Hyundai National Champs
Presented by Quiksilver

Surfing New Zealand
Piha Beach, Auckland
10 - 17 January 2009

Piha To Host Hyundai National Surfing Championships presented by Quiksilver

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 22 December, 2008 : - - The 2009 Hyundai National Surfing Championships presented by Quiksilver will be staged at Piha Beach, Auckland this January (10th – 17th).  It is 35 years since the event was first staged at Piha in 1974.  The Hyundai National Championships presented by Quiksilver is widely regarded as the most prestigious event in New Zealand with a proud 46 year history.

The event marks the second of six events on the 2008/09 Corona Crown Series and also the second event on the 2009 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour.

Current Open Men’s Champion Jay Quinn (Gis) has signalled he will return to New Zealand to defend the title he won on home turf in January this year.  The win earlier this year was coupled with the Open Men’s Longboard Title – a feat achieved by only two other surfers (Daniel Kereopa (Rag) 2007 and Lynden Kennings (WGM) 1990).

Quinn now holds six national titles in five separate divisions (Under 14, 16, 18, Open and Longboard). Quinn was runner up to older brother Maz at the National Champs when they were last held at Piha in 2004.  Returning to Piha in early 2009 Jay will be out to secure back to back titles and turn the tables on his brother after their 2004 encounter.

Being part of the Corona Crown Series, Bobby Hansen (Gis) will go into the event as the number one seed after winning the first event of the 2008/09 series at his home break of Makorori Beach, Gisborne in November.

Hansen, New Zealand’s highest placed male on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS), missed the Hawaiian leg of the WQS tour late this year after becoming ill while back home briefly after the European leg.  Despite missing the final two events of the year Hansen finished ranked 77th – his highest ever ranking.

Number two seed at the Nationals will be Maz Quinn (Gis).  Maz will be gunning for his fourth Open Men’s title and should he beat Hansen in the event will jump to number one on the Corona Crown Series ratings.

Angie Koops (Kaik) will be back to defend her title in the Open Women’s Division.  Koops, like Jay Quinn, resides on the Gold Coast of Australia.  Koops attends university in Australia where her study programme is orientated around surfing and the surf industry.

In 2008 Koops secured one of two titles for South Island surfers, both of which went to females.  Daisy Thomas (Chch) was the other title winner in the Open Women’s Longboard Division just falling short of the double after being pipped by Koops for first in the final.  Thomas primarily rides a shortboard and was a member of the Quiksilver New Zealand Surfing Team who attended the ISA World Surfing Games in October this year.

The junior divisions of the Hyundai National Champs take on additional pressures in 2009.  This will be the last chance the surfers will get to surf in front of selectors before the New Zealand Junior Team is named to compete at the 2009 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Championships in Ecuador.

With the cancellation of some events in Australia, all eligible team members will be surfing at the Nationals and the eight days could be the make or break of them gaining national honours. The 2009 Hyundai National Championships presented by Quiksilver sees the introduction of two additional divisions – one division for the first time.

Stand up paddle boarding is becoming ever popular as witnessed by the surfers in the line up opting to stand and paddle into waves all over New Zealand.  The increase in popularity has seen the division included in the nationals for the first time in 2009.  While relatively new to many, there is a core group of surfers who have been opting for this form of surfing for over 12 months.  The Piha surf is likely to test the mettle of these surfers with its often powerful beach break conditions.  However, should the conditions be suitable, these surfers will put on an impressive display of surfing.

The Over 55 division also makes a comeback to the Nationals.  The division has not been contested for the past seven years but increased interest from many ‘of age’ surfers has meant a re-introduction.  A good turn out of the old boys is expected with the Nationals being held hot on the heels of the recent 50th Anniversary of the longboard that was staged at South Piha Surf Club in November.

A massive 23 national titles will go up for grabs at the event and there will be well in excess of 300 entries into the Hyundai National Championships presented by Quiksilver.  As well as the premier Open Men’s, Open Women’s and Longboarding Divisions, there will be a further 20 divisions comprising of age groups from Under 14 through to Over 50s and also Kneeboard and Bodyboard disciplines.

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

Open Men
2004 – Maz Quinn (Gis)
2005 – Richard Christie (Gis)
2006 – Maz Quinn (Gis)
2007 – Daniel Kereopa (Rag)
2008 – Jay Quinn (Gis)

Open Women
2004 – Airini Mason (Tara)
2005 – Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2006 – Lisa Hurunui (Gis)
2007 – Wini Paul (Sandy Bay)
2008 – Angie Koops (Kaik)

Junior Men (U/18)
2004 – Nathan Welch (Gis)
2005 – Richard Christie (Gis)
2006 – Kierin Van Der Helder (Rag)
2007 – Paco Divers (Sandy Bay)
2008 – Sean Peggs (Tairua)

Open Longboard
2004 – Michael Fitzharris (Gis)
2005 – Michael Fitzharris (Gis)
2006 – Michael Fitzharris (Gis)
2007 – Daniel Kereopa (Rag)
2008 – Jay Quinn (Gis)

Complete lists of all National Champions are located on the Surfing New Zealand website under History – www.surfingnz.co.nz. File images to accompany this media release are available from Surfing New Zealand upon request and are supplied by New Zealand Surfing Magazine.  The event will be run in association with Lion Rock Boardriders Club.

Surfing New Zealand are proudly partnered by Corona, Hyundai, SPARC, Smokefree

Previous reports:
# 1 : Coming soon
# 2 : Coming soon
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

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