Hyundai National Champs
Presented by Quiksilver

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

Defending Champion Gets Off to Flying Start

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 13 January, 2009 : - - Defending National Women’s Champion Angie Koops of Kaikoura survived an intense first round encounter today and moved through to the semfinals of the Hyundai National Surfing Championships presented by Quiksilver in a bid to defend her title. 

It was the first day of the event that the Women’s Divisions has been contested at the event.  Koops was joined by fellow South Island surfer Daisy Thomas (Chch) as the two standouts in the division. Day four of the event was played out in average conditions with only 1.0m waves on offer at best and the first day of sou westerly winds since the event commenced at Piha Beach, Auckland.

Koops had a heat filled with talent that included current Corona Crown Series champion and local surfer Mischa Davis as well as 2005 National Champion and New Zealand representative Jessica Santorik (Rag) and up and coming surfer Ella Williams (WGM).

Despite the tough competition Koops dominated the heat to post a score of 13.0 in her heat to leave her counterparts requiring big scores to challenge her lead.  The small righthanders on offer played into her hands with all three other surfers having to surf on their backhand.

Santorik moved into second on her last wave of the heat moments before the final hooter sounded and together with Koops they eliminated Corona Crown Series Champion Davis and young Williams.

Koops was surprised at her first round match up “Yeah, pretty tough to start off with I thought” commented Koops of the heat.  “All good though, you have to surf your own waves and treat the other competitors as just colours” added Koops referring to the coloured competition vest each surfer wears.

Koops is based in Australia studying at a University where her course revolves around surfing and sport.  Obviously that has continued to develop her surfing and her approach to competition “I have been doing heaps of training in Aussie, heaps of comp training. 

I have learnt a few new competitive strategies and am hoping to put them into practice and defend the title – that’s the plan anyway… I wouldn’t be here if I was aiming for anything less”.

Christchurch surfer Daisy Thomas surfed to the highest heat score of the round posting 16.5 points out of a possible 20.  Thomas is only recently back from an extended stay in Europe after representing New Zealand at the World Surfing Games in October. 

Since returning Thomas competed at, and won, the first event of the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour held at Mount Maunganui in early January.  Thomas’ performance today reflected the continual competition that she has had in recent months.

Other heat winners in the Open Women’s Division today included Mount Maunganui’s Laura Rishworth and Gisborne’s Jayda Martin-Fitzharris. Martin-Fitzharris also contested two age group divisions today with mixed success.  She progressed through the Under 16 Girls Division but was eliminated from the Under 18 Girls Division.

Four of today’s women’s contestants surfed all three rounds but only one surfer came out with a clean slate.  Rosa Thompson (Auck) progressed through all three of her heats today securing her biggest heat score in the Under 16 Girls Division with a 17.0 in her heat.

The remainder of the day was filled with the men’s age group divisions which included the Over 35s, Over 40s, Over 45s and Over 50s.  While the conditions remained average throughout the day the ‘older men of the sea’ were stoked to finally get in the water at the Hyundai National Championships presented by Quiksilver.

The top scores in the divisions came from Tully Farrell (Mnt) in the 35s who scored 16.0 points, Jason Falconridge (Auck), Lynden Kennings (WGM) and Rick Lasch (Whangarei) who all scored 15.0 points in the 40s, Barry MacCulloch (Tai) who scored 14.0 points in the Over 45s and John Gisby (Gis) who scored 15.7 points in the Over 50s.

Day five (Wednesday) will see many of the divisions surfed through to the semifinals and finals.  A new swell is forecast for Wednesday and this should improve the surf conditions combined with the offshore winds in the morning.  Four more days of competition are required to complete the event.

The Hyundai National Championships presented by Quiksilver are being held at Piha Beach, Auckland from the 10th – 17th of January.  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.

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

Previous reports:
# 1 : Piha will host Hyundai National Champs by Quiksilver
# 2 : Excellent surf on tap for NZ's Hyundai National Champs
# 3 : Opening day perfection for the Hyundai National Champs
# 4 : Kereopa & Quinn do battle at Hyundai National Champs  
# 5 : Longboarders charge, Juniors tussle at Hyundai Champs 

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Ben Kennings

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