Strongest Field of Surfers Ever for the Hyundai NZ Nationals

 The Hyundai National Surfing Championships will potentially draw the strongest field of surfers in its 44 year history when they commence on Saturday.  The event is being staged from the 13th – 20th of January along the Taranaki coastline and spectators are set to see the best surfing New Zealanders have to offer over the eight days.  Not only will New Zealand’s world ranked surfers (Maz Quinn, Bobby Hansen, Jay Quinn and Matt Scorringe) be present but so will the majority of our emerging young talent who will jet back from Australia to compete at the event.

There are currently fourteen of New Zealand’s top junior (under 20) surfers competing on the Australasian Pro Junior Tour – regarded as the most prestigious in the world.  The majority of these surfers will be returning for the Hyundai Nationals after competing at Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia this week.  Traditionally these surfers have had to choose which event to compete at prior to this year’s Nationals being held a week later than normally scheduled.  The change in scheduling will see the likes of Richard Christie (Mah) and Mischa Davis (Auck) return for the event.  In 2006 Christie missed the opportunity to defend his open men’s and junior men’s titles he won at the age of 16 – the youngest ever open men’s National Champion.  Davis on the other hand has not competed in the event since 2004 when she finished third behind then unknown Airini Mason at Piha.  Davis has since plied her trade in Australia where she finished fourth in the Pro Junior Series in 2006 – a brilliant result only eclipsed by Mason who won the tour.

The young up and comers will have their work cut out though with New Zealand’s most hardened competitors also set to compete next week.  The Quinn brothers will use the event as a warm up for their international campaigns as will Bobby Hansen of Gisborne.  However, it is understood that Hansen has a knee injury that has sidelined him for the past two weeks.  His full fitness is in doubt and will not be determined until the event kicks off on Saturday.  Daniel Kereopa (Rag) will again try for the elusive national title when he combines the open men’s division with the longboards which he will also contest in a quest to win the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour for 2007 and topple Michael Fitzharris (Gis).

The Taranaki coastline offers up so many unique breaks that the strong local contingent of surfers cannot be dismissed at the event.  The region boasts a huge talent pool of surfers.  The recently formed regional association – Surfing Taranaki is set to join the forces of the regions boardriders clubs and the initiative could produce results as early as this event.  Top competitors such as Paige Hareb in the women’s will no doubt lead the way but the potential champions list is endless.  Jason Matthews and Motu Mataa have made recent comebacks to competition and will be there come finals time of the senior divisions.  Simon Deken has also entered the event and along with Issac Peterson and Luke Kerr is more than capable of progressing well into the business end of the event.  Then there is the huge field of junior surfers such as Keone Campbell, Tyler Anderson and Mark Pathemore who could produce wins.