Hyundai Pro Longboards

Surfing New Zealand
Port Waikato
18 - 19 February 2006

THREE IN A ROW FOR FITZHARRIS

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 19 February, 2006 : - - As quick as the challengers emerged on Day one of the Port Waikato Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour event just as quickly did they disappear on the finals day.  Michael Fitzharris (Gis) stormed to yet another victory in the Open Men’s Division to take his third win in a row in the six event series. 

Fitzharris took a while to get going in the final not surfing a wave for the first five minutes.  However when the 1.0m – 1.5m waves did come his way, he shredded them to bits, firstly scoring 8.25 and then an excellent 9.0 point ride to secure the win.  Fitzharris made seamless work of mixing his modern day big re entries and foam climbs with the more traditional nose riding as he worked the waves through the mid section before ending with another flurry of radical turns. 

It was Daniel Kereopa (Rag) and Michael Burling (Auck) that took the early lead in the final riding two waves each before Fitzharris had ridden his first.  Both surfers powerful in stature smashed the lip all the way to the beach as well as performing big round house cutbacks to get back to the source of the wave.  Kereopa opened his account with an 8.0 point ride and surfed a further three waves in the 7.0 point range for a two wave total of 15.95.  Burling in a similar position rode several 7.0 point rides to score a two wave total of 14.5 to place third behind runner up Kereopa.  However their surfing did not match up to the Fitzharris combination of traditional and modern. 

Kelly Ryan (Gis) had a slow final but surfed two good waves of 6.50 and 6.30 for a 12.80 total in his first final of the year.  Earlier Fitzharris and Burling eliminated Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck) while Kereopa and Ryan eliminated Brendon Young (H Bay). 

Michael Fitzharris : photo Al Ashworth

The Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour is now half way through the six event series with the next stop being the five star rated ‘V’ South Island Longboard Pro Am on the 17th – 18th March.  Official ratings after event three have yet to be released but Michael Fitzharris will remain out in front in the Open Men’s Division while Kereopa has kept any slim chance of his title challenge alive with his second placing. 

Hawkes Bay ensured they took at least one title home with Brendon Young winning the highly competitive Over 40s division.  Young scored 15.25 in the final to take a comfortable victory ahead of Mangawhai’s Dave Ivory.  Young had a highest wave of 8.0 which ensured his win.  Ivory, in second, scored 12.90 to beat Mike Thompson (Rag) into third and Gisbrone’s Tommy Swann in fourth. 

Barnstorming Dylan Barnfield was unstoppable in the Juniors blowing away the field with a total heat score of 17.15.  Barnfield mixed the old with the new to maximize his scoring potential and the judges rewarded him accordingly with a near perfect 9.25 point high scoring ride.  The young surfer clearly has natural talent that will see him go along way both in New Zealand and overseas.  Wellington’s Kirk Beyer tried valiantly to keep up with the runaway leader riding waves of 7.3 and 7.15 for his top two scoring rides but was no match on what seemed to be Barnfield’s day.  Young Sam Guthrie (Mnt) placed third ahead of Jeremy Parker (Auck) in fourth. 

Daniel Kereopa : photo Al Ashworth

A final flurry of waves in the Women’s division totally changed the lay of the land as ‘mother of the ocean’ Pauline Pullman (Sandy Bay) surged from third to first to take the win in the last 30 seconds.  Pullman scored the finals highest scoring wave of 7.75 (12.55 total heat score) on her last wave and it was enough to get one back over her daughter Wini Paul (Sandy Bay) who ended up moving from first to third.  In second was Anna Jolly (Piha Beach) who looked to have taken the win before Pullman snuck in the back door. Josephine Moore (Mur) placed fourth with a 9.65 total. 

David Stork entered three divisions at the event so it was odds on that he would succeed somewhere along the line provided his surfing came through for him and it did in the Over 50s final.  Stork’s first two waves of 7.0 and 5.5 were enough to hold onto first place in the final.  Stork smashed several big turns on his best wave getting most of his nine foot of his board well up above the lip.  Ocean Beach surfer Viv Tracey put up the biggest fight of the remaining three finalists but his last wave was not enough.  He managed to tuck into a rare little tube ride to score 6.15 just under the required 6.26 for second.  An in form Paul Browne (Auck) couldn’t find the best waves in the final and had to settle for third ahead of Barry Agnew (Auck). 

Full results from the Port Waikato leg of the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour are set out below. 

Hyundai Open Men Longboard Quarter finals
Heat one: Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 1, Michael Burling (Auck), 2, Lee Ryan (Dun), 3, Matt Gillespie (Auck), 4
Heat two: Kelly Ryan (Gis), 1, Tom Kibblewhite (Auck), 2, Mathew Cockayne (Mgwhai), 3, Paul Culpan (Auck), 4
Heat three: Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 1, Brendon Young (Hbay), 2, Dylan Barnfield (Ohpe), 3, Jan Redfern (Auck), 4

Hyundai Open Men Longboard Semi Finals
Heat one; Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 1, Michael Burling (Auck), 2, Tom Kibblewhite (Auck), 3
Heat two; Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 1, Kelly Ryan (Gis), 2, Brendon Young (Hbay), 3 

Hyundai Open Men Longboard Final
Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 1, Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 2, Michael Burling (Auck), 3, Kelly Ryan (Gis), 4 

Hyundai Over 40's Semi Finals 
Heat one; Brendon Young (H Bay), 1, Dave Ivory (Mngwhai), 2, Richard Dorahy (Whangarei), 3, Bill Neal (Rag), 4
Heat two; Mike Thomson (Raglan), 1, Tommy Swan (Gis), 2, Al Ashworth (Auckland), 3, Roger Hall (Bream Bay), 4

Hyundai Over 40's Final
Brendon Young (H Bay), 1, Dave Ivory (Mngwhai), 2, Mike Thomson (Raglan), 3, Tommy Swan (Gis), 4

Hyundai Over 50's Semi Finals 
Heat one; Paul Browne (Auck), 1, Barry Agnew (Auck), 2, Ian Parker (Auck), 3, Mal Eggington (Whgrei), 4
Heat two; Viv Treacy (Ocn Bch), 1, David Storck (Auckland), 2, Brin Standeaven (Auck), 3, Hobie (Rag), n/s 

Hyundai Over 50's Final
David Storck (Auckland), 1, Viv Treacy (Ocn Bch), 2, Paul Browne (Auck), 3, Barry Agnew (Auck), 4

Hyundai Women Semi Finals
Heat one; Wini Paul (Sandy Bay), 1, Anna Jolly (Piha), 2, Shelly Jones (Auck), 3
Heat two; Pauline Pullman (NCB), 1, Josephine Moore (Mur), 2, Olivia Arca (NCB), 3, Sheeren Lobb (Port Wai), 4

Hyundai Women Final
Pauline Pullman (NCB), 1, Anna Jolly (Piha), 2, Wini Paul (Sandy Bay), 3, Josephine Moore (Mur), 4

Hyundai Junior Semi Finals
Heat one; Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), 1, Jeremy Parker (Auck), 2, Warren McKenzie (H-Bay), 3, John Cosgrove (Auck), 4
Heat two; Kirk Beyer (Wgtn), 1, Sam Guthrie (Mnt), 2, Eli Barnfield (Ohope), 3, Duncan Cameron (Mnt), n/s 

Hyundai Junior Final
Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), 1, Kirk Beyer (Wgtn), 2, Sam Guthrie (Mnt), 3, Jeremy Parker (Auck), 4

The 2006 Northland Longboard Classic is proudly sponsored by Hyundai. The event would be not possible without the support of Surfing New Zealand and North Coast Boardriders.

Event dates for the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour:

- Hyundai National Surfing Championships,
  Northland – 7th – 14th January
- Northland Longboard Classic in association with Hyundai,
  Sandy Bay – 4th – 5th February
- Hyundai Pro Longboard,
  Port Waikato – 18th – 19th February
- “V” South Island International Longboard Pro-Am in association with Hyundai, 
  Kaikoura – 17th – 19th March
- Hyundai Pro Longboard,
  Mount Maunganui – 25th – 26th March
- Hyundai Pro Longboard,
  Gisborne – 13th – 14th May

Surfing New Zealand are proudly partnered by Hyundai, Lion Red, Vodafone, SPARC, Smoke, Freentin Drain.

www.surfingnz.co.nz

Previous reports:
# 1 : Hyundai sponsors new Pro Longboard NZ Tour 2006 
# 2 : Port Waikato hosts Hyundai Pro Longboard event #3
# 3 : Challengers emerge at Day 1 of Hyundai Longboards 

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Ben Kennings

Longboard Contests - Surfersvillage