Media Release: Surfing NZ. Written by Ben Kennings. Saturday, 19 January 2013
Armie Armstrong (Raglan) defended his title in the Stand Up Paddleboard Race claiming an emphatic win at the 2013 Hyundai National Surfing Championships completed at Piha on Saturday. The sizey waves played havoc with the race as they navigated the shore-break, many unsuccessfully. Armstrong was followed by the sole female contesting the race, Annabel Anderson of Queenstown. Daniel Kereopa (Raglan) placed third in the race ahead of Shayne Baxter (Chch) in fourth.
And Gisborne’s Jay Quinn claimed his third national title today (Saturday 19thJanuary) winning the Open Men’s Division. In testing 1.5m – 2.0m waves, Quinn won out over his older brother Maz in what ultimately ended up in a low but tight scoring 25 minute final.
Quinn finished with a 13.17 point heat total after opening up with a near perfect 9.33 point ride in the first minute.
“I couldn’t hear a thing out there, I knew it was a decent wave but it was right at the beginning of the heat and I thought I could back it up but that it is the way it goes and I couldn’t” said Quinn of the 9.33 point ride at the start of the final.
Older brother Maz worked away in the middle of the beach getting within reach of Jay scoring a 6.50 point ride midway through the final. It left him searching for a 6.68 point ride for the last ten minutes.
“I thought Maz might have snuck down into the middle of the beach and got something but thankfully he didn’t” said Jay Quinn.
It is Quinn’s third Open Men’s Division title after winning his first in 2008 at home in Gisborne and then again two years later at Dunedin. His third title puts him one behind Maz who has won four dating back to 1996.
Despite the win, the desire to compete internationally has not come into the equation for Jay who now resides in Australia. “I have been travelling and competing all my life. I am now happily married with a young grom and loving just surfing and not travelling at the moment. I will do some events in Australia but apart from that I will leave it up to the young guys like Bilbo (Billy Stairmand).
Maz Quinn finished the final with an 11.50 point heat total after two opportunities in the last five minutes of the final netted him scores of 4.53 and 5.0 points, short of the 6.68 points required for the title.
Placing third was Sean Peggs (Tairua), contesting his first national final. Peggs was in fine form all event until the final where he simply could not find the right haves to unleash his sharp forehand attack that got him to the last day of the event. He finished with a 9.60 point heat total ahead of Chris Malone (Gis) in fourth on 8.73 points.
Mischa Davis (Piha) claimed Piha’s seventh title of the event in the Open Women’s Division. Davis was the underdog of the final and she herself said it was ironic that she won given she now focusses on her longboard surfing. “I guess I am not taking shortboarding so seriously anymore, it is nice to get a title in the bag but maybe a bit ironic now that I am more of a longboarder” commented Davis of her win.
Despite being the underdog, Davis has excelled at several Piha events in the past, just not the National Champs but the title today and the Women’s Longboard Division title that she claimed on Thursday are a result of the confidence she has in surfing her local break and everything coming together throughout the week.
Whangamata surfer Ella Williams placed second in the final after scoring the highest single wave score of the four surfers. Williams posted a 5.27 point ride but the tricky conditions only allowed Williams one other wave, a lowly 1.7 point ride leaving her requiring a 3.44 point wave for the win and a nation al title.
Raglan’s Alexis Poulter finished the final in third place ahead of defending champion Thandi Durham – Tipene (Tara) in fourth.
Elliot Paerata – Reid stole the show in the Under 18 Boys Division. Paerata – Reid left nothing to chance as he attacked two massive waves in the final. Although only completing single manoeuvres, the commitment to both waves, one each on his forehand and backhand was enough for scores of 7.43 6.83 and a 14.26 point heat total.
“I just swung for that right hander at the start and I thought it was going to offer me a couple of turns but in the end it was only one big turn. It was the same on my first wave too” said Paerata – Reid.
“I surf this place every day of my life exactly like it is today so I know where to sit and what waves to get” added Paerata – Reid of his confidence in surfing Piha Beach.
Waretini Wano, also from Piha, placed runner up in the final ahead of Jules Craft (Gis) in third and Sean Kettle (Tara) in fourth.
Gisborne claimed a title in the Longboard Division with Daniel Procter coming from behind to win the final. Procter, who won his only other national title at Piha in 2009, left his run until his last two waves which scored 6.17 and 5.43 respectively. An emotional Procter fell to the sand when the results were announced. “Just so happy, especially because three of my good mates were in there, it is hard competing against them but winning a national title is everything.”
Placing second was local surfer Tane Wallis ahead of Ant McColl (Mnt) in third and Matt Cockayne (Auck) in fourth.
Procter has now won the first two events of the 2013 Hyundai Tour and takes a commanding lead going into the third event to be held in two weeks’ time at Sandy Bay, Whangarei.
Korbin Hutchings (Gis) dominated the Under 16 Boys Final from start to finish posting a 13.84 point heat total. The Australian based surfer rode two great waves down the Piha Bar allowing him to link up multiple turns for a 13.83 point heat total. Christchurch surfer Harrison Whiteside challenged Hutchings for the lead on occasions riding big single manoeuvres waves eventually finishing with a 12.2 point heat total. Twelve year old Kehu Butler (Mnt) placed third ahead of Taylor Hutchison (Rag) in fourth.
Earlier in the day the senior divisions from the Over 28s through to the Over 45s were contested. Bachelor Tipene (Tara) claimed the Over 28 Men’s Division while Maz Quinn (Gis) claimed his first senior division title in the Over 35 Men’s. In the Over 40 Men’s Division it was a crowd pleasing title that went to Shaun Coffey (Auck) with Michael Fitzharris (Gis) claiming Gisborne’s 100th title in the events 51 year history.
See below for final results from the Hyundai National Surfing Championships completed at Piha Beach, Auckland today (Saturday 19th January).
Open Men’s Semifinals
Heat 1
Sean Peggs (Tairua), 15.5, 1, Jay Quinn (Gis), 14.17, 2, Keone Campbell (Tara), 10.73, 3, Billy Stairmand (Rag), 9.97, 4
Heat 2
Chris Malone (Gis), 14.73, 1, Maz Quinn (Gis), 13.2, 2, Leon Santorik (Rag), 10.2, 3, Sean Kettle (Tara), 10, 4
Open Men’s Finals
Jay Quinn (Gis), 13.17, 1, Maz Quinn (Gis), 11.50, 2, Sean Peggs (Tairua), 9.60, 3, Chris Malone (Gis), 8.73, 4
Open Women’s Final
Mischa Davis (Auck), 8.7, 1, Ella Williams (Whmata), 6.97, 2, Alexis Poulter (Rag), 5.5, 3, Thandi Tipene (Tara), 5.17, 4
Under 18 Boys Final
Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha), 14.3, 1, Waretini Wano (Piha), 10.5, 2, Jules Craft (Gis), 10.2, 3, Sean Kettle (Tara), 6.23, 4
Under 18 Girls Final
Jasmine Smith (Gis), 13.7, 1, Ella Williams (Whmata), 7.27, 2, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 6.1, 3, Bianca Sansom (Auck), 3.93, 4
Under 16 Boys Final
Korbin Hutchings (Gis), 13.83, 1, Harrison Whiteside (ChCh), 12, 2, Kehu Butler (Arataki), 10.13, 3, Taylor Hutchison (Rag), 7.3, 4
Men’s Longboard Final
Daniel Proctor (Gis), 11.6, 1, Ant Mccoll (Mnt), 8.17, 2, Tane Wallis (Piha), 8.1, 3, Matt Cockayne (Mngwhai), 7.27, 4
Over 28 Men’s Final
Bachelor Tipene (Tara), 12.38, 1, Jarred Hancox (Tara), 11.4, 2, Jamie Andrews (Tara), 9.07, 3, Kayne Duncan (Port Waikato), 6.03, 4
Over 35 Men’s Final
Maz Quinn (Gis), 13.3, 1, Marc Moore (Rag), 8.13, 2, Ben Kennings (Whmata), 6.4, 3, Geoff Hutchison (Rag), 2.73, 4
Over 40 Men’s Final
Shaun Coffey (Tara), 11.9, 1, Glenn Marsom (Auck), 7.67, 2, Mike Christiansen (ChCh), 7.2, 3, Rick Lasch (Auck), 7.17, 4
Over 45 Men’s Final
Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 6.7, 1, Rick Lasch (Piha), 5.18, 2, Tui Eves (Piha), 4.87, 3, Andrew Mann (Auck), 2, 4
Stand Up Paddleboard Race
1, Armie Armstrong (Rag), 2, Annabel Anderson (Qtown), 3, Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 4, Shayne Baxter (Chch)
A complete list of all National Champions are located on the Surfing New Zealand website under History.
Further Information
For further information on the 2013 Hyundai National Championships please contact Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.