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Tradition Vs Power at The Hyundai Pro Longboard Event
Written by Ben Kennings
Longboarding got back to its classic best when the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour hit Sandy Bay, Northland today. Small but reasonably consistent wave conditions forced the country’s best longboarders to rely on style rather than aggression in the battle for points in the third round of the six event tour.
National open champion Daniel Kereopa (Rag) and
some of the other younger competitors like Wellington’s Kirk Beyer relied
largely on a modern tight turning style to win their way through the early
heats, Kereopa scoring the highest wave of the day with an 8.75 ride. But
others such as defending 2006 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour winner Michael
Fitzharris from Gisborne looked towards more traditional stepping, nose
riding and drop knee turns for their points in the clean half metre waves.
Mount Maunganui’s Darren McBride and Ohope junior Dylan Barnfield were among
others who stood out with stylish noseriding in the open men’s division.
In the juniors Dylan Barnfield and his younger brother Eli both made it
through to the semi finals, as did 13 and 15-year-old Mangawhai brothers
Louie and Sam Smith, with 11 year-old Hone Douglas from Whakatane also
stepping up to the plat to progress to the semifinals.
With the first round of this year’s Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour at Mt
Maunganui abandoned due to lack of waves and the second round being
incorporated into the Hyundai National Surfing Championships at Taranaki
this weekend’s Sandy Bay event is the first time this season the country’s
top longboarders have had for a serious match up between one another.
Surfers who have progressed into Sunday’s Semifinal rounds of the
Northland Longboard Classic include:
Women’s: Kirstie Thomsen (Whangarei), Shereen Lobb (Port Waikato),
Anna Jolly (Piha), Melody Spaul (Whangarei), Pauline Pullman (Sandy Bay) Rea
Ansin (Auckland), Monique Waitzer and Josephine Moore (Muriwai).
Junior Men: Eli Barnfield, Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), Louie Smith, Sam Smith
(Mangawhai), Hone Douglas (Whakatane) and Sam Guthrie (Mt Maungonui)
Over 40 Men: Richard Dorahy (Whangarei), John Ayton (Victoria, Aus), Bruce
Shortridge (Hawkes Bay), Al Ashworth (Muriwai), Mike Thomson (Raglan),
Scotty Riach (Stanmore Bay), David Storck (Auckland) and Roger Hall (Ruakaka).
