The Lion Red South Island Champs

SNZ Lion Red Pro Surfing Tour
Dunedin, New Zealand
25 - 27 March 2005

SOUTH ISLAND’S EARNSHAW TAKES OUT LION RED SOUTH ISLAND CHAMPS.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 27 March 2005: - - Greymouth surfer Jai Earnshaw won the Lion Red South Island Surfing Championships today (Sunday) during a tight final held in ideal 1.5m-2m surf conditions at St Clair beach, edging out defending champion Nat Parsons of Kaikoura by just 0.03 points.

Raglan’s Leon Santorik lead for much of the heat, until the last 5 minutes, when the other three each caught high scoring waves from one set which Santorik missed out on.

Aside from the committed powerhouse surfing of Earnshaw and Parsons, (the latter also the current Otago Surfing Champ) much of Sunday’s attention was focused on 13-y-o Ryan Hawker of Piha.

Hawker won through to four quarter finals, three semi finals and two finals berths, eventually winning both the Quarry Beach/Boardbase Cadets Under16 and Void Clothing Under 14 Groms Divisions.

There was no doubt for spectators that had Hawker made the Open and Junior finals he would have had a credible chance of upsetting some of the country’s leading surfers, displaying excellent wave choice, positioning and executing difficult manourvers with consistency and determination far beyond his years.

At just 13 Hawker appears to be leading the charge of the latest generation of young “grommet” surfers. Hawker was ousted from the Junior Division by Raglan surfer Luke Hughes, who went on to win the final, whose highest two scoring waves in the earlier semi final combined for a competition high of 19.3 out of a possible 20 points.

The ideal 1.5m-2m swell with offshore winds and incoming tide at St Clair Beach wiped the weather slate clean for the 110 competitors from around the country who had all endured a dismal first day of drizzling easterlies and the second days biting southerlies in unruly but powerful 1m-2m south swells.

In the Esplanade Restaurant Open Women’s, Paige Hareb (Tara) was winning most of way, until Angie Koops (Kaik) snared a long left hand wave minutes before the end of the final to win.

In Hydro Surf Juniors Under 18 surfer Luke Hughes (Rag), who had scored the perfect 10 pointer for one wave in his semifinal, went on to dominate throughout the final, and Hugo Phillips (Ak), Dylan Wood (Chch) and Sam Dunfoy (Dun) were unsuccessful in attempting to catch up.

FINALS RESULTS (Sunday 27th March)

LION RED SOUTH ISLAND CHAMPS OPENS MENS
1) Jai Earnshaw (Greymouth)
2) Nat Parsons (Kaik)
3) Hayden Brain (Chch)
4) Leon Santorik (Raglan)

Esplanade Restaurant Open Women’s
1) Angie Koops (Kaik)
2) Pae Pou (Southland)
3) Paige Hareb (Tara)
4) Kate Blair (Chch)

Hydro Surf Juniors Under 18
1) Luke Hughes (Rag)
2) Hugo Phillips (Ak)
3) Dylan Wood (Chch)
4) Sam Dunfoy (Dn)

R&R Sport Seniors 28+ (Brothers share 1-2)
1) Manu Schaffer (Chch)
2) Tony Schaffer (Chch)
3) Lee Morris (Chch)
4) Johnny Fenton (Karamea)

Positive Pics Masters 35+
1) Tony Schaffer (Chch)
2) Neil Robb (Chch)
3) Lee Morris (Chch)
4) Richard Baxter (Kaik)

Combined Quarry Beach Surfboards & Boardbase Cadets Under 16
1) Ryan Hawker (Ak)
2) Dylan Wood (Chch)
3) Levi O’Connor (Kaik)
4) Brad Perana (Chch)

Harrow Motor Body Malibu
1) Dale Finlayson (Dn)
2) Lewellyn Thomas (Chch)
3) Glen Schuker (Chch)
4) Mark Perana (Chch)

The Waterloo Hotel Body Board
1) Aaron Locke (Chch)
2) Paul McLennan-Kessel (Dn)
3) Brad Perana (Chch)
4) Robbie Burns (Dn)

Void Clothing Groms Under 14
1) Ryan Hawker (Ak)
2) Leroy Rust (Dn)
3) Tom Bracegirdle (Dn)
4) Cody McCusker (Chch)

Day two sees Lion Red South Island Surf Champs complete 1/4 finals.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 26 March 2005: - - A large unruly more than 2m South swell tested the mettle of all competitors during at day two of the Lion Red South Island Surf Champs, at St Clair Beach, Dunedin, today (26 March)

Following six hours of surfing between 9am and 3pm, the prestigious Lion Red Open Men’s Division was pared down to two semi-finals, with three North Islanders vying against five South Islanders for the coveted title - including last years winner Nat Parsons of Kaikoura.

Good Friday’s easterlies and driving drizzle, accompanied a small but powerful 1m swell, were replaced overnight with a stiff southerly breeze on Saturday, bringing with it a building 2m-plus swell.

Pre-dawn checks of north coast beaches proved fruitless with barely a 0.5m swell in evidence and a falling tide. Surfing began at 9am at St Clair, in a mixed and messy swell pushing competitors to the limit with long paddle outs for very unpredictable peaks. The incoming tide later offered some respite for junior divisions able to capitalise on waves reforming closer to shore.

Head Judge Mark Perana said the skill of experienced surfer shone through in the challenging conditions, with sudden late-takeoffs and steep drops popping up on the unruly peaks.

“They were making it look good. There were big sets well over two metres and everyone had to work [paddling] or they were out. Simple,” he said.

In the Lion Red Open Men’s quarterfinals Nat Parsons (Kaik) and Wiremu Bowers-Rakatau (Gt Barrier) ousted southern hopefuls Tony Schaffer (Chch) and Maru Pou (Southland) for semi-final spots on Sunday.

Hayden Brain (Chch) and Dunedin’s Felix Dickson, the latter last years second place getter in the Open division, progressed to semi-spots as did Raglan-based surfer Leon Santorik and Auckland’s Luke Harwood, the latter duo at the expense of Danny Carse (Dun) and Nat Day (Tara). The final pair to advance are Maru Schaffer (Chch) and West Coaster Jai Earnshaw.

In the Esplanade Restaurant Open Women’s, whose first place prize money has been doubled to $600, top women’s seed Paige Hareb (Tara) progressed to a semi one berth for Sunday, alongside Pae Pou (Southland) and Hannah Phillips (Chch).

For the Women’s Semi two on Sunday, southern favourite Nicola Jones, who is currently heading the South Island Surfing Assc Womens Circuit, is joined by Kate Blair (Chch) and Angie Koops (Kaik).

Ryan Hawker (13) (Piha) impressed judges in two of three divisions he entered, scoring a credible highest score for the day with a total 16.6 from two waves out of a possible 20 points in the Void Clothing Groms Under 14 Division. While dipping out in earlier rounds in the Lion Red Open, Hawker remains well in contention in the Quarry Beach Surfboards & Boardbase Cadets Under 16, surfing in one of two semis, which includes Luke Hughes (Raglan) and Lyndon Hutton (Dunedin).

Late today (Sat) there was still talk of north westerly winds arriving on Sunday and a report of 3m swell pushing northward from Foveaux Strait fishermen.

Day one of the Lion Red South Island Surf Champs tough on top seeds.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 25 March 2005: - - Day one of the Lion Red South Island Surf Champs, at St Clair Beach, Dunedin, saw many top seeds taken out in the first round of the Open Men’s, falling to a succession of mainly southern wins. The 2nd seed Justin Souter (Mt Maunganui), 7th seed Luke Hughes (Raglan) and 8th seed Tom Poulsen (Whangarei) all had quick first-round exits.

In spite of the bleak easterly conditions and all day rain, the surf ranged through the tides from 3ft-4ft (more than 1 m), producing heavy-breaking and shifting peaks at St Clair beach. 24 first round heats were run, plus three elimination trials, between 8am and 5pm to push through the majority of Open Men’s and Junior Men’s heats on Friday (today).

Beach-side conditions may have been some of the worst seen in Dunedin for several years, but the high standard of surfing on the powerful but unpredictable beach break more than made up the discomforting drizzle, organisers said.

Christchurch-based 4th seed Llewellyn Thomas, at present the leader of the South Island Surfing Association Circuit, fell in the first round of the Open Men’s to one of the best scoring waves of the day, a more than 9.0 score by John Klevstul (Muriwai).

Progressing through to Saturday's Open Men’s quarter finals is Danny Carse (Dunedin) whose earlier heats included the highest scoring wave and barrel of the day earning him an impressive 9.5 points from one wave. Joining Carse in several of the Open Men’s semis (on Sat) are Leon Santorik (Raglan), Nat Parsons (Kaik), Tony Schafer (Chch), Hayden Brain (Chch) and Dunedin's Lyndon Hutton and Felix Dickson.

Surfers are scheduled to meet at St Clair beach at 7am on Sat, to decide where the event will be run, and to be in the water by about 8am. The weather forecast remains highly variable, but many are picking a south-west change, possibly followed by north-west change on Sunday.

Surfing on Sat includes 3 heats each of the Masters, Women’s, Cadets, U-14 Groms, 4 Malibu heats, the last 4 first-round heats of the Men’s Open and semi-finals of Bodyboard, Juniors U 18 and Seniors. As an "all conditions" three-day event, there will be a total 47 heats, semis and finals run during Saturday and Sunday, with finals expected to run from about noon to 5pm on the Sunday. First choice is St Clair beach, but conditions will determine the venue.

More than 110 entries were received for the annual Lion Red South Island Surfing Champs from competitors from around the country, many travelling from the upper North Island to try for crucial points in the first competition in this years Lion Red Pro Surf Tour (This is Dunedin's inaugural inclusion to the already established Surfing New Zealand circuit)

Top New Zealand surfer Daniel Kereopa (Raglan) did not enter while Maz Quinn (Gisborne) arrived too late at the beach to join his first-round heat which had just entered the water.

For more information on the event please contact Simon Hartley (03) 455 7797 or email simonsniff@xtra.co.nz  Alternatively contact Ben Kennings at Surfing New Zealand on 0274 787369 or email - benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz .

The 2005 Lion Red South Island Champs are proudly supported by Lion Red, Void, R & R Sport, Hydro Surf, Stevenson and Williams Builders, Boardbase, Harrow Panel Beaters, Anderson Lloyd and Caudwell, Sonia Clyne House of Travel, Stewarts Coffee, The Waterloo Hotel, Quarry Beach Surfboards and Blue Water Products.

The event would be not possible without the support of Surfing New Zealand and South Coast Boardriders.

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Ben Kennings
benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz

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