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Auahi Kore Maori Tri Series Unearths New Talent |
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 17 June 2008 |
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event coordinator kahn Butler - Image NZ Surfing Magazine
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The second event of the Auahi Kore Maori Tri Series was hosted in the Tauranga Moana region during the weekend. With small swell conditions forecast and Tay Street resembling a lake, event coordinators and local surfers decide to move the event to the famous hard breaking waves of Matakana Island. The Auahi Kore Maori Tri Series has been developed in partnership with Te Puni Kokiri with the aim of developing Maori surfers and bringing whanau together around sporting events.
The local Maori surfing community ferried competitors across the channel in boats and then walked 30 minutes along the beautiful white sand beach laughing and joking and embracing the kotahitanga (being as one) aspect of the event. Being the only people on this beautiful island, the sense of adventure had most feeling like they where at a tropical resort somewhere else in the world.
A perfect “A” frame peak greeted surfers with 1-2ft of swell cracking hard and fast and reeling off along the Matakana sand banks. Competitors relished the small conditions during the heats demonstrating to the judges that conditions were no deterrent and that big scores could be obtained.
 By the time the finals arrived everyone had found their rhythm with Khan Butler (Ngati Awa/Ngai Te Rangi) Brooke and Dylan Elliot (Te Arawa), Thomas Hardwick (Te Atihau), Lance Yeager (Te Arawa), Doug Te Ranga (Ngai Te Rangi) Pete Smith (Ngati Hangarau) and Jake Barbarich (Ngai Te Rangi) standing out and earning their place in the respective finals.
Thomas Hardwick (Te Atihau) decided to wait for the set waves and show the judges all the right moves during the Billabong junior final. The decision paid off and he managed to win by only one point ahead of local up and coming junior Peri Matenga (Tainui). Dylan Mayor (Ngai Te Rangi), Dylan Elliot (Te Arawa), and Hone Douglas (Whakatohea) found good scoring waves but couldn’t string together enough points to match Hardwick and Matenga and had to settle for the minor places.
With the presence of 4 tamatane (grommets) keen to enter the event, event officials decided to add an under 12 division. The super groms had shown their class and impressed everyone whilst free surfing and it was fitting to include them in the competitive arena.
Once their final started the groms stepped up another level and put in a huge effort to reveal an amazing amount of natural talent demonstrating that they had the skills to be the future for Maori surfing.
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The Groms - Image SNZ
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Eleven year old Quinn Matenga (Tainui) led the charge taking off deep and putting in some good manoeuvres whilst riding all the way to beach. His win will give him confidence for the SNZ grom events that he has just started competing in. Seven year old Kaya Horne (Ngati Awa) secured 2nd place when he showed determination to stand and take some late drops on waves double his size and surf them all the way to the beach. The Yeager brothers Max (9) and Tama (5) of Te Arawa finished 3rd and 4th respectively and were also outstanding. With a few more comps under their belts they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Ngai Te Rangi surfers and long time friends Doug Te Ranga and Ronnie Mayor put on an entertaining display of competitiveness by snaking and hassling for the best waves during the senior final. However this left first time competitor Lance Yeager (Te Arawa) out the back to pick off the better waves and impress the judges with his ability to surf to the criteria and sneak ahead to take the win from Mayor when Mayor was penalised with an interference. Local Matapihi surfer and another first time competitor Jake Barbarich (Ngai Te Rangi) put in a great effort for third place and edged out Doug Te Ranga (Ngai Te Rangi) who won the hassling battle against Mayor but was unable to capitalise on his good fortune and had to settle for fourth.
Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour surfers Duncan Cameron and Hone Douglas (Whakatohea) showed why they are at the top on the national longboard series. Both surfers are highly skilled at mixing up traditional longboarding with powerful new school manoeuvres. Cameron’s maturity and experience gave him the win with 13 year old Douglas in second place. Douglas showed he has the style that will see him become a standout in years to come.
Pete Smith (Ngati Hangarau) was well pleased with his effort to make a final and place third. Smith showed good form in the earlier rounds and surfed with determination and commitment while Doug Te Ranga (Ngai Te Rangi), after surfing multiple divisions and energy levels finally at their lowest, placed fourth.
Khan Butler (Ngati Awa/Ngai Te Rangi) showed no mercy in the open men’s final posting a 9.00 point ride out of 10 for his first wave. With local knowledge of the break and a strong competitive history on the surfing new Zealand scene Butler went on to score another excellent 7.5 ride and a well deserved win.
Junior winner Thomas Hardwick (Te Atihau) and Brooke Elliot (Te Arawa) gave Butler a good run but were unable to find scoring waves of the same quality and came in second and third. Reece Horne (Ngati Awa) was happy with fourth and pleased with his form after competing for the first time at the Gisborne event.
The Tauranga Moana team now lead the points table in the Auahi Kore Maori Tri Series with one event left in Raglan this weekend (21st June).
During the powhiri (tribal welcome) iwi representative Junior Butler (Ngai Te Rangi/Ngati Awa) commented that the team concept of the Tri Series had strengthened the Tauranga Maori Surfing Community and attracted a keen group of local Maori surfers and whanau who had never been involved with a surf comp before.
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Kahn Butler - Image SNZ
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It was good to see some of our top local surfers present. While they did not compete, the support role they played was invaluable. Paul Bennett (Ngai Te Rangi) who represented NZ at the 1975 World Championships was present. The Author of the book “Walking with the Taniwha” which helps Maori youth make good choices along with his nephews Matt Bennett and Khan Butler have been rated amongst the top ten surfers in New Zealand when at their peak during the mid 90’s and highlighted the level of achievement that they had attained for Maori within the sport. Their presence has inspired us to nurture our tamariki who want to participate in the sport. It has left a buzz in the community and has highlighted the talent that our region has on and off the water. We are looking forward to competing and celebrating the end of the series in Whaingaroa (Raglan) next weekend.
Final results from the Auahi Kore Maori Tri Series held at Matakana Island, Bay of Plenty Saturday14th of June are as follows:
Billabong Open Men’s
Khan Butler, 1, Thomas Hardwick, 2, Brooke Elliot, 3, Reece Horne, 4
Billabong Junior Men’s
Thomas Hardwick, 1, Peri Matenga, 2, Dylan Elliot, 3, Hone Douglas, 4
Quiksilver Under 12 Boys
Quinn Matenga, 1, Kaya Horne, 2, Max Yeager, 3, Tama Yeager, 4
Hyundai Longboard
Duncan Cameron, 1, Horne Douglas, 2, Pete Smith, 3, Doug Te Ranga, 4
Senior Men (35)
Lance Yeager, 1, Ronnie Mayor, 2, Jake Barbarich, 3, Doug Te Ranga, 4
See below for dates of the final leg of the Auahi Kore Māori Tri Series:
Event Three – 21st June, Raglan
For further information regarding the Auahi Kore Māori Tri Series, please contact Chris Malone at Surfing New Zealand on 021 984937 or 07 8250018 or email chris.malone@surfingnz.co.nz.
The Auahi Kore Māori Tri Series would not be possible without the support of Te Puni Kōkiri, Auahi Kore, Quiksilver, Roxy and Billabong.
Surfing New Zealand are proudly partnered by
Corona
Hyundai
SPARC
Smokefree
Ends
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