Taylor Jensen – Image PhotoCPL
Day Three of event one of the 2010 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour kicked off in clean 0.5m-1.0m waves at Sandy Bay today (Sunday 7th February). With beautiful weather and a large crowd of spectators, this event showed that the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour is definitely at the cutting edge of surfing in New Zealand.
Over 50’s Final
It was two local surfers versus the visitors in the Over 50’s final. Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour veteran Mike Thompson (Raglan) picked off some great waves in the final but it was Grant Cochrane (Christchurch) who picked the best waves and surfed his way to victory. Cochrane, 2009 runner up in the Over 50’s Division, was a strong contender from the outset and was a deserving winner. John Eyerton (Whangarei) was a stand out surfer throughout the entire event, styling every wave that has come his way coming in third place. Rupert Newbold (Whangarei) placed fourth.
Clean peeling waves rolled through and the level of competition at the business end certainly delivered some great action.
SUP
Shane Baxter (Dunedin) smashed his opponents in semi-final heat one of the Stand Up Paddleboard Division. 2009 National SUP runner up Lynden Kennings (WGM) dominated the SUP division from the outset, with his smooth approach and solid turns scoring highly with the judges. Kennings surfed a solid final but it was Baxter who took out first place with a late charge and two solid scores in the bank. The renowned big wave surfer from Otago laid some huge sliding turns to score a total of 12.7 points, beating Kennings by 0.3 points. In third place was Auckland’s Arnie Armstrong and in fourth Robert Hawkins (Raglan).
Over 40 Men’s
Brendan Young (Hawkes Bay) took a gamble in the final of the Over 40 Men’s Division by paddling off to another peak for the heat, leaving the other competitors on the main peak. His gamble paid off and the veteran on the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour scored some fantastic high scoring waves taking first place easily. 2009 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Over 40’s Champion Lynden Kennings (Whangamata) also surfed with style securing some great scores placing second behind Young (Hawkes Bay). Grant Cochrane (Christchurch) came in third and local favourite Rupert Newbold (Ocean Beach) fourth.
Junior Men’s
In the Junior Men’s Division Jackson Winter (Noosa, AUS) won his semi-final heat in style. Winter (AUS), a former Noosa Festival division winner, picked the best waves and continued his top form. Joseph Stewart (Whakatane) dominated semi-final heat two scoring some long nose rides to win easily. Winter (AUS) continued his run of good form surfing the clean lefts on offer in the final taking first place honours, and the 17-year-old showed superior wave selection and ability. Charlie Brown (Gisborne) picked off some great waves to take second place, with Stewart (Whakatane) in third and Matt Craig (Whakatane) in fourth place.
Open Women’s
In the Open Women’s Division semi-finals, the standout surfers were Nava Young (Australia) and 2009 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Women’s Champion Daisy Thomas (Christchurch). With a mix of international and local talent, the women’s final was a real crowd pleaser. Mischa Davis (Piha) showed excellent wave choice surfing out of her skin in the final. Davis (Oratia) is a regular on the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour and was the eventual runner up to Daisy Thomas. Thomas (Christchurch) started the final strong and showed she is a top class competitor, picking off the some solid set waves to win the event. Nava Young (AUS) placed third and Claire Norman (Sydney, AUS) in fourth.
Open Men’s
The Open Men’s semi final was the last round held on Day two and was the climax of the day’s action. With conditions cleaning up in the evening, the large crowd witnessed some of the most explosive surfing seen at a Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour event. In semi-final one, the 2009 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Champion, Michael Burling (Hawkes Bay) picked off some great left handers and belted some vertical turns and on rail cutbacks. Dylan Barnfield (Ohope) scored the wave of the heat pulling a critical ‘hang ten’ followed up by a number of sharp re-entries to secure his spot in the final. The heat of the day was semi-final two featuring former World Champion (2006) Josh Constable (Noosa, AUS) and USA Champion Taylor Jensen (Oceanside, CA). Constable surfed a perfect ten point ride and had the crowd on their feet. A punchy right hander delivered itself to Constable and he started the wave by smashing a vertical re-entry followed by a free fall drop, and a sequence of big turns to the shore. Jensen (CA) also surfed some solid waves linking critical nose rides with big sharp turns.
The final saw two of New Zealand’s best longboarders face off against two of the world’s top professional longboarders. The heat started off with an exchange between Barnfield (Ohope) and Burling (Hawkes Bay). Both surfers locked in long high scoring waves but it was Jensen who dominated the entire final and in the closing minutes he had all surfers combo’d with a total heat score of 19.35 out of a possible 20.
Jensen demolished every wave he surfed, and showed why he has been US Champion three times. Fins free surfing and long nose rides pushed him out in the lead with all surfers requiring complete new wave scores to be in contention. Constable (AUS) had a late charge surfing a perfect ten point ride, linking a perfect hang ten with a fins free waft on the end section. But even with his perfect ten Constable was unable to catch Jensen in the final moments, and as the ocean went flat, the final hooter sounded on what has to be one of the closest finals in Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour history.
This is Jensen’s second Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour victory, winning the 2009 Christchurch event. Constable finished in second place, Burling in third and Barnfield in fourth.
Final results as follows:
Open Men
1st Taylor Jensen (USA), 2nd Josh Constable(AUS), 3rd Michael Burling (HBAY), 4th Dylan Barnfield
Open Women
1st Daisy Thomas (ChCh), 2nd Mischa Davis (Oratia), 3rd Nava Young (AUS), 4th Claire Norman (AUS)
Junior Men
1st Jackson Winter (AUS), 2nd Charlie Brown (GIS), 3rd Joseph Stewart (Whakatane), 4th Matt Craig (Whakatane)
Over 40’s
1st Brendan Young (Hawkes Bay), 2nd Lynden Kennings (Whangamata), 3rd Grant Cochrane (ChCh), 4th Rupert Newbold (Ocean Beach)
Over 50’s
1st Grant Cochrane (ChCh), 2nd Mike Thomson (Raglan), 3rd John Ayton (Sandy Bay), 4th Rupert Newbold (Ocean Beach)
Stand Up Paddleboard
1st Shane Baxter (Dunedin), 2nd Lynden Kennings (Whangamata), 3rd Arnie Armstrong (AKL), 4th Robert Hawkins (Raglan)
The remaining events for the 2010 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour follows:
Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 3, Dunedin – 20th – 21st February
Hyundai National Longboard Championships, Whangamata – 6th – 7th March
Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 5, Port Waikato – 26th – 27th March
Entry into remaining events can be completed at www.surfingnz.co.nz under events. Complete the entry process online or download entry forms and send them in. The 2010 tour is expected to receive high entry levels so entrants will need to be in well before the cut off dates to assure themselves a slice of the action.
Hyundai have been involved with Surfing New Zealand since 2004 and also sponsor the most prestigious event in New Zealand – The Hyundai National Championships.
Press Release: Surfing NZ, Written by Tony Baker Sunday, 07 February 2010