Bobby Hansen – Image Cory / NZ Surfing Magazine
The Export Gold Series – New Zealand’s premier surf series kicked in to action today (Saturday 30th January) hot on the heals of the ISA World Junior Championship. New Zealand’s best surfers got their campaigns underway at the Billabong Pro at Whangamata on the first day of the event.
Whangamata dished up a 1.0m building swell. Cross-shore winds affected surface conditions at times but that didn’t limit the high performance surfing witnessed by everyone at the beach.
The Pacific Blue Highest Heat Score of the event award is currently being held by Raglan’s Luke Cederman for his 14.65 point heat total. The winner after the three days of surfing will take home a return airfare to the East Coast of Australia or the Pacific courtesy of Pacific Blue.
The Billabong Pro is the second of five events on the Export Gold Series.
Round one of the event saw several of the biggest names in New Zealand surfing enter the water including New Zealand’s highest ranked surfer on the World Qualifying Series (WQS) – Bobby Hansen (Gis), 2008 National Champion Jay Quinn (Gis) and 2005 National Champion Richard Christie (Gis/Mahia).
The three surfers didn’t disappoint all progressing through their heats albeit in second place for Christie and Quinn who were beaten by Leon Santorik (Rag) and Coromandel local Matt Groube (Pauanui) respectively.
Bobby Hansen was a different story however locking in 14.60 to win his heat. He posted single wave scores of 7.35 and 7.25 to win his heat.
Hansen is competing in New Zealand throughout summer and hoping to head overseas to compete on the WQS later in the year.
“I haven’t competed for a couple of months, not since the first event of the series actually” said Hansen adding It is not that hard to make the transition into competition mode though, you just have to get out there and surf strong, take it heat by heat and see how it goes.”
Hansen is the defending Billabong Pro champion having taken out the event in 2009 and would love nothing more than to defend his title in the predicted building swell.
“I am just stoked it is not flat like it has been most of summer. The surf was fun out there and it was bigger than last year too. If the swell comes up more then that is all good.”
Local surfers saw some great success in the Under 20 Boys Division. Ryan Heath, Braedon Williams and Blake Myers all progressed through to the quarterfinals which will be contested on Sunday. Other surfers to impress by winning their Under 20 Men’s heats included Paco Divers (Sandy Bay), Sean Peggs (Tairua) and Todd Doyle (Mnt).
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| Daisy Thomas – Image Cory / NZ Surfing Magazine |
Having been thick in the middle of competition for the past ten days, several of the New Zealand Junior Surfing Team members pushed through their early heats with good results. Alexis Poulter (Rag) posted 13.55 points to win her heat ahead of fellow team member Jayda Martin – Fitzharris (Gis). Ben Poulter (Rag), Johnny Hicks (Gis), JC Susan (Mnt), Tane Wallis (Piha) and Blake Myers (WGM) all moved through their heats.
“I caught a couple of good waves out there. It was good coming straight from the worlds to this event because I have been in a competitive environment for the last two weeks” said Poulter.
Poulter will face defending Export Gold Series Champion and current ratings leader Jessica Santorik (Rag) in her next heat as well as local surfer Ella Williams and Rosa Thompson (Auck).
Defending Billabong Pro Women’s Champion Laura Rishworth (Mnt) Daisy Thomas (Chch) and Jessica Santorik were the other heat winners.
The Billabong Girls Get Out There Day was graced by New Zealand’s top surfer Paige Hareb (Tara) who was on site signing autographs and teaching young girls how to surf. Hareb was joined by her good friend, former World Champion (2004) and current World Tour surfer Sofia Mulanovich (PER).
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| Luke Cederman – Image Cory / NZ Surfing Magazine |
Monster Energy Drink had a half pipe at the beach today with skate demos from some of the countries best skaters taking place. Meanwhile Sony had a full promotional tent onsite where the public could test the latest Sony products.
The Billabong Pro is the second of five events on the 2009/10 Export Gold Series. The Export Gold Series wraps up at Piha on the 23rd – 24th of April with the Export Gold Super 16.
Please see below for results from day one of the Billabong Pro held at Whangamata Beach this today (Saturday 30th January).
Open Men’s Round of 64
Heat 1Sam Willis (Mnt), 1, Dune Kennings (Whmata), 2, Tully Farrell (Mnt), 3, Ben Connolly (Tara), 4Heat 2Larry Fisher (Rag), 1, Travis McCoy(Mnt), 2, Ben Poulter (Rag), 3, Nick McRae (Auck), 4Heat 3Matt Groube (Cor), 1, Jay Quinn (Gis), 2, Kierin Van Der Helder (Rag), 3, Jeremy Grainger (Tara), 4Heat 4 Billy Stairmand (Rag), 1, Lee Fleming (Tara), 2, John Lovell (Tara), 3, Geordi Derns (Dun), 4Heat 5 Nick White (Mnt), 1, Dru Adler (Aus), 2, Nick Ferner (Auck), 3, Ben Bennit(Dun), 4Heat 6 Luke Cederman (Rag), 1, Morehu Roberts (Rag), 2, Dan Scott (Whmata), 3, Jamie Andrews (Tara), 4Heat 7Bobby Hansen (Gis), 1, Sean Dillon, 2, Troy Riley (HBay), 3, JC Susan (Auck), 4Heat 8 Leon Santorik (Rag), 1, Richard Christie (Mahia), 2, Andrew Henderson (Auck), 3, Gavin Linnow (Mnt), 4
Open Men’s Round of 48 – Yet to be surfed. (First and second progress to the round of 32 and meet the top seeds)
Heat 1Tim Thompson (Auck), AJ Matthews (Whmata), Billy Stairmand (Rag), Travis McCoy (Mnt)Heat 2Che Whitaker (Gis), Deane Hishon (Rag), Larry Fisher (Rag), Dune Kennings (Whmata)Heat 3Bachelor Tipene (Tara), Matt Hishon (Rag), Matt Groube (Cor), Lee Fleming (Tara)Heat 4Zennor Wernham (Rag), Scott Casey (Auck), Bobby Hansen (Gis), Jay Quinn (Gis)Heat 5Braedon Williams (Whmata), Joe Moretti (Mimiwhangata), Nick White (Mnt), Morehu Roberts (Rag)Heat 6Adam Cranston (Gis), Jacob Kohn (Gis), Luke Cederman (Rag), Dru Adler (Aus)Heat 7Scott Bell (Auck), Blake Myers (Whmata), Bobby Hansen (Gis), Richard Christie (Mahia)Heat 8Tyler Anderson (Tara), Ricky Parker (Whmata), Leon Santorik (Rag), Sean Dillon
Open Women’s Round 1
Heat 1 Daisy Thomas (ChCh), 1, Ella Williams (Whmata), 2, Grace Spiers (Whmata), 3, Angie Koops (Kaik), 4Heat 2Jessica Santorik (Rag), 1, Kelly Clarkson (Rag), 1, Marguerite Vujich (Napier), 3, Mischa Davis (Auck), N/SHeat 3Laura Rishworth (Mnt), 1, Rosa Thompson (Auck), 2, Thandi Durham – Tipene (Tara), 3, Danielle Clayton (Auck), 4Heat 4Alexis Poulter (Rag), 1, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 2, Nicola Colson-Koster (Auck), 3, Rachel von Zalinski (Auck), 4
Press Release Surfing NZ: Written by Ben Kennings Saturday, 30 January 2010