one of four surfers to defend their title at the event, Kibblewhite taking back-to-back wins in the Men's Longboard Division. Kibblewhite outclassed his opponents with the third highest heat score of the entire day - 16.73 points out of 20. A near perfect 9.07 point ride after he already held a strong lead, put the result beyond doubt and left all his competitions requiring a combination of waves to catch up. It was the veteran Michael Fitzharris (Gis) who feared the best to place second in a division he has previously won six times. 2009 champion Daniel Procter (Gis) placed third in the final with Ben Poulter in fourth. Anna Jolly (Piha) secured one of four titles for the local Piha surfers in the Women's Longboard Division scoring 12.17 points. Alexis Poulter (Rag) fought hard to catch up but finished in second place ahead of Mischa Davis (Piha) in third and Belinda Goodwin (Rag) in fourth. Shayne Baxter (Chch) took the sole South Island title holding off Daniel Kereopa (Rag) to win the Stand Up Paddleboard Division. Baxter won the first ever national title in the division when it was contested at Piha in 2009. Kereopa was the defending champion. Kereopa had a final dig at the title today but needing a 6.88 point ride on his last wave, came to the shore to the sound of a 6.50 point ride being called out and finishing in second place. Whangamata surfers Lynden Kennings and Karl Aarsen rounded out the final in third and fourth place respectively. Jay Quinn (Gis) managed to secure a title at the event despite it not being in the Open Men's Division as he would have preferred. Quinn easily put claim to the Over 28 Men's Division scoring 17.43 in the final thanks to a 9.43 point ride for the cleanest air reverse of the event. Winner of the Peter Byers Most Outstanding Performance Award, Bachelor Tipene (Tara) placed second in the final ahead of AJ Matthews (Auck) in third and Josh Thickpenny (Dun) in fourth. Ben Kennings defended his title in the Over 35 Men's Division after riding just the two waves in his heat to score 15.10 points. Cale Tolley (Mnt) held the lead for much of the final after posting a 7.83 point ride on his first ride but Kennings fought back with an 8.60 on his second scoring ride to jump into the lead. Tolley ended the final in second place ahead of double finalist Rick Lasch (Piha) in third and Scott Casey (Auck) in fourth. Double finalist Michael Fitzharris (Gis) went one better than his runner up placing in the Longboard Division by winning the Over 40 Men's Division. Like many of the senior men's divisions, the hunt for the title was a low scoring affair and Fitzharris managed to edge past event stand out Rick Lasch (Piha) by 0.63 points, Lasch finishing in second place ahead of Deane Hishon (Rag) in third and Mike Mulcahy (Piha) in fourth. Geoff Hutchison (Rag) took one of three titles back to Raglan after winning the Over 45 Men's Division. Gaining his second title, Hutchison defeated David Mann (Auck) by only 0.24 points with Phil Wallis (Piha) in third and Kelvin Louie (Piha) in fourth. Local Piha surfer Garry Pike claimed his first ever national title in the Over 50 Men's Division to the cheers of his staunch support crew. It was a tight low scoring battle but Pike posted 9.60 to win the final over Jeremy Hughes (Rag) in second place, Phillip Griffin (Mnt) in third and Mike Sansom (Albany) in fourth. New Zealand's most successful surfer at this event, Gisborne's John Gisby notched up yet another title in the Over 55 Men's Division. After being a late entry in the event, Gisby went about his work winning heats and in the final he easily outpointed his opponents scoring 13.43 for the win. Gisby now has 32 titles to his name stretching as far back as 1984 in the Over 30 Men's Division. Placing second today was Tairua surfer Barry McCulloch scoring 9.53 who edged out Mike Trainer (Auck) in third with David Storck (Auck) in fourth. The oldest surfers in the event got their final completed early in the morning with 1975 Open Men's National Champion Benny Hutchings (Aus/Gis) making a successful return to competition winning the Over 60 Men's Division. Hutchings who makes up one of several family combinations competing at the event scored 9.0 points to win the final over Hamish Divett (Auck) who snuck passed Ken Nicholson (Auck) on a countback, Nicholson placing third ahead of Clive Barron (Piha) in fourth. The sole bodyboard division contested was for the women with young local Maiya Thompson winning the final scoring 7.97 points to beat Marguerite Vujich (Nap) in second, Chelsea Pike (Piha) in third and Seagh Keisenberg (Piha) in fourth. Please see below for final results from the 2012 Hyundai National Surfing Championships completed at Piha Beach, Auckland today (Saturday 21st January). Open Men's Division Billy Stairmand (Rag), 17.1, 1, Chris Malone (Gis), 9.5, 2, Tim O'Connor (Mnt), 9, 3, Matt Hewitt (Mnt), NS, 4 Open Women's Thandi Durham - Tipene (Tara), 9.43, 1, Mischa Davis (Auck), 8.6, 2, Ella Williams (Whmata), 8.37, 3, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 5.73, 4 Under 18 Men's Division Tane Wallis (Piha), 13.87, 1, Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha), 12.07, 2, Dune Kennings (Whmata), 11.13, 3, Ben Poulter (Rag), 10.8, 4 Under 16 Boys Division Dune Kennings (Whmata), 16.33, 1, Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha), 13.6, 2, Korbin Hutchings (Gis), 12.53, 3, McKenzie Bowden (Whmata), 11.33, 4 Under 14 Boys Division Manu Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 11.97, 1, Kehu Butler (Arataki), 11.93, 2, Isaac Kettle (Tara), 9.8, 3, Taine Craig Ranga (Waihi Bch), 6.23, 4 Under 18 Girls Division Ella Williams (Whmata), 9.83, 1, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 8.57, 2, Bianca Sansom (Auck), 6.47, 3, Gabriella Sansom (Auck), 3.8, 4 Under 16 Girls Division Gabriella Sansom (Auck), 9.7, 1, Jasmine Smith (Gis), 9.2, 2, Claudia Fraser (Auck), 5.33, 3, Dayna Story (Gis), 4.7, 4 Men's Longboard Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), 16.73, 1, Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 12.57, 2, Daniel Proctor (Gis), 10.3, 3, Ben Poulter, 10.27, 4 Longboard Women's Anna Jolly (Piha), 12.17, 1, Alexis Poulter (Rag), 10.47, 2, Mischa Davis (Oratia), 10.4, 3, Belinda Goodwin (Mnt), 3.63, 4 Stand Up Paddleboards Shayne Baxter (ChCh), 14, 1, Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 13.63, 2, Lynden Kennings (Whgmata), 9.1, 3, Karlos Aarsen (Whmata), 7.6, 4 Seniors Over 28's Jay Quinn (Gis), 17.43, 1, Bachelor Tipene (Tara), 12.27, 2, AJ Matthews (Whmata), 7.6, 3, Josh Thickpenny (Dun), 5.47, 4 Masters Over 35's Ben Kennings (Wmata), 15.1, 1, Cale Tolley (Mnt), 11.23, 2, Rick Lasch (Auck), 10, 3, Scott Casey (Auck), 5.5, 4 Veterans Over 40's Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 8.7, 1, Rick Lasch (Auck), 8.03, 2, Deane Hishon (Rag), 5.87, 3, Mike Mulcahy (Auck), 3.45, 4 Grand Masters Over 45's Geoff Hutchison (Rag), 9.57, 1, David Mann (Auck), 9.33, 2, Phil Wallis (Piha), 6.83, 3, Kelvin Louie (Piha), 4.93, 4 Legends Over 50's Garry Pike (Piha), 9.6, 1, Jeremy Hughes (Rag), 8.17, 2, Phillip Griffin (Mnt), 8, 3, Mike Sansom (Auck), 5.83, 4 Fossils Over 55's John Gisby (Gis), 13.43, 1, Barry McCulloch (Tau), 9.53, 2, Mike Trainer (Auck), 9.03, 3, David Storck (Auck), 7.07, 4 Kahunas Over 60's Ben Hutchings (Gis), 9, 1, Hamish Divett (Auck), 7.23, 2, Ken Nicolson (Auck), 7.23, 3, Clive Barron (Piha), 2.6, 4 Women's Bodyboards Maiya Thompson (Piha), 7.97, 1, Marguerite Vujich (Napier), 7.67, 2, Chelsea Pike (Piha), 3.1, 3, Seagh Keisenberg (Piha), 1.63, 4 The Hyundai National Championships were first held in 1963 when they took place at Mount Maunganui. In its infancy, the event comprised Open Men's and Women's as well as Under 18 Men's divisions only. Since then it has grown to comprise a colossal 25 divisions across all disciplines and the 2012 edition will crown New Zealand's 500th national champion. Twenty five national titles went up for grabs at the Hyundai National Championships this week. As well as the premier Open Men's and Open Women's Divisions, there was a further 23 divisions comprising of age groups from Under 14 through to Over 60s and also longboard, Stand Up Paddleboard, Bodyboard and Kneeboard disciplines
Short Day of Age Group Divisions Before The Finals Show Kicks Off
Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha), 13.07, 1, McKenzie Bowden (Whmata), 11.8, 2, Mahorahora McLeod (Waitara), 11.33, 3, Matt McGreggor (Whngrei), 5.7, 4
Christie Eliminated By Young Bay Surfers
Keone Campbell (Tara), 4.87, 4
Top Surfers Shine But Hansen Sends Out Warning Signs That He Is Back
Day three of the 2012 Hyundai National Surfing Championships saw New Zealand's best surfers hit the water in the star studded Open Men's Division with the country's internationally ranked surfers bringing flare to the best conditions Piha has seen in 2012. Young and Old Fire Shots At National Champs A combination of young and old managed to contest day two of the 2012 Hyundai National Surfing Championships held at Piha today (Monday 16th January) with some of the youngest competitors showing everyone how it is done. The surf started out poorly but improved throughout the day as the new 2.0m swell filled in and the wind swung to a more favourable south west direction. The future generation of New Zealand surfers in the Under 16 Boys Division started and finished the day highlighting the improving conditions with high performance. Young local stand-out Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha) blazed his quarterfinal posting the highest heat score of the event to date - 15.33 out of 20 points. "I am stoked, I didn't actually realise" Paerata - Reid said when informed of his event-high performance. Smashing solid backhand turns on the Piha Bar, Paerata - Reid then repositioned himself over toward the centre of the beach and appeared to have control over the break that only a local could. "I have a huge advantage being at home and today my Dad scoped out the line up while I was warming up and stretching. I mean, I know where to sit but he points places out as well and that helps to confirm everything for me" said Paerata - Reid. Paerata - Reid was joined by the likes of Dune Kennings (WGM), Harrison Whiteside (Chch), Korbin Hutchings (Gis) and Mackenzie Bowden (WGM) who all looked comfortable in the conditions as they size increased in the afternoon. Other standouts included Matt McGreggor, Mahorahora McLeod (Tara) and Isaac Kettle (Tara) who also got good rides throughout the day and made it through to the semifinals. Some of the groms wanted to surf a third round in the one day with the surf continuing to look good in the afternoon. "Tomorrow looks real good but I would have been happy to surf the semis today" said Paerata - Reid who seemed happy either way. Current Hyundai Tour ratings leader Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck) left it until the last wave in his semifinal of the Longboard Division to make his move and advance through to the final in a bid to defend his title. "It was a hard semifinal until the end, I was scratching for waves but I snuck a late wave and it ended up being a sick one" said Kibblewhite. His final wave saw him boost over an oncoming section getting his 9ft board vertical in the process. "I didn't expect to pop up over that big section of whitewash but it just happened like that and turned out to be a high scoring manoeuvre" added Kibblewhite who is gunning for back to back titles. Kibblewhite found himself trailing Gisborne surfer Michael Fitzharris who ultimately finished the heat in second place to make his first final since the 2009 National Champs. "Fitzy and I have competed against each other for years and he has taught me a lot in the past and he has been ripping the last two days" commented Kibblewhite on the performance on the elder statesman. In the first semifinal it was longboard vs shortboard surfers with young Ben Poulter (Rag) the shortboarder taking on the challenge with the change of equipment and overcoming the odds to push Daniel Procter (Gis) into second place, the two surfers both progressing through to the final. The Stand Up Paddleboard Semifinals were dominated by the two stand out performers of the discipline - Daniel Kereopa (Rag) and Shayne Baxter (Chch). Both surfers found themselves contesting the same heat. Kereopa came out on top on this occasion but the Christchurch surfer will only use that to fuel the fire when the finals come around later in the week. "There is a bit of southern pride in every one of my performances. I get chicken skin whenever I head out there and that is because I want to represent Christchurch proudly" said Baxter. "I definitely want to represent Christchurch and put a smile on a few faces down there because we have been through some tough times" said Baxter who expects the conditions to be more favourable for the stand up paddleboarders later in the week. In the second semifinal it was the Whangamata pairing of Karl Aarsen and Lynden Kennings who moved through to the final. Kereopa, Baxter and Kennings hold the only three national titles contested in the division so bragging rights will go on the line when the final is contested. Earlier in the day the Women's Longboard Division was contested with Alexis Poulter (Rag) and Anna Jolly (Piha) winning their heats to move through to the final. Conditions for day three are expected to improve further with more favourable and lighter winds with the swell cleaning up. The premier Open Men's Division hit the water on day three with Piha already full with New Zealand's best who are eager to get their campaigns underway. Please see below for results from Day two of the 2012 Hyundai National Surfing Championships held at Piha Beach, Auckland today (Monday 16th January). Open Longboard Semifinals Heat 1 Ben Poulter, 11.43, 1, Daniel Proctor (Gis), 10.47, 2, Ant McColl (Mnt), 9.6, 3, Sam Bradford (Pakiri), 8, 4 Heat 2 Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), 13.67, 1, Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 13.43, 2, Matt Cockayne (Mngwhai), 9.93, 3, Zen Wallis (Piha), 9.9, 4 Women's Longboard Round 1 Heat 1 Belinda Goodwin (Mt), 4.87, 1, Hannah Howard (Auck), 2.83, 2, Sasha Brownlie (Auck), 1.93, 3, Anna Gooding (Tau), 1.67, 4 Heat 2 Mischa Davis (Oratia), 9.67, 1, Alexis Poulter (Rag), 7.67, 2, Denise Piper (Whngrei), 0.9, 3 Heat 3 Shelly Jones (Auck), 6.37, 1, Anna Jolly (Piha), 6.13, 2, Kelsi Efford (Mt), 4.23, 3 Women's Longboard Semifinals Heat 1 Alexis Poulter (Rag), 10.33, 1, Mischa Davis (Oratia), 9.17, 2, Hannah Howard (Auck), 3.53, 3 Heat 2 Anna Jolly (Piha), 9.33, 1, Belinda Goodwin (Mt), 6.3, 2, Shelly Jones (Auck), 2.53, 3 Stand Up Paddleboard Semifinals Heat 1 Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 13.5, 1, Shayne Baxter (ChCh), 10.57, 2, Warwick Gray (Hawaii), 6.83, 3, Annabel Anderson (Auck), 4.13, 4 Heat 2 Karlos Aarsen (Whmata), 12.1, 1, Lynden Kennings (Whgmata), 10.57, 2, Armie Armstrong (Rag), 7.5, 3, Jeremy Stephenson (Auck), 5.7, 4 Under 16 Boys Round 1 Heat 1 Manu Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 7.33, 1, Joe Palmer (Kerikeri), 5.5, 2, Max Marshall (Chch), 5.23, 3 Heat 2 Korbin Hutchings (Gis), 12.83, 1, Toa Macdonald (Waitara), 5.6, 2, Sam Poulter (Rag), 2.03, 3 Heat 3 Harrison Whiteside (ChCh), 11.2, 1, Josh Farr (Tara), 6.6, 2, Caleb Braithwaite (Whtane), 6.53, 3, Daniel Farr (Tara), 6.1, 4 Heat 4 Dune Kennings (Whmata), 10.6, 1, Isaac Kettle (Tara), 9.63, 2, Te Rapai Barbarich Love, 6.13, 3 Heat 5 Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha), 13.67, 1, Kehu Butler (Arataki), 10.17, 2, Callum Chuter (Tau), 4.6, 3 Heat 6 Ryan Renall (Mangawhai), 5.93, 1, McKenzie Bowden (Whmata), 5.9, 2, Samuel Sands (ChCh), 4.9, 3, Joshua Gibson (Piha), 2.1, 4 Heat 7 Jordan Griffin (Mnt), 11.47, 1, Xavier Campbell (Dun), 5.43, 2, Taylor Hutchis on (Rag), 3.1, 3 Heat 8 Matt McGreggor (Whngrei), 10.67, 1, Mahorahora McLeod (Waitara), 8.27, 2, Russell Keenan (Waihi Bch), 3.73, 3 Under 16 Boys Quarterfinals Heat 1 Korbin Hutchings (Gis), 8.83, 1, Isaac Kettle (Tara), 8.37, 2, Manu Scott-Arrieta (Sandy Bay), 6.07, 3, Josh Farr (Tara), 5.67, 4 Heat 2 Dune Kennings (Whmata), 12.17, 1, Harrison Whiteside (ChCh), 8.7, 2, Joe Palmer (Kerikeri), 6.4, 3, Toa Macdonald (Waitara), 5.5, 4 Heat 3 Elliot Paerata - Reid (Piha), 15.33, 1, Mahorahora McLeod (Waitara), 8.57, 2, Ryan Renall (Mangawhai), 4.07, 3, Xavier Campbell (Dun), 3.07, 4 Heat 4 McKenzie Bowden (Whmata), 9.5, 1, Matt McGreggor (Whngrei), 8.90, 2, Kehu Butler (Arataki), 8.80, 3, Jordan Griffin (Mnt), 7.10, 4 The all encompassing seven day event runs from the 15th - 21st of January. Please see below for a guide to when remaining divisions are expected to be contested. Day 3 (Tues 17th Jan) - Open Men, Under 18, 16, 14 Boys Day 4 (Wed 18th Jan) - Open Men, Under 18, 16, 14 Boys, All longboard, SUP Surf, All Women's, All Seniors Day 5 (Thurs 19th Jan) - Open Men, Under 18, 16, 14 Boys, All longboard, SUP Surf, All Women's, All Seniors, Kneeboard" Day 6 (Fri 20th Jan) - Open Men, Under 18, 16, 14 Boys, All longboard, SUP Surf, All Women's, All Seniors, Potentially some finals Day 7 (Sat 21st Jan) - Finals, All Bodyboard
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