Jaco Beach Jinx For Kiwis

For immediate release

8^th August 2016

From:   Surfing New Zealand
Sport:   International Surfing
Event: 2016 ISA World Surfing Games
Divisions: Open Men’s and Women’s
Date:    6 – 14 August 2016
Location: Jaco, Costa Rica
Websites: ISA and Surfing New Zealand

Jaco Beach Jinx For Kiwis

Costa Rica’s Jaco Beach offered no favours for the New Zealand Surfing Team today with all four male surfers being relegated to the reperchage round of the 2016 INS International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games.

The World Surfing Games are being held from the 6^th – 14^th August. The event kicked off with a Parade of Nations on Sunday (New Zealand time) before the first day of competition got underway today (Monday 8^th August 2016).

In 1.0m – 1.5m waves that started out clean with morning offshore winds and finished with a light onshores, the Kiwi’s were one-by-one edged in to the reperchage after their first round heats.

Taylor Hutchison (Rag) and Matt Hewitt (Mnt) got to enjoy the early morning conditions but that did not help their cause with the two surfers finishing third and fourth respectively in their heats.

Zen Wallis (Piha) and Billy Stairmand (Raglan) surfed late in the day and again finished their heats in third and fourth, Stairmand’s exit particularly shocking the commentators who noted that he was the highest internationally ranked surfer at the event.

The Kiwi’s drew the Australian surfers in their heats along with the South Africans who had a low seeding due to their absence from the event in 2015. A number of the top nations suffered defeats on the first day of the event showing the growing talent pool in a number of formally weaker nations around from the world.

Today’s results mean that Stairmand, Hewitt, Hutchison and Wallis will be back in action early Tuesday morning (New Zealand time) in the first reperchage round. These heats are must wins for the Kiwis should they want to remain in the event.

2016 bronze medallist Ella Williams (WGM) and first time competitors at the event, Raiha Ensor (Mnt), will kick off their campaigns in the Women’s Division during the afternoon.

Over 140 athletes from 26 countries are attending the event, the first held by the ISA since surfing was added to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last week.

The New Zealand Team is ranked eighth in the world which qualifies them to compete in the Aloha Cup Tag Team event comprising the top eight nations. This team-format event will take place in the last few days leading up to the individual finals.

Host nation Costa Rica claimed the team gold medal from 27 nations in 2015 edging out Portugal and USA in second and third respectively.

Please see below for results from day one of the INS ISA World Surfing games being held at Jaco Beach, Costa Rica from the 6^th – 14^th August 2016.

Men’s Qualifying Round 1
Heat 2
1, Dale Lovelock (AUS), 12.77, 2, Danny Bishko (CAN), 10.23, 3, Taylor Hutchison (NZL), 4.10, 4, Jurg Diemand (SWI), 3.34
Heat 2
1, Shane Sykes (RSA), 13.34, 2, Francisco Bellorin (VEN), 12.87, 3 Jeames Young (AUS), 9.50, 4, Matt Hewitt (NZL), 9.40
Heat 22
1, Jordy Lawler (AUS), 15.26, 2, Sean Foerster (CAN), 9.30, 3, Zen Wallis NZL), 7.56, 4, Philip Mappes (SWI), 6.77
Heat 23
1, Rafael Periera (VEN), 14.87, 2, Matthew McGillivray (RSA), 13.00, 3, Harrison Martin (AUS), 12.76, 4, Billy Stairmand (NZL), 10.70

Times for New Zealand heats on day two of the event (NZT).
1:50am – Taylor Hutchison and Matt Hewitt
5:10am – Zen Wallis and Billy Stairmand
8:30am – Raiha Ensor
8:50am – Ella Williams

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.

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