Longboards hit the water at the
Hyundai NZ National Surfing Championships
The longboarders surfed their way through two rounds today. The conditions went from pristine at the start of the second round to rather wind affected low tide conditions by the end of the round.
Michael Fitzharris (Gis) was one surfer to capitalise on the good early conditions when he posted the highest heat score of the round. His 15.50 heat total saw him progress in first place alongside fellow local Kelly Ryan in second. Defending champion Daniel Kereopa (Rag) also won his heat scoring 13.25 points. Kereopa won the first event on the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour and will hope to extend his ratings lead with a win at this event as well as defending his title.
Daniel Procter (Gis), a full time longboard exponent, beat Jay Quinn into second position in their heat. Procter posted a total heat score of 14.25 to Quinn’s 11.15. Quinn made his first longboard showing at the Nationals in 2007 to the surprise of many and is back again in 2008 to better his runner up placing he gained. Another surfer to cross over disciplines was Raglan’s Leon Santorik (Rag).
Santorik progressed through two rounds today to move through to the last 16 surfers. Santorik is also one of the favourites to make the final of the open men’s division on his shortboard having previously made it to the finals with a career best runner up placing in 2005. Mount Maunganui surfers came to the fore again in the men’s longboard division with four surfers progressing to the quarterfinals as well as two other surfers from the Bay of Plenty region.
Open Longboard
Round 1
Heat 1 Trent Dickey (Auck), 1, Chris Ransley (Gis), 2, Eddie Rare (Gis), 3
Heat 2 Leon Santorik (Rag), 1, Graham Brethel, 2, Ray Morgan (Gis), 3,
Matthew Groube, 4
Heat 3 Larry Foster (Gis), 1, Sam Hawke (ChCh), 2, Trent Lillis (Auck), N/S
Heat 4 James Atutahi (Maketu), 1, Doug Young (Auck), 2, Phil Galley (Hbay),
3
Open Longboard
Round 2
Heat 1 Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), 1, Trent Dickey (Auck), 2, Bruce
Shortridge (HBay), 3, Sam Bradford (Pakiri)
Heat 2 Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 1, Kelly Ryan (Gis), 2, Chris Ransley
(Gis), 3, David Storck, (Piha), 4
Heat 3 Leon Santorik (Rag), 1, Kirk Beyer, (Wgtn), 2, Andrew Robinson
(Auck), 3, Matt Hands (Mnt), 4
Heat 4 Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 1, Emanuele Lai (Auck), 2, Shayne Baxter (Dun),
3, Graham Brethel, 4
Heat 5 Jay Reeve (Mnt), 1, Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), 2, Isaac Johnston ((Mngwhai),
3, Larry Foster (Gis), 4
Heat 6 Daniel Proctor (Gis), 1, Jay Quinn (Gis), 2, Sam Johnson (GIS), 3,
Sam Hawke (ChCh), 4
Heat 7 Ant McColl, (Mnt), 1, Duncan Cameron, (Mnt), 2, Matt Gillespie,
(Auck), 3, James Atutahi (Maketu), 4
Heat 8 Aidan Comrie, (Waihi Bch), 1, Sam Guthrie (Mnt), 2, Doug Young
(Auck), 3, Warwick Gray (Waihi Bch), 4
The National Champs are the second event on the Hyundai pro Longboard Tour.