Day two and a busy day ahead for competitors and judges alike. An 8 o'clock start was a bit early for some as the IC Motors hospitality suite ground on through in to the early ours of the night with yesterdays losers in a Kareoke repercharge desperate to see how much of the sponsors product was needed to wash away the getting knocked out of your heat blues. A fresh northeast breeze was up early making the northeast swell of 2-3 feet a bit tricky again. Especially as the tide dropped away. The first division to hit the drink was the Mens over 40 quarter finals followed by the Open Mens semi's. The first semi was a straight reasonably forward heat with Sam Johnson smoking them and Mike Burling finishing a close second. Leaving Sam Guthrie to continue in the Junior Mens. An Aidian Comrie heading to the hospitality suite.
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All photos courtesy www.surf.co.nz
The next semi final was a loaded one and from the moment the hooter went the competitors were straight in to it. The waves started to pump with the incoming tide and the sets kept on coming. Daniel Proctor want going to let this one slip through and racked up two high scoring rides in the first few minutes. Darryn McBride was surfing like a man possessed and whack off the crumbly lips in a modern high performance display of longboarding. Unfortunately for 2007 Champion Daniel Kereopa it all came down to wave selection . DK scored himself another third in this heat and failed to get a berth in the final. Alex McKenzie started his heat well but his board broke on a close out wave and by the time he had a replacement the heat was almost over. The finals of finals were happening today at Sandy Bay.
The standard of surfing went up another notch in the final heat this afternoon. Mike Burling and Darryn McBride got straight in to it and started blowing the spectators right off the beach with their progressive surfing. Sam Johnson first wave was a low scoring ride but he managed to get better 5.5 for his next. But this was never going to take out the event with Mike Burling posting an 8.5 with a floater combo reo that had the crowd screaming for more. Not to be out done Darryn Mc Bride cranked the highest score wave of 9.33. Daniel proctor didn’t have one of his better finals and ground out a fourth place.
Just in front of him taking the third slot was Sam Johnson. Mike Burling blasted his way in to second . While Darryn MC Bride carved another notch for a win into his contest belt. The women’s semis had a couple of upsets heat one had two local girls Demi Poynter and Kirstie Thomsen were bumped out and straight into the I.C. Motors hospitality tent . It was Claire Norman and Gisborne surfer Belinda Galley who made in to the finals.
Heat two was the one we had been waiting for but the predicted tussle of Daisey Thomas and Shelley Jones didn’t happen. Shelley finished fourth in her heat after wave selection let her down. Daisey Thomas power surfed her way in the final along with new to the circuit Monique Waitzer. Leaving Rea Ansin in a close third place.
The women’s final was a battle from the start with Daisey Thomas straight in the first wave of the heat . Not a good one and was low scoring . Meanwhile Claire Norman caught a howler all the way to the beach and racked up the highest wave score of the heat with an average 5.83. It looked difficult for Monique Waitzer and Belinda Galley who both only managed to get two waves in 20 minutes. Mean while Daisey was picking waves off left right and centre. Her fifth wave was here highest scoring and averaged 4.83 bring right back up in the lead. Claire wasn’t phased and proceed to catch two more waves and racked up a heat total of 8.53 narrowly beating Daisey in to first place by .36. Look out for the next time they meet.
The Junior semis were an interesting mix of first time longboarders , extremely young Longboarders and surfers who it is their final year in this division. Heat one was won by Eli Barnfield as he continues his improving form and becomes the same threat his brother Dylan was in this division. Tim Thompson came in a close second and moved through as well to the final.
Heat 2 had the youngest competitor with Hone Douglas surfing well in conditions that were very testing for a grommet and a longboard. Sam Guthrie took his previous loss in the open out on his fellow junior competitors and won the heat convincingly.
The Junior final hit the water late in the day and Sam Guthrie proceeded to wail on his fellow competitors and showed what amazing from he is in. With two waves scoring an average of 8.00 and 8.17 it was going to be a big challenge for his fellow competitors. Eli Barfield came in second with a total score of 9.80 just beating Tim Thompson with 9.37. Last but fast from least from Hone Douglas whom did extremely well in the conditions.
The over 40’s semi finals were a bit of struggle as the tide had turned more sets were coming in and the boys were given a bit of a work out. No major upsets with Mike Thomson and Viv Tracey moving through from heat 1 and Mal Brady and Rupert Newbold heading to the final.
Quite a
few of the same names that appear in the over 40’s also are to be seen in
the over 50’s. Heat one was won by Grant Cochrane from Christchurch with Viv
Tracey second.
Heat two sent John Ayton who failed to make the final in the over 40’s into
the over 50’s final along surfing stalwart Paul Browne.
The final event saw Northland local Viv Tracey comfortably take out the heat along with Grant Cochrane second. Grant must have surfed more than anybody else today as him seemed tom appear in most of them mens divisions..
Mens Over
40 Quarter Finals
Heat 1 Mike Thomson (Raglan)1, Steve Andrews 3,John Ayton (NCB) 2, Bryan
Western (NShore) 4.
Heat 2 Grant Cochrane (Chch) 1, Dave Burbage (Ham) 4, Viv Tracey 2, Neil
Dawber 3.
Heat 3 Mal Brady 1, Al Ashworth (Auck) 4, Robert Hawkins (Rag) 3, Mark
Calcutt 2.
Heat 4 David Storck (Auck) 1, Steve Tyro (Chch) 3, Rupert Newbold 2, Dave
Espiner (Whangarei) 4.
Mens over
40 semi Finals
Heat 1 Mike Thomson 1, John Ayton 4, Grant Cochrane 3, Viv Tracey 2.
Heat 2 Mal Brady 1, Mark Calcutt 4, David Storck 3, Rupert Newbold 2
Mens Over
40 Final.
Mike Thomson , Viv Tracey , Mal Brady, Rupert Newbold.
Junior
Division Semi Finals
Heat 1 Eli Barnfield (Ohope) 1, Rick Williamson(Ohope) 4, Tom Thompson 2,
Keiren Pullman 3.
Heat 2 Braedon Williams (Whmata) 3, Hone Douglas(Whktane)2, Tim Gibb (Auk)4,
Sam Guthrie (Mount) 1.
Junior
Division Final
Eli Barnfield (Ohope) 2, Tom Thompson 3, Hone Douglas( Whktane) , Sam
Guthrie (Mount) 1 .
Womens
Division Semi Finals
Heat 1 Demi Poynter (Nrthlnd) 4, Kirtsie Thomson (Whangarei)3, Claire Norman
1, Belinda Galley (Gis) 2.
Heat 2 Daisey Thomas (Chch) 1, Rea Ansin (Auck) 3, Monique Waitzer 2, Shelly
Jones (Auck) 4.
Womens
Division Finals
Claire Norman 1, Belinda Galley 4, Daisey Thomas 2, Monique Waitzer 3.
Opens
Mens Semi Finals
Heat 1 Sam Johnson (Gis) 1, Sam Guthrie (Mount) 4, Micheal Burling (Auk) 2,
Aiden Comrie (Waihi Bch) 3.
Heat 2 Darryn McBride (mount) 1, Alex McKenzie (H Bay)4, Daniel Kereopa
(Rag) 3, Daniel Proctor (Gis) 1.
Opens
Mens Finals
Sam Johnson 3, Mike Burling 2, Daniel Proctor 4, Darryn Mc Bride 1.
Mens Over
50 quarter Finals
Heat 1 Viv Tracey 1, Rupert Newbold 3,Trevor Crosby 2, John Duff 4.
Heat 2 Grant Cochrane1, Ian Parker 2, Nick Matich 4, Dave Reed 3.
Heat 3 Dave Storck 1,Warren Thomsen 4,Paul Browne 2,Alan Sykes 3.
Heat 4 Mike Thomson 1, Warrick Gray 3,John ayton 2, Mel Eggindon 4.
Semi
Finals
Heat 1 Viv Tracey 2,Trever Crosby 4, Grant Cochrane 1, Ian Parker 3.
Heat 2 David Storck 3 Paul Browne 2, Mike Thomson 4, John Ayton 1
Over 50
Finals
Viv Tracey 1, Grant Cochrane 2, John Ayton 3, Mike Thomson 4.