Burling Posts Big Day One Score
Mike B courtesy Slide
Magazine
Gisborne based Tongan surfer Michael
Burling sent a loud and clear message to his opponents today on day one of
the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour event being held at Papamoa, Bay of Plenty –
I want to win the tour this year and this is how I am going to do it! His
emphatic heat win in round two culminated in a total heat score of 15.47 out
of a possible 20 points – the highest of the day. Burling easily won his
heat progressing through to the quarterfinals of the event.
Burling has lived in New Zealand for the past several years. Having studied
to be a doctor he now practices in Gisborne but looking at his performance
today he still manages a decent amount of water time. The big-built surfer
always performs well in solid surf but even today in small 0.5m waves he
managed to complete several big turns on his waves to lock in high scores –
the best being an excellent 8.0 point ride on his last wave. Burling will
now look to push for an event win and carry on from where he left off in
2007 when he won the last event of the tour held at Port Waikato.
Burling’s path was made slightly easier today when the event’s second seed Michael Fitzharris (Gis) was eliminated by Lynden Kennings (Piha) and Stephen Tyro (Chch) in a very close but low scoring heat. Eventual third placed surfer Duncan Cameron (Mnt) led the heat early only to be over taken by Kennings. Seemingly having sealed second place Cameron ‘sat’ on Fitzharris attempting to prevent him from getting any further waves. It resulted in Tyro having free rein over the shifty beach break and he caught two good waves late in the heat to sneak into second. Both Kennings and Tyro now move through to the quarterfinals of the event to be held on Sunday where forecasts are for the swell to be larger and winds more favourable than today.
The Champ not mucking around
Number one seed and defending tour champion Daniel Kereopa (Rag) won a close battle in his heat to progress alongside New Zealand representative Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck) who together eliminating Hawkes Bay’s Alex McKenzie.
Other heat winners included local surfer and defending event champion Daryn Mcbride who scored 12.17, Ohope’s hottest talent Dylan Barnfield scoring 12.36, Gisborne surfers Daniel Procter and Kelly Ryan as well as young Mount Maunganui surfer Ant McColl. The quarterfinal line up is potentially the most talent laden possible and should forecasts come to fruition then the action on the finals day will be outstanding.
The number one seed in the female division, Rea Ansin was ousted out of the first round today by Shelley Jones (Auck) scoring 8.83 and second place getter Belinda Galley (Nap). The highest scoring surfer in the first round was local surfer Michelle Langdon (Mnt) posting 11.0 out of a possible 20 points in her heat to move through to the last six surfers in the semifinals. Langdon is fresh back from Australia where she has been residing for much of 2007. Australian surfer Claire Norman also put in a good performance to win her heat and progress to the semifinals alongside Daisy Thomas (Chch). Thomas now meets top scorer Langdon and Shelley Jones who also won her heat.
Lynden K
Late in the day Kennings and Fitzharris dominated their Over 40’s heats to win and move through to the semifinals as well as Auckland surfer Mal Brady. Kennings and Fitzharris now meet up with Christchurch surfer Grant Cochrane in the semi’s while defending Over 40’s tour champion Mike Thomsen (Rag) meets up with David Storck (Auck) and Brady.
In the Over 50s Viv Treacy (Whangarei), Mike Thomson (Rag) and David Storck won their heats and moved through to the semifinals.
Action will commence at 8am on Sunday morning with six hours surfing to be completed. Prizegiving will be carried out at the beach at the conclusion of the finals of all divisions.
Below are the full results from Day one of the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour event one.
Open Men’s Round 1
Heat 1
Matt Cockayne, 1, Rubber Ducky (Papamoa), 2, Phil Galley (Gisborne), 3, Rhys Fitt, (Auck), 4
Heat 2
Matt Hands, (Mnt), 1, Tyler White (Gisborne), 2, Warwick Gray (Waihi Bch), 3, Chris Huxtable (Ham), 4
Heat 3
Lynden Kennings (Whmata), 1, Shayne Baxter (Dun), 2, David Storck (Auck), 3, Geoff Calvert (Piha), 4
Heat 4
Emanuele Lai (Auck), 1, Mal Brady, 2, Simon Fritchley, 3, Sam Bradford (Pakiri), 4
Open Men’s Round 2
Heat 1
Michael Burling (Auck), 1, Matt Cockayne (Auck), 2, Bruce Shortridge (HBay), 3, Issac Johnson (Orewa), 4
Heat 2
Daniel Proctor (Gis), 1, Paul Culpan (Auck), 2, Rubber Ducky (Papamoa), 3, Che Phillips (Auck), 4
Heat 3
Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), 1, Matt Hands, (Mnt), 2, Jay Reeve (Mnt), 3, Greg Skinner Auck, 4
Heat 4
Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 1, Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), 2, Alex McKenzie (HBay), 3, Tyler White (Gisborne), 4
Heat 5
Lynden Kennings (Whmata), 1, Steve Tyro (ChCh), 2, Duncan Cameron (Mnt), 3
Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 4
Heat 6
Ant McColl (Mnt), 1, Kirk Beyer (Wgtn), 2, Shayne Baxter (Dun), 3, Matt Gillespie (Auck), 4
Heat 7
Kelly Ryan (Gis), 1, Sam Guthrie (Mnt), 2, Warren McKenzie (H-Bay), 3, Emanuele Lai (Auck), 4
Heat 8
Daryn Mcbride (Mt), 1, Sam Johnson (Gis), 2, Aidan Comrie (Waihi Bch), 3, Mal Brady (Auck), 4
Open Men’s Quarterfinals (yet to be surfed)
Heat 1
Michael Burling (Auck), Matt Hands, (Mnt), Daniel Proctor (Gis), Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck)
Heat 2
Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), Matt Cockayne (Auck), Daniel Kereopa (Rag), Paul Culpan (Auck)
Heat 3
Lynden Kennings (Whmata), Sam Guthrie (Mnt), Ant McColl (Mnt), Sam Johnson (Gis)
Heat 4
Kelly Ryan (Gis), Steve Tyro (ChCh), Daryn Mcbride (Mnt), Kirk Beyer (Wgtn)
Open Women’s Round 1
Heat 1
Claire Norman (Aus), 1, Daisy Thomas (Chch), 2, Shereen Lobb (Port Wai), 3, Cheryl Lowe, Mnt, 4
Heat 2
Shelly Jones, (Auck), 1, Belinda Galley (Napier), 2, Rea Ansin (Auck), 3
Heat 3
Michelle Langdon. (Mnt), 1, Kirstie Thomsen (Whangarei), 2, Melody Spaul, (Whngrei), 3, Bryony Barlow, (Orewa), 4
Open Women’s Semifinals (yet to be surfed)
Heat 1
Claire Norman (Aus), Belinda Galley (Napier), Kirstie Thomsen (Whangarei)
Heat 2
Shelly Jones, (Auck), Daisy Thomas (Chch), Michelle Langdon. (Mnt)
Over 40 Men’s Round 1
Heat 1
Grant Cochrane (ChCh), Scotty Riach (Stanmore Bay), Mal Brady (Auck), Michael Grant (Auck)
Heat 2
Mike Thomson (Rag), Stephen Tyro (Chch), Andrew Blanchard (Auck), Lynden Kennings (Piha), 1
Heat 3
David Storck (Auck), Bruce Shortridge (HBay), Dave Burbage (Ham), Michael Fitzharris (Gis)
Over 40 Men’s Semifinals (yet to be surfed)
Heat 1
Mal Brady (Auck), Mike Thomson (Rag), David Storck (Auck)
Heat 2
Lynden Kennings (Piha), Grant Cochrane (ChCh), Michael Fitzharris (Gis)
Over 50 Men’s Round 1
Heat 1
Viv Treacy (Ocean Beach), Warren Thomsen (Ocn Bch), Warwick Gray (Waihi Bch)
Heat 2
Mike Thomson (Rag), John Goddard (Auck), Grant Cochrane (ChCh)
Heat 3
David Storck (Auck), 1, Ruepert Newbold (Whngrei), 3, Ian Parker (Auck), 2
Over 50 Men’s Semifinals (yet to be surfed)
Heat 1
Viv Treacy (Ocean Beach), Grant Cochrane (ChCh), Ian Parker (Auck)
Heat 2
Mike Thomson (Rag), Warwick Gray (Waihi Bch), David Storck (Auck)
Under 18 Men’s Final (Yet to be surfed)
Sam Guthrie (Mnt), Rick Williamson (Ohope), Hone Douglas (Whakatane), Shaun Goddard (Auck)