Plantation Island Resort is an affordable value for money resort located on beautiful Malolo Lailai island in the Mamanuca’s.  It is easily reached by a 50 minute ferry from Denarau and fantastic for families, multi-generational families, budget conscious, couples and groups.

For more details go too http://www.plantationisland.com/activities/surfing/

Jack O’Neill’s bearded face and trademarked eyepatch (the result of a surfing accident), became the iconic image synonymous with the O’Neill surf brand.

Getting his start in San Francisco building surfboards in the early 1950s, O’Neill sold equipment out of his surf shop to a very small community.

“All my friends said, ‘O’Neill: you will sell to five friends on the beach and then you will be out of business’” Jack said in an interview about his surf shop. But it was his tireless research and development into what would become the modern day wetsuit, that launched his business.

At the time, seeking to spend longer sessions in the cold waters of Ocean Beach San Francisco, he tinkered with various materials including wool sweaters (which became heavy, wet and smelly), plastic sheathed sweaters (which were tight and restricted) and also, according to one source, petroleum jelly (very slippery). Then, at the suggestion of a friend, O’Neill tried a new material called neoprene.

He moved operations to the wave-rich coast of Santa Cruz 90 minutes to the south. His inventions included a vest made of the new material that proved to keep off some of the chill. After that he expanded, making beavertail jackets and long john wetsuits. In the 1970s he replaced the two-piece design with a single, one piece full suit.

O’Neill also created, grew and headed a global clothing empire before selling the licensing to another company. O’Neill at one time sponsored Dane Kealoha, Shaun Tomson and John John Florence. The brand has for many years sponsored marquee rider Jordy Smith.

Jack O’Neill was inducted into the International Surfing Hall of Fame in 1991. His son Pat continues to run O’Neill Wetsuits.
Jack is survived by his wife Noriko, daughters Cathi, Bridget and Shawne, sons Pat, Tim (Lisa) and Jack Jr., and grandchildren Uma, Riley, Connor, Bridget, Phoenix and Kodiak.

From:   Surfing New Zealand
Sport:   International Surfing
Event:  2017 ISA World Surfing Games
Divisions: Open Men’s and Women’s
Date:    20^th – 28^th May 2017
Location: Biarritz, France
Websites: ISA and Surfing New Zealand

Williams Finishes Seventh, Men Get Underway in France

New Zealand Surfing Team member Ella Williams finished seventh at the International Surfing Association World Surfing Games overnight (Monday 22^ndMay) falling just short of a berth in the final against world class performers.

The 22-year-old surfer from Whangamata battled extremely small and inconsistent conditions in the semifinals early on day three of the event.  Her World Tour opponents Pauline Ado and Johanne Defay, both of France, progressed through the semifinal and went on to place one-two in the final to secure gold and silver plus give France an early lead on the team standings.

Williams’ result has helped New Zealand to fourth place overall after three days of the event.

Williams finished fourth in the semifinal requiring 5.90 to advance.  However after persistent paddling up and down the beach to find a decent wave, Williams was left waveless out the back.

The result improves on her ninth placing in 2016 but falls short of the two podium finishes she has achieved in 2013 and 2015.

The event’s focus now shifts to the Open Men’s Division which entered the water for the first time on day three.  Kiwis in action included JC Susan (Dun) and Zen Wallis (Piha).

Susan made a very slow start to the event waiting for any wave that had a little more size and enough power to move his big frame.  The low heat totals saw Susan only just holding down second place nearing the end of the heat when he finally caught the wave he had been looking for to post a seven point ride and move into first place.

“I bumped up my board volume before the event as I heard it is often small at this time of the year” said Susan of the conditions.

“Normally I don’t surf waves this small but I have had a fair bit of training at the Mount” he added of his original hometown Mount Maunganui.

By the time Wallis surfed his heat, the onshore winds had returned and the swell started to build making the ocean state completely different to the morning.

Wallis posted a 9.63 point heat total to advance in second place behind Panamanian surfer Diego Salgado.

“After a delay over the full tide, the event resumed and looked completely different. The swell picked up with the strong onshore and became messy and random but a lot more waves were coming through and I am stoked to get through that first round” said Wallis

The New Zealand Team are one of 47 nations competing at the event.  The record number of entries meant that only two Kiwi males surfed while Paul Moretti (Mur) and Taylor Hutchison (Rag) will have to wait until day four to contest their first heat.

“It’s awesome having so many teams competing this year but with so many competitors they have had to change the format to have only one round of requalifying heats and then straight knockout rounds after that.  We’re looking forward to supporting Paul and Taylor through their heats in the bigger waves tomorrow” Wallis continued.

The New Zealand Team has been taken in by the coastal township of Bidart located just north of Biarritz.  The team were welcomed into the friendly community thanks to a Kiwi connection and have been treated royally since and have enjoyed extra support at the beach.

The World Surfing Games are being held at Biarritz in the south of France from the 20^th – 28^th May.  A record 47 nations are participating at the event as the sport prepares for Tokyo 2020 and the Olympics for the first time.

New Zealand’s ranking of eighth in 2016 secures a berth in the Aloha Cup Tag Team event which includes the top eight nations at the event.  New Zealand placed fourth in the 2016 Aloha Cup.

Please see below for tonight’s schedule and results from day two of the 2017 ISA World Surfing Games held at Biarritz, France overnight (Monday 23^rd May).

Day 3 Action (Monday night NZT)
9:00pm – Paul Moretti – Open Men’s Round 1
11:40pm – Taylor Hutchison – Open Men’s Round 1

Open Women’s Division Semifinals
Heat 2
Johanne Defay, FRA, 10.83, 1, Pauline Ado, FRA, 8.33, 2, Frankie Harrer, GER, 4.77, 3, Ella Williams, NZL, 3.4, 4

Open Men’s Division Round 1
Heat 6
JC Susan, NZL, 10.8, 1, Josh Evans, CIS, 7.6, 2, Orlando Ortega, PAN, 7, 3, Qiu Zhuo, CHN, 6.36, 4
Heat 14
Diego Salgado, PAN, 12.5, 1, Zen Wallis, NZL, 9.63, 2, Alex Vibert, CIS, 8.46, 3, Mathias Piskernik, AUT, 2.8, 4

About International Surfing Association (ISA)
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for surfing, bodyboarding, SUP and surfriding.  It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964, and the Junior World Championships since 1980.

Further Information
For further information on the New Zealand Surfing Team please contact Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.

Imagery
High resolution action images of team members will be available to media free of charge upon request.

Follow Surfing New Zealand
Follow Surfing New Zealand via all social media platforms – @surfingnz.

Surfing New Zealand is proudly partnered by:

Sport NZ
SunSmart

Ends

For immediate release

3^rd May 2017

From:   Surfing New Zealand
Sport:   Surfing
Event:  Rip Curl Pro presented by Galbraiths
Dates:   5^th – 6^th May 2017
Divisions: Open Men’s and pen Women’s
Location: Manu Bay, Raglan
Websites: Surfing New Zealand and Rip Curl

Big Tasman Sea Swell Draws Top Field of New Zealand Surfers For Rip Curl Pro

Combine New Zealand’s richest surfing event in the Rip Curl Pro Raglan presented by Galbraiths, add in a perfect swell forecast and you get an exceptional talent pool of the country’s best surfers converging on Manu Bay, Raglan this Friday (5^th May).

The two-day Rip Curl Pro presented by Galbraiths offers up over $10,000 in cash prizes, enough to attract New Zealand’s top surfers such as National Champion’s Billy Stairmand (Rag) and Ella Williams (WGM).  Even the recently-retired Maz Quinn (Gis) has decided to return to the competitive arena this Friday.

The current storm crossing New Zealand has added to the hype of the event with big 2.0m plus waves forecasted for Friday and clean 1.5m conditions on Saturday when the event will conclude.

For the second year running, Sky Sport will broadcast the event live on the final afternoon bringing surfing to lounge rooms around the country on Sky Sport 4.  Leading into the final afternoon, Garage TV will stream the event via Facebook on during the Saturday action.  Live scoring throughout both days can be viewed on www.liveheats.com/RipCurlProRaglan.

Both Quinn and Williams defended their titles in 2016 and both will aim for a third this Saturday.  No surfer in the 13-year history of the event has won more than two consecutive events.  Stairmand has won three titles in the Open Men’s Division (‘08, ‘09, ‘11) while local surfer Jessica Santorik has won the event on four occasions (‘07, ‘09, ‘10 and ‘12).

Williams along with New Zealand teammates Taylor Hutchison (Rag) and Zen Wallis (Piha) will use the event as a warm-up for the World Surfing Games which are being held in France at the end of the month.

Williams knows the importance of getting in some competitive practice prior to representing New Zealand on the world stage and has targeted the event this weekend as a vital stepping stone.  She goes into the 2017 edition of the ISA World Surfing Games looking for a podium finish after falling just short in 2016 when she was the surfer to watch for much of the event.

This weekend Williams will face off against the likes of 2015 National Champion Gabriella Sansom (Albany), up and coming 15-year-old Saffi Vette (Gis) and aforementioned Jessica Santorik (Rag) to name a few of the top rivals.

Like Santorik, local surfer Billy Stairmand will be looking to break Quinn’s recent stranglehold on the event.  Stairmand honed his skills at Manu Bay and is widely regarded as the best surfer at the lefthand point break.  With a less strenuous international campaign in 2017, Stairmand will aim for a win here to help fund his attendance at more international events later in the year.

Piha’s Elliot Paerata – Reid is another surfer that has been competing overseas this year but has returned for the event and he will be one of the top surfers at the event and expecting to go deep into the final day.  In 2016, Paerata – Reid came painfully close to winning the event tying with Quinn for the win but Quinn winning on a countback due to his single highest scoring wave being superior to Paerata – Reid’s.

While Paerata – Reid will rely on his international experience from the start of this year, there is a host of young New Zealand based surfers that have been competing regularly here in New Zealand that will feel they are well placed to perform.  They include number one seed Harrison Whiteside (Chch), Taylor Hutchison (Rag) and Zen Wallis (Piha) who have travelled the length of the country competing.

Action will take place between 8am – 4pm across Friday and Saturday.  The swell is expected to ease throughout the two days starting at a swell over 2.0m and fading to 1.0m on Saturday afternoon.

The Rip Curl Pro presented by Galbraiths also includes the all-time Saturdaynight gathering at the YOT Club thanks to Galbraiths.  This year’s entertainment includes People of Paris and Mangrooves.

The event is the fourth of five events on the New Zealand Surf Series with the final event being the Backdoor BayBash being held in the Hawkes Bay during November.

Please see below for current ratings after three of five events on the New Zealand Surf Series plus the previous winners of the event.

Open Men’s Division
1, Harrison Whiteside (ChCh)
2, Taylor Hutchison (Rag)
3, Tane Wallis (Piha)
4, Henry Hawke (Chch)
5, Zen Wallis (Piha)
6, Billy Stairmand (Rag)
7, Hugh Ritchie (ChCh)
8, Sam Sands (Chch)
9, Elliot Brown (Dun)
10, Conor McLennan (Chch)

Open Women’s Division
1, Ella Williams (Whmata)
2, Gabriella Sansom (Auck)
3, Estella Hungerfrd (Chch)
4, Tegen Bishop (Chch)
5, Bianca Sansom (Auck)
6, Gabrielle Paul (Piha)
7, Billie Scott (Whangarei)
8, Britt Kindred (Mur)
9=, Elin Tawahru (Mnt)
9=, Saffi Vette (Gis)

Past Champions

Open Men’s Division
2016, Maz Quinn (Gis)
2015, Maz Quinn (Gis)
2014, Ricardo Christie (Gis)
2013, Sean Peggs (Tai)
2012, Bobby Hansen (Gis)
2011, Billy Stairmand (Rag)
2010, Morehu Roberts (Rag)
2009, Billy Stairmand (Rag)
2008, Billy Stairmand(Rag)
2007, Bobby Hansen (Gis)
2006, Brent Rasby (Gis)
2005, Daniel Kereopa (Rag)
2004, Zennor Wernham (Rag)

Open Women’s Division
2016, Ella Williams (WGM)
2015, Ella Williams (WGM)
2014, Grace Spiers (WGM)
2013, Wini Paul (Sandy Bay)
2012, Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2011, Grace Spiers (WGM)
2010, Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2009, Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2008, Paige Hareb (Tara)
2007, Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2006, Paige Hareb (Tara)
2005, Kelly Murphy (Rag)
2004, Lisa Hurunui (Gis)

Complete event write ups, results, surfer ratings and images from the event can be viewed at Surfing New Zealand.

Information
For more information on the Rip Curl Pro presented by Galbraiths please contact Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.  Alternatively, please contact Rip Curl Marketing Manager Leon Parkin on 021386473 or email lparkin@ripcurl.co.nz.

Imagery
Web clips and newsfeeds will be distributed free of charge from the event. Please contact Ben Kennings for further details.

High resolution images will be available to media upon request. Images will be distributed free of charge.

Follow Surfing New Zealand
Keep in touch with all the surfing info from around the country by following Surfing New Zealand’s social media networks – @surfingNZ across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.

Event Hotline
The Surfing New Zealand event hotline is 0211134506. This will be updated daily at with venues, divisions contested and conditions.

Sponsors
Generous support from Rip Curl, Galbraiths, Radio Hauraki, Point Boardriders and Surfing New Zealand has made this event possible.

Surfing New Zealand is proudly partnered by:

Sport NZ
SunSmart

Ends

From:  Surfing New Zealand
Sport: Surfing
Event: Backdoor GromBash
Dates: 28^th April – 30^th April 2017
Divisions: Under 20, 17 and 14 Boys and Girls Divisions
Location: Manu Bay, Raglan
Websites: Surfing New Zealand and Backdoor Surf Shop

Threepeat for Hutchison as Vette Steps Up Big in Under 20s 

Raglan surfer Taylor Hutchison made it three in a row at the Backdoor GromBash completed at Raglan today (Sunday 30^th April) winning the Premier Under 20 Boys Division.

Joining Hutchison was Saffi Vette (Gis) who won the Under 20 Girls Division moving up from the Under 17 Girls Division with her biggest win of her career.

The two surfers along with their opponents had to endure some strong cross onshore winds and wobbly 1.0m – 1.4m waves that only the points of Manu Bay could line up to resemble a clean line up.

Hutchison’s win sees him reclaim the number one ranking from Harrison Whiteside after his fourth straight win in the division.

Hutchison was simply too strong for his three competitors in the 25 minute final.  Double finalist Jared Gebert (Ohope) was his closest rival posting a 12.33 piint heat total compared to Hutchison’s 14.40.  Callum Chuter (Mnt) placed third in the final ahead of Jay Piper – Healion (Whitianga) who surfed in his first national level final.

Australian Axel Rose – Curotta claimed the Under 17 Boys Division but could not repeat his winning performance in the Under 14 Boys Division finishing runner up to Kora Cooper (Rag).

In the final of the Under 17 Boys Division, Rose – Curotta used his polished backhand to post a 13.83 point heat total.  It is the third year the youngster has crossed the Tasman Sea to compete at the event and the first time he has finalled.  He defeated his Kiwi opponents who were led by Dylan Preston (Mnt) in second, Jared Gebert in third and Caleb Cutmore (Ham) in fourth.

In the Under 14 Boys Division it was one near-perfect wave surfed by Kora Cooper (Rag) that completely flipped the final.  Cooper went from fourth to first thanks to a 9.17 point ride.  Finishing with a 13.3 point heat total, Cooper claimed his fourth win from six events contested this year and takes back the overall rankings lead with one event to go.

Curotta added a runner-up finish to his weekend’s performance ahead of Jayden Willoughby (Rag) in third and Josef Jungwirth (Rag) in fourth.

Saffi Vette (Gis) snatched victory in the Under 20 Girls Division surfing to a 5.9 on her last wave with 10 seconds to go in the final.  Her win came at the demise of Mount Maunganui’s Raiha Ensor who led for much of the 25 minutes.

Vette finished with a 14.8 point heat total pipping Ensor’s 13.07 with Claudia Fraser (Piha) in third.

Despite missing the Under 20 Girls Division final due to pending international flights, Elin Tawharu made up for that earlier in the day with a win in the Under 17 Girls Division.

Tawharu posted an 11.7 point heat total for the win.  It was her fourth straight win in the division giving her an unassailable rankings lead with one event remaining.

Finishing second was Brie Bennett (Rag) with Tiana – Breeze de Mooij (Mnt) in third and Zhana Hutchison (Tara) in fourth.

Bennett went on to win the Under 14 Girls Division and take the overall rankings for the year with the Backdoor GromBash being the final event.

Bennett was sitting in second place behind Ariana Shewry (Oakura) for much of the final until Shewry dropped in on the same wave as Bennett and incurred an interference putting her back to second.

Finishing third in the Under 14 Girls final was Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin) with first-time finalist Liv Haysom (Piha) finishing in fourth.

Please see below for final results from the Backdoor GromBash completed at Manu Bay, Raglan today, Sunday 30^th April.

Under 20 Boys Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Jared Gebert (Ohope), 13.07, 1, Jay Piper – Healion (Whiti), 13.03, 2, Harrison Whiteside (ChCh), 12.4, 3, Tom Butland (OaKura), 11.03, 4
Heat 2
Taylor Hutchison (Rag), 14.77, 1, Callum Chuter (Tau), 10.67, 2, Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 10.57, 3, William Van Der Beek (Mnt), 8.6, 4

Under 20 Boys Division Final
Taylor Hutchison (Rag), 14.40, 1, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 12.33, 2, Callum Chuter (Tau), 9.50, 3, Jay Piper – Healion (Whiti), 8.0, 4

Under 17 Boys Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Axel Rose – Curotta (AUS), 15.3, 1, Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 14.3, 2, Lee Ririnui (Mnt), 11.8, 3, Shane Kraus (Piha), 9.6, 4
Heat 2
Dylan Preston (Mnt), 11.2, 1, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 9.73, 2, Kora Cooper (Rag), 7.1, 3, William Van der Beek (Mnt), 7, 4

Under 17 Boys Division Final
Axel Rose – Curotta (AUS), 13.73, 1, Dylan Preston (Mnt), 12.36, 2, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 10.83, Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 10.8, 4

Under 14 Boys Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Axel Rose – Curotta (AUS), 12.5, 1, Josef Jungwirth (Rag), 11.6, 2, Tom Butland (Tara), 10.8, 3, Saxon Reber (AUS), 10.8, 4
Heat 2
Kora Cooper (Rag), 13.3, 1, Jayden Willoughby (Rag), 11.4, 2, Navryn Malone (Rag), 9.2, 3, Jack Hinton (Mnt), 7.97, 4

Under 14 Boys Division Final
Kora Cooper (Rag), 14.63, 1, Axel Rose – Curotta (AUS), 14.33, 2, Jayden Willoughby (Rag), 14.17, 3, Josef Jungwirth (Rag), 13.83, 4

Under 20 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Raiha Ensor (Mnt), 13.8, 1, Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 11.2, 2, Ariana Shewry (Tara), 8.77, 3, Tiana – Breeze de Mooj (Mnt), 8.03, 4
Heat 2
Saffi Vette (Gis), 12.3, 1, Claudia Fraser (Auck), 12.2, 2, Tegen Bishop (Chch), 9.27, 3, Zhana Hutchison (Tara), 8.73, 4

Under 20 Girls Division Final
Saffi Vette (Gis), 14.80, 1, Raiha Ensor (Mnt), 13.07, 2, Claudia Fraser (Auck), 9.60, 3, Elin Tawharu (Mnt), n/s

Under 17 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 11.8, 1, Brie Bennett (Rag), 8.6, 2, Aimee Brown (Auck), 5.93, 3, Tegen Bishop (Chch), 5.4, 4
Heat 2
Zhana Hutchison (Tara), 9.77, 1, Tiana – Breeze de Mooj (Mnt), 6.57, 2, Gabrielle Paul (Auck), 6.53, 3, Saffi Vette (Gis), 5.1, 4

Under 17 Girls Division Final
Elin Tawharu (Mnt), 11.7, 1, Brie Bennett (Rag), 9.13, 2, Tiana – Breeze de Mooj (Mnt), 8.43, 3, Zhana Hutchison (Tara), 8.43

Under 14 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Brie Bennett (Rag), 12.3, 1, Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin), 11.5, 2, Anna Brock (Mnt), 7.83, 3, Daizee Rawls (Gis), 5.97, 4
Heat 2
Ariana Shewry (Tara), 15.6, 1, Liv Haysom (Piha), 10.1, 2, Alice Westerkamp (Auck), 8.27, 3, Hannah King (Gis), 6.83, 4

Under 14 Girls Division Final
Brie Bennett (Rag), 12.27, 1, Ariana Shewry (Tara), 7.77, 2, Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin), 7.57, 3, Liv Haysom (Piha), 3.93, 4

Information
For more information on the Backdoor GromBash please contact Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.  Alternatively contact Backdoor via Geoff Hutchison – hutch@backdoor.co.nz.

Imagery
Web clips will be distributed free of charge from the event. Please contact Ben Kennings for further details.

High resolution images will be available to media upon request. Images will be distributed free of charge.

Partners
Generous support from Backdoor Surf Shop, Channel Islands Surfboards, Billabong, Kustom and DaKine has made this event possible.

Follow Surfing New Zealand
Keep in touch with all the surfing info from around the country by following Surfing New Zealand’s social media networks.
Surfing New Zealand Facebook
Surfing New Zealand Twitter
@Surfingnz on Instagram

Event Hotline
The Surfing New Zealand event hotline is 0211134506. This will be updated daily at with venues, divisions contested and conditions.

Surfing New Zealand Newsletter
If you want to keep updated with surfing information right to your inbox then sign up to the SNZ Newsletter.

Surfing New Zealand are proudly partnered by:

Sport NZ
SunSmart

Ends

17 April 2017

From:  Surfing New Zealand
Sport: Surfing
Event: Corona South Island Surfing Championships
Dates: 14 – 16 April 2017
Location: Aramoana Spit, Dunedin
Websites: Surfing New Zealand

Murphy and Shewry Win Titles at Corona South Island Championships

Dunedin’s Luke Murphy has claimed the coveted Open Men’s Division of the Corona South Island Championships held during Easter weekend.

Murphy was joined by 13-year-old Ariana Shewry (Oakura) on the winner dais, Shewry becoming the youngest winner of a national event in the Open Division.

The three day event, dual sanctioned by Surfing New Zealand and the South Ssland Surfing Association, was held at Aramoana Spit in clean conditions that prevailed all weekend long.  The start of the event endured some adverse weather thanks to the tail of Cyclone Cook ripping through the Otago region before the swell cleaned up to a perfect 1.5m with offshore winds on Sunday.

Murphy, a previous winner of the event, stormed to victory with a 14.10 point heat total in the final.

Murphy used his precision backhand surfing and superior wave selection to find the best two waves of the final and amass his big heat total which was not challenged by his three opponents.

Young Christchurch surfer Max Marshall was Murphy’s closest rival and surfed to his best ever result with a runner up finish at the event.  Marshall was supported by strong performances from his fellow club members who picked up five titles over the weekend, the club only being eclipsed by host South Coast Boardriders who surfed to six titles.

Placing third in the Open Men’s Division final was Tane Wallis (Piha), another surfer to have previously won the event (2014).  Dunedin’s Jamie Civil finished the final in fourth place.

Oakura’s Ariana Shewry was one of several North Island surfers that travelled south for the event and her efforts saw her claim the Open Women’s Division.

The powerful young goofy foot surfer has won several age group events in the past 15 months but only in the Under 14 age group.  This weekend, Shewry contested all four divisions she was eligible for from Under 14 through to the Open Women’s Division picking up a win in the Under 14 Girls Division as well.  However, it was the Open Women’s Division where she posted her biggest win surfing to a 9.6 point total in the final.

Shewry defeated local surfer Natasha Civil in the final, Civil finishing runner up ahead of the junior pairing of Estella Hungerford and Tegen Bishop of Christchurch who finished in third and fourth respectively.

Dunedin surfers took out additional titles in the Under 20 and Under 17 Boys Division through Jack McLeod and Elliot Brown while Jamie Civil improved on his Open Men’s Division finals berth with a win in the Over 28 Men’s Division.  Lyndon Fairburn claimed the Over 35 Men’s Division while Natasha Civil claimed the Over 30 Women’s Division.

Christchurch’s North Wai Boardriders Club surfed to a total of five victories thanks to the strength of their junior surfers who scooped three divisions.

Tegen Bishop equalled the feat of Shewry taking home two titles in the Under 20 and Under 17 Girls Divisions while Myka Black took home the Under 14 Boys Division.  A further two divisions were taken out by Hugh Ritchie in the Men’s Longboard Division and Patrick Bonner in the Over 45 Men’s Division.

See below for final results from the Corona South Island Championships completed at Aramoana Spit on the Otago Peninsula yesterday (Sunday 16 April).

Open Men’s Division Final
Luke Murphy (Dun), 14.10, 1, Max Marshall (Chch), 9.60, 2, Tane Wallis (Piha), 8.10, 3, Jamie Civil (Dun), 7.10, 4

Under 20 Boys Division Final
Jack McLeod (Dun), 13.7, 1, Elliott Brown (Dun), 11, 2, Harrison Whiteside (ChCh), 9.17, 3, Moss Thompson (Dun), 6.9, 4

Under 17 Boys Division Final
Elliott Brown (Dun), 16, 1, Maddy Barclay (Oamaru), 6.17, 2, Tom Norton (Waipu), 5.8, 3, Myka Black (Chch), 2.7, 4

Over 28 Men’s Division Final
Jamie Civil (Dun), 11.9, 1, Anthony Hema (Bul), 6.2, 2, Scott James (Dun), 5.5, 3, John Klevstul (Mur), 3.5, 4

Over 35 Mens Division Final
Lyndon Fairburn (Dun), 11.2, 1, Anthony Hema (Bul), 10.4, 2, Luke Murphy (Dun), 10, 3, Scott James (Dun), 7.33, 4

Under 14 Boys Men’s Division Final
Myka Black (Chch), 7.4, 1, James Millar (Chch), 6.1, 2, Luke Rogers (Dun), 5.1, 3, Campbell Heasley, 2.1, 4

Over 45 Men’s Division Final
Patrick Bonner (Chch), 10.7, 1, Richard Ayson (Dun), 9.1, 2, Michael McNally (Dun), 4.1, 3, Simon Brennan (Dun), 2.5, 4

Men’s Longboard Division
Hugh Ritchie (Chch), 12.1, 1, William Wallace (Dun), 12, 2, Zen Wallis (Piha), 9.03, 3, Seb Johnson (Chch), 9, 4

Open Women’s Division Final
Ariana Shewry (Oakura), 9.6, 1, Natasha Civil (Dun), 8.5, 2, Estella Hungerford (Chch), 4, 3, Tegen Bishop (Chch), 3.8, 4

Under 20 Girls Division Final
Tegan Bishop (Chch), 10.7, 1, Estella Hungerford (Chch), 8.8, 2, Billie Scott (Whangarei), 8.7, 3, Ariana Shewry (Tara), 7.4, 4, Gabi Paul (Piha), 5.5, 5

Under 17 Girls Division Final
Tegen Bishop (Chch), 10.3, 1, Gabi Paul (Piha), 7.07, 2, Grace Pevats (Whangarei), 2.9, 3, Estella Hungerford (Chch), 2.83, 4

Under 14 Girls Division Final
Ariana Shewry (Oakura), 15.3, 1, Anika Ayson (Dun), 5.27, 2, Jaya Reardon (Dun), 2.35, 3, Misha Peyroux (Dun), 1.17, 4, Lily Robertson (Chch), 0.93, 5

Over 30 Women’s Division Final
Tash Civil (Dun), 7.5, 1, Ang Reardon (Dun), 4.43, 2, Sarah Armstrong Park (Chch), 2.3, 3, Lucy Te Moananui (Kaik), 2.1, 4

Information
For more information on the Duke Festival of Surfing please contact Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.

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The final quickly picked up the crowd’s interest as set waves rolled in right from the opening minutes and offered both competitors a chance to put a big number on their scoreboard. Lopes was first to capitalize with an excellent 8.50 backed up with a high 6 but Christie though a little slower to act, posted an incredible 8.83 and 7.83 to claim the heat lead.

The remainder of the final saw the Brazilian multiply his efforts to try and overtake Christie but eventually fell short of producing the surfing needed by the judges for an excellent 8.17.

Christie, a former Championship Tour surfer who failed to re-qualify at the end of his first season amongst the World’s best, made a statement today in Martinique claiming he wants back in and has the surfing to back up his ambition.

“When the waves are like that you can forget everything and just go out there and surf,” Christie stated. “I feel like I’ve improved a lot (since his CT season), I’ve just been working really hard and I learned a lot when I was on tour. It doesn’t feel like it’s over, it’s just the beginning of the year so I just have to keep doing my thing.”

Lopes, who finished his 2016 QS season ranked 12th in the world and barely missed out on a maiden CT spot, proved all-week that his main goal hasn’t changed and his motivation to reach the holy grail of surfing is still going strong.

“Of course I wanted to win but Ricardo deserved it, he’s such a great surfer,” Lopes said. “I’m really happy because I improved on my last result here and improving every step of the way is my ultimate goal. In a heat like that there’s no room for mistakes and I made one so that’s fair, I’m already moving on and ready for the next challenge.”

Far from absent in the final, Lopes made a single mistake on a wave with good potential but kept fighting up until the final buzzer to try and close the gap and overtake his opponent. With a runner-up result and the associated 2,250 QS points, Lopes will climb up the overall rankings before the next stop in Barbados.

In the opening semifinal, Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI), 20, unfortunately couldn’t match Lopes’ rhythm and only claimed average scores. The powerful Costa Rican, who had previously posted excellent numbers throughout the event, was left chasing a near-impossible 9 point ride given the conditions in his heat.

Following an excellent performance at the Australian Open of Surfing, McGonagle once again proved his form in 2017 is second-to-none and he’ll be one to watch in the all-important qualifying race towards the Championship Tour.

“Final day was tough for me, the waves were a little bit slow in our semifinal but I’m happy to move up the rankings a little bit and hopefully I can keep going like this and maybe reach the final in Barbados,” McGonagle stated. “I’m actually more comfortable on my backhand and the next event is on a left so I’m just going to concentrate on what I need to do in the first heat and work up from there.”

In the second semifinal, Soli Bailey (AUS), 21, had done the job with a solid 16.17 heat total up until Christie selected a great set wave and committed to two highly risky maneuvers for the winning 8.73 ride. Bailey leaves Martinique with an added 1680 qualifying points to his season tally and a few spots up the rankings.

“It’s always tough when you go through the whole week working hard and you have a loss like that,” Bailey admitted. “But it’s a really cool place with an amazing high-performance wave so I’m stoked. I have one more chance next week in Barbados, my surfing’s on point and hopefully this time I can really capitalize on my form.”

MARTINIQUE SURF PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Ricardo Christie (NZL) 16.66
2 – Bino Lopes (BRA) 15.57

MARTINIQUE SURF PRO SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Bino Lopes (BRA) 14.77 def. Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) 11.27
SF 2: Ricardo Christie (NZL) 17.23 def. Soli Bailey (AUS) 16.17

For immediate release

29th March 2017

From: Surfing New Zealand
Sport: Surfing
Event: Ray White Duke Festival of Surfing
Dates: 24 – 26 March 2017
Divisions: Longboard Divisions, Under 20, Under 17, 14 and 12 Boys and Girls Divisions
Location: New Brighton, Christchurch
Websites: Surfing New Zealand

Wallis Trumps Defending Champion O’Neill at the Duke

Piha surfer Zen Wallis trumped longboard whiz and defending champion Luke O’Neill at the Ray White Duke Festival of Surfing held at New Brighton Beach over the weekend.

Wallis won one of the 18 divisions contested at the three day event which was held in surf ranging from clean small waves under 1.om through to stormy 1.5m conditions on the final day of the event.

Combined with the longboarding divisions, junior divisions from Under 20 through to Under 12 were contested. Christchurch’s own Myka Black prevailed in not only his chosen age group in the Under 14’s but he also went on to win higher honors when he surfed to victory in the Exit Surf Under 20 Boys Division and claim the biggest win of his career.

While Wallis claimed the Men’s Longboard Division and lead on the New Zealand Longboard Tour, he could not stop the more traditional approach of O’Neill in the Captain Fin Co Logger Division where O’Neill stormed to victory leaving Wallis in the runner up division.

Wins in the senior longboarding divisions went to Christchurch stalwart Grant Cochrane in the Over 40s, New South Wales’ surfer Mike Pimm in the Over 50s and local surfer Paul Bennett in the Over 60s.

Nina Young (Chch) defeated Kea Smith (Mnt) in the Paper Plus Women’s Longboard Division while Lucy Te Moananui (Kaiks) won the Logger Division and Donna Henderson (Chch) won the Over 40’s Division.

While Black was dominant in the junior divisions, Hamilton surfer Caleb Cutmore also produced a win in the Under 17 Boys Division to extend his overall rankings lead. Whangarei’s Tom Robinson took second place to go with his third in the Under 14 Boys Division while Jared Gebert surfed through to third and his first final of the season and Dunedin surfer Ruben Peyroux finished in fourth.

Mount Maunganui’s Georgia Wederell claimed the Under 20 Girls Division over Kea Smith (Mnt) while the Under 17, 14 and 12 Girls Divisions were swept by Christchurch surfers. Tegen Bishop won the Under 17 Girls Division in only her second event this year while 11-year-old surfer Ava Henderson claimed two titles in the Under 14 and Under 12 Girls Divisions. The young surfer showed huge courage tackling the solid conditions on the final day and that was reflected in her impressive heat scores.

The Ray White Duke Festival of Surfing featured over $15,000 in prizes making it one of the richest events on the New Zealand and South Island Surfing Circuits in 2017. The surfing competition is part of an overall festival held at New Brighton which includes free surfing lessons for local school children, an art competition a ‘Surf and Beach’ themed Art Exhibition and a Rock Concert.

See below for final results from the Ray White Duke Festival of Surfing held at New Brighton Beach over the weekend.

Paper Plus Men’s Longboard Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Zen Wallis (Piha), 11.2, 1, Sam Sands (Chch), 7.87, 2, Henry Hawke (Chch), 7.6, 3, Ambrose McNeill (Chch), 7.17, 4
Heat 2
Luke O’Neill (Chch), 9.87, 1, Hugh Ritchie (Chch), 8.43, 2, Dan Croskery (Aus), 7.07, 3, Jason Lawn (Chch), 4.23, 4

Paper Plus Men’s Longboard Division Finals
Zen Wallis (Piha), 12.1, 1, Luke O’Neill (Chch), 10.9, 2, Hugh Ritchie (Chch), 8.7, 3, Sam Sands (Chch), 5.8, 4

GCA Lawyers Over 40 Men’s Longboard Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Mike Pimm (Chch), 8.1, 1, Nolan Hungerford (Chch), 6.5, 2, Mark Robberds (Chch), 5.2, 3, Mana Tohiakriki (Chch), 4.8, 4
Heat 2
Grant Cochrane (Chch), 5.8, 1, Steve Tyro (Rag) , 4.8, 2, Alan Te Moananui (Kaik), 3.1, 3, Wayne Robertson (Chch), 2.6, 4

GCA Lawyers Over 40 Men’s Longboard Division Finals
Grant Cochrane (Chch), 9.5, 1, Mike Pimm (Chch), 8.6, 2, Steve Tyro (Rag), 6.7, 3, Nolan Hungerford (Chch), 5.5, 4

Eldernet Over 50 Men’s Longboard Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Mike Pimm (NSW), 9.9, 1, Mike Willman (Chch), 5.4, 2, Steve Tyro (Chch), 4.5, 3, Dean Cooke (Chch), 3.5, 4
Heat 2
Grant Cochrane (Chch), 7, 1, Paul Bennett (Chch), 5, 2, Steve Andrews (ChCh), 4.6, 3, Mark Calcutt (ChCh), 3.2, 4

Eldernet Over 50 Men’s Longboard Division Final
Mike Pimm (NSW), 10.6, 1, Paul Bennett (Chch), 8.2, 2, Mike Willman (Chch), 7.6, 3, Grant Cochrane (Chch), 6.3, 4

Merivale Retirement Village Over 60 Men’s Longboard Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Paul Bennett (Chch), 7.2, 1, Tim Clemence (Chch), 5.6, 2, Ray Briggs (Chch), 4.7, 3
Heat 2
John Timothy Davern (Chch), 5.7, 1, Dave Poynter (Chch), 4.2, 2, David Pimm (NSW), 2, 3

Merivale Retirement Village Over 60 Men’s Longboard Division Final
Paul Bennett (Chch), 7.9, 1, John Timothy Davern (Chch), 2.9, 2, Dave Poynter (Chch), 2.5, 3, Tim Clemence (Chch), 2.4, 4

Captain Fin Co Men’s Logger Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Luke O’Neill (Chch), 14.5, 1, Zen Wallis (Piha), 11, 2, Seb Johnson (Chch), 7.5, 3, Jason Lawn (Chch), 7.1, 4
Heat 2
Josh Woollett (Chch), 11.5, 1, Hugh Ritchie (Chch), 9.23, 2, Dan Croskery (Aus), 9.13, 3, Ambrose McNeill (Chch), 7.2, 4

Captain Fin Co Men’s Logger Division Final
Luke O’Neill (Chch), 10.8, 1, Zen Wallis (Piha), 9.03, 2, Josh Woollett (Chch), 8.5, 3, Hugh Ritchie (Chch), 7.4, 4

Paper Plus Women’s Longboard Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Kea Smith (Mnt), 9.8, 1, Minnie Robberds (Chch) (Chch), 4.9, 2, Georgia Wederall (Mnt), 2.7, 3
Heat 2
Nina Young (Chch), 7.3, 1, Estella Hungerford (Chch), 5, 2, Katherine Edyvean (Chch), 4.7, 3

Paper Plus Women’s Longboard Division Final
Nina Young (Chch), 9.9, 1, Kea Smith (Mnt), 8.7, 2, Estella Hungerford (Chch), 7.9, 3, Minnie Robberds (Chch), 4.3, 4

Merivale Retirement Village Over 40 Women’s Longboard Division Final
Donna Henderson (Chch), 8, 1, Sarah Armstrong Park (Chch), 4.4, 2, Kirsty Cullen (Chch), 3.8, 3

Signmark Women’s Logger Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Minnie Robberds (Chch), 8.3, 1, Donna Henderson (Chch), 6.2, 2, Nina Young (Chch), 5.3, 3, Eve Welch (Chch), 4.4, 4
Heat 2
Lucy Johnson (Chch), 6.5, 1, Lucy Te Moananui (Kaik), 5, 2, Sarah Armstrong – Park (Chch), 2.4, 3, Brittany Andrews (Chch), 0

Signmark Women’s Logger Division Final
Lucy Te Moananui (Kaik), 7.07, 1, Donna Henderson (Chch), 6.6, 2, Minnie Robberds (Chch), 3.8, 3, Lucy Johnson (Chch), 3.1, 4

Men’s SUP Surf Semifinals
Heat 1
Steev Peyroux (Dun), 9.4, 1, Alan Te Moananui (Kaik), 9.1, 2, Mark Calcutt (Chch), 5.43, 3, Giulio Meda (Chch), 5.07, 4
Heat 2
Sam Loader (Chch), 5.5, 1, Scott Robertson (Chch), 5.27, 2, Sam Bradley (Chch), 4.5, 3, Blair Cooke (Chch), 4.17, 4

Men’s SUP Surf Final
Steev Peyroux (Dun), 10.3, 1, Sam Loader (Chch), 6.7, 2, Scott Robertson (Chch), 1.57, 3, Alan Te Moananui (Kaik), 1.5, 4

Women’s SUP Surf Semifinals
Heat 1
Lucy Te Moananui (Kaik), 9.17, 1, Tyler Rini (Chch), 3.3, 2, Nicola Taylor (Chch), 2.2, 3
Kim Kelleher (Chch), 0
Heat 2
Amelie Wink (Chch), 3.27, 1, Wendy Andrews (Chch), 2.73, 2, Mandy Ayers (Chch), 2.37, 3

Women’s SUP Surf Final
Lucy Te Moananui (Kaik), 9.2, 1, Tyler Rini (Chch), 3.3, 2, Amelie Wink (Chch), 3.27, 3, Wendy Andrews (Chch), 2.7, 4

Exit Surf Under 20 Boys Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Jared Gebert (Ohope), 11.9, 1, Sam Sands (Chch), 8.13, 2, Harrison Whiteside (ChCh), 5.9, 3, Matt Lay (Chch), 5.17, 4
Heat 2
Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 13.2, 1, Myka Black (Chch), 6.97, 2, Ruben Peyroux (Dun), 4.93, 3, Henry Hawke (Chch), 4.5, 4

Exit Surf Under 20 Boys Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Myka Black (Chch), 11.0, 1, Sam Sands (Chch), 10.3, 2, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 9.6, 3, Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 9.4, 4,

Under 17 Boys Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 10.7, 1, Ruben Peyroux (Dun), 8.6, 2, Myka Black (Chch), 7.13, 3, Josh McCaffery (Chch), 6.27, 4
Heat 2
Tom Robinson (Whangarei), 9.23, 1, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 8.77, 2, Josef Jungwirth (Rag), 8.23, 3, Neko Tohiariki (Chch), 4.03, 4

Under 17 Boys Division Final
Caleb Cutmore (Ham), 13.9, 1, Tom Robinson (Whangarei), 9.4, 2, Jared Gebert (Ohope), 8.3, 3, Ruben Peyroux (Dun), 7.6, 4

Under 14 Boys Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 9.2, 1, Koby Cameron (Chch), 5, 2, James Millar (Dun), 4.6, 3, Jack Mckenzie (Waikuku), 4.17, 4
Heat 2
Myka Black (Chch), 12.2, 1, Josef Jungwirth (Rag), 7.17, 2, Jacob Fitzgerald (Bulla), 4.9, 3, Dara O’Malley (Chch), 3.4, 4

Under 14 Boys Division Final
Myka Black (Chch), 12.6, 1, Josef Jungwirth (Rag), 7.5, 2, Tom Robinson (Whngrei), 7.3, 3, Koby Cameron (Chch), 3.77, 4

Joyce and Co Under 12 Boys Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Oscar Cameron (Chch), 7.1, 1, Jack Tyro (Chch), 6.4, 2, Campbell Heasley (Chch), 4.8, 3, Billy Cameron (Chch), 3.83, 4
Heat 2
Jack McKenzie (Chch), 10.8, 1, Brooklyn Ward (Chch), 7.44, 2, Jack Simmons (Chch), 3.33, 3, Tai McKenzie (Chch), 0, 4

Joyce and Co Under 12 Boys Division Final
Brooklyn Ward (Chch), 7.03, 1, Jack McKenzie (Chch), 4.3, 2, Oscar Cameron (Chch), 3.9, 3, Jack Tyro (Chch), 2, 4

Under 20 Girls Division Final
Georgia Wederell (Mnt), 8.6, 1, Tegen Bishop (Chch), 7.4, 2, Estella Hungerford (Chch), 5.4, 3, Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin), 4.7, 4

Under 17 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Estella Hungersford (Chch), 7.17, 1, Ava Henderson (Chch), 6.8, 2, Georgia Wederell (Mnt), 4.7, 3
Heat 2
Tegen Bishop (Chch), 10.5, 1, Kea Smith (Arataki), 9.43, 2, Anika Ayson (Dun), 2.93, 3

Under 17 Girls Division Final
Tegen Bishop (Chch), 8.6, 1, Kea Smith (Arataki), 7.4, 2, Ava Henderson (Chch), 6.6, 3, Estella Hungersford (Chch), 6.1, 4

Under 14 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Gracie Hately (Chch), 5.27, 1, Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin), 4.7, 2, Liv Haysom (Piha), 4.4, 3, Anika Ayson (Dun), 4.37, 4
Heat 2
Ava Henderson (Chch), 5.43, 1, Anna Brock (Mnt), 5.33, 2, Leah Wilson (Chch), 2.63, 3, Caoimhe Hungerford (Chch), 2.33, 4

Under 14 Girls Division Final
Ava Henderson (Chch), 8, 1, Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin), 4.07, 2, Anna Brock (Mnt), 0.97, 3, Gracie Hately (Chch), 0.93, 4

Joyce and Co Under 12 Girls Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Anna Brock (Mnt), 6.43, 1, Isabel English (Chch), 2.3, 2, Stella O’Dea (Chch), 1.83, 3, Georgia Bradley (Chch), 1.7, 4
Heat 2
Ava Henderson (Chch), 13.2, 1, Gracie Hately (Chch), 3.73, 2, Ruby Armstrong (Chch), 3.33, 3, Eden Hungerford (Chch), 1.6, 4

Joyce and Co Under 12 Girls Division Final
Ava Henderson (Chch), 11.2, 1, Anna Brock (Mnt), 4.6, 2, Eden Hungerford (Chch), 2.8, 3, Isabel English (Chch), 1.17, 4

Information
For more information on the Ray White Duke Festival of Surfing please contact Warren Hawke on 021 293 5735 or wajhawke@yahoo.com or Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.

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