Who's the best Kiwi? Nationals finds out

Hyundai National Surfing Championships

Surfing New Zealand 
Piha Beach, Auckland
13 - 19 January 2013

Home Waters To Advantage Auckland Surfers

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 11 January, 2013 : - - Auckland will celebrate hosting the 2013 Hyundai National Championships for the tenth year in the events' 51 year history when the event kicks off on Sunday and home waves are set to give the region's best surfers a major advantage over their counterparts.

The event will take place at the south end of Piha Beach from the 13th - 19th January. Surfers from throughout New Zealand are gearing up for the event and will compete in 25 divisions comprising all age groups and disciplines.

Auckland surfers will make up a quarter of the field of over 200 surfers. When the event was last held at Piha in 2012, the home town advantage saw a third (seven in total) of all titles contested awarded to surfers from the region.

However the most prestigious titles, being the Open Men's and Women's Divisions, went south of the Bombay Hills with Raglan's Billy Stairmand winning the Open Men's Division and Taranaki surfer Thandi Durham - Tipene winning the Women's Division.

This year New Plymouth will again have strong representation led by Durham - Tipene and the defence of her title. Bay of Plenty is another strongly represented region that will hope to take home some silverware after leaving empty handed in 2012.

The South Island will be represented by a strong team of surfers from Christchurch that will want to take home more than the one title they won in 2012 through stand up paddleboarder Shayne Baxter.

Not to be discounted will be the efforts of the smaller regions such as the Coromandel who claimed three titles in 2012 as did surfing stronghold Gisborne.

The Gisborne region continues to pump out quality surfers and this year will be no different as they head into this event. A whopping 65 titles are shared between the likes of the Quinn brothers (Maz (4) and Jay (8), Richard Christie (6), Johnny Hicks (1), Daniel Procter (4), John Gisby (33), Michael Fitzharris (8) and Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (1).

Two times and defending Open Men's Champion, Billy Stairmand, will be hunted down by New Zealand's best surfers whom have entered the event. Jay Quinn, who recently finished competing at an international level as New Zealand's highest ranked surfer (77th), has flown back from Australia where he currently resides.

He along with Richard Christie who also competed part time internationally in 2012 will be massive threats. Coupled with those three surfers are Matt Hewitt (Mnt), Alex Dive (Mnt) and Johnny Hicks, three surfers that are starting their international careers. Any of the six surfers are highly capable of winning the event and for those going on to compete internationally this year, it would provide a huge boost to their confidence.

In the Open Women's Division Durham - Tipene's defence of the title will be challenged by youth with Ella Williams (WGM), Jayda Martin - Fitzharris and Auckland's Sansom twins, Bianca and Gabriela all well prepared for the week of competition ahead.

The surf is expected to be around the 2.0m mark and decreasing on the first day of the event. Competition will kick off at 8:00am on Sunday 13th January.

Set out below are the winners of key divisions for the past five years.

Open Men
2008 - Jay Quinn (Gis)
2009 - Matt Hewitt (Mnt)
2010 - Billy Stairmand (Rag)
2011 - Jay Quinn (Gis)
2012 - Billy Stairmand (Rag)

Open Women
2008 - Angie Koops (Kaik)
2009 - Daisy Thomas (Chch)
2010 - Laura Rishworth (Mnt)
2011 - Airini Mason (Chch)
2012 - Thandi Durham (Tara)

Junior Men (U/18)
2008 - Sean Peggs (Tairua)
2009 - Ryan Hawker (Piha)
2010 - Johnny Hicks (Gis)
2011 - Ben Poulter (Rag)
2012 - Tane Wallis (Auck)

Longboard
2008 - Jay Quinn (Gis)
2009 - Daniel Proctor (Gis)
2010 - Dylan Barnfield (Ohope)
2011 - Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck)
2012 - Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck)

www.surfingnz.co.nz

Source: Surfing New Zealand

Author: Ben Kennings

Tags: National Champs, Hyundai, New Zealand

Contests: Surfersvillage