New Zealand Surf Champs Day 7:
Maz Quinn is the new national surfing champion after the final day of
competition at the Pulsate Surfing NZ National Champs today (Thursday).
Event organisers originally planned to hold finals over Thursday and Friday
but memories of 1992, when the finals were postponed until Easter due to
flat conditions, convinced decision-makers to complete all 20 finals in one
day. A 1-metre south swell had risen overnight and Makarori, just north of
Okitu, provided very contestable waves despite an afternoon sea breeze.
In the Pulsate Open final, Gisborne surfers Maz Quinn and Chris Malone went
wave for wave in the first half of the heat, Malone having the slight edge.
Just after halfway through the 25-minute final Quinn scored an 8-point ride
to take lead after a series of powerful turns on a punchy wave. Quinn never
looked back, gradually extending his score to finish on 22.25 points.
Raglan's Daniel Kereopa began a comeback in the last 10 minutes, scoring 8
on another solid left-hander to move into second on a tie break over Malone.
Blair Stewart (Gisborne) struggled to find quality waves throughout the
final, finishing in fourth. The win is Quinn's ninth consecutive victory in
New Zealand waters.
Top seed and Gisborne local Lisa Hurunui was the dominant winner of the Hot
Tuna Open Women division, surfing in control to beat Michelle Langdon (Mt.
Maunganui) into second. Holly Quinn, who had earlier won the Hot Tuna Junior
Women's division, placed third and 1994 champion Heidi Shanks was fourth.
Bobby Hanson well and truly confirmed his status and New Zealand's best
14-year-old surfer in the finals of the Billabong Cadet (U16) and Pulsate
Junior (U18) divisions. In the younger age group, Hanson blazed every wave
to take the highest heat score of the contest. Hanson scored a perfect
10-point ride, a 9.5 and backed up with a 7.5 to total 27 points. The next
highest score was his quarterfinal effort of 26 points in the quarterfinal
round earlier in the week. Second place was closely fought over with
Christchurch's Llewellyn Thomas just beating Ben Hawker(Auckland) and
Thomas Poulsen (Gisborne) to the runner-up position.
Hanson was not so lucky in the Pulsate Junior division, placing second just
0.5 behind Dunedin's Danny Carse. Carse headed out to an early lead that he
never relinquished. Hanson made a comeback in the last five minutes, needing
5.75 on his last wave but only scoring 5.25. Top seed Simon Deken (Taranaki)
also started slowly but could not gain enough momentum to place better than
third. Underdog Gisborne surfer Simon Thomas may have felt the pressure of
his first national level final, placing fourth with 12.75 points.
Earlier in the day Gisborne legend John Gisbyhad extended his record of
national titles, winning the Action Surf Veterans (40+) and Surf Tubes
Grandmasters divisions (45+). Gisby comfortably won both events, beating Rod
Welch in the veterans and Graham Breckell (both of Gisborne) in the
grandmasters.
— Shaydar Edelmann, BoarderZone.com Staff
