|
 The New Zealand Surfing Team is making tough going at the Lost Energy Drink 2006 World Surfing Games currently being held at Huntington Beach California. The second of the nine days of surfing were completed this morning (NZ time) with the Open Men contesting their first two rounds of competition. The youngest male of the team 19-year-old Morehu Roberts (Gis) surfed impressively in the tiny 0.5m waves to progress through both rounds. Roberts’s second round affair was very close as he snuck through in second place, only 0.4 separating second from fourth which unfortunately went to team mate Luke Cederman (Rag). Cederman will now contest the repercharge rounds.
Round three will see Roberts up against 32 of the best surfers in the world including elite World Championship Surfers Chris Ward and the Hobgood twins from the USA as well as Luke Stedman and Tom Whitaker of Australia. His third round heat includes the abovementioned Whitaker (Aus), Pat O’Connell (USA) and Tim Boal (Fra).
AJ Matthews (WGM) and Zennor Wernham (Rag) were not so lucky succumbing to the tough competition and small waves in the first round. This means that both surfers along with Cederman will have to fight through as many as ten rounds if they are to make it to the podium in the Open Men’s Division.
Earlier on day one of the event New Zealand’s bodyboarders impressed with all three moving into the second round of qualifiers. Hayden Parsons and Andrew Low both of Dunedin progressed in second place to move through with the top 32 surfers. Mihi Wells (Auck) also surfed to second in her heat to move through to the top 12 qualifiers of the Women Bodyboarders.
Auckland’s Thomas Kibblewhite swung his longboard into action on day one winning his first heat. However in a tough second heat that included Hawaiian standout Bonga Perkins, Kibblewhite could not manage better than fourth place and was relegated to the repercharge rounds.
Both Lisa Hurunui (Gis) and Mischa Davis will hit the water overnight in the first round of the Women’s Division along with Matthews and Wernham in the Open Men’s Repercharge. All divisions will be back in the water on Thursday (New Zealand time).
The event commenced on the 14th of October (Pacific Standard Time) and runs through until the 22nd October. Live action from the event can be viewed on http://www.surfingamerica.org/webcast.asp from approximately 4.00am - 12.00pm (NZ time) daily.
Results
Please see below for all results from heats with New Zealand surfers. Upcoming match ups are also included.
Open Men’s Qualifying Round One
1, 12.33, Javier Swaine, PER2, 10.50, Joao Guedes, POR 3, 10.24, Zennor Wemham, NZL 4, 4.20, Ishak Wilmot, JAM
1, 12.07, Sebastian Alarcon, PER 2, 9.50, Alexandre Ferreira, POR 3, 5.07, AJ Matthews, NZL 4, 3.50, Tristan English, JAM
1, 9.43, Luke Cedrman, NZL 2, 7.76, Sebastian Romana, PER 3, 5.17, Jeff Dijkhoff, ARU
1, 12.83, Steve Pierson, TAH 2, 9.30, Morehu Roberts, NZL 3, 2.00, Wouter Muijers, ARU
Open Mens Qualifying Round Two
1, 10.67, Francisco Bellroin, VEN 2, 7.64, Morehu Roberts, NZL 3, 7.54, Fergal Smith, IRE 4, 7.26, Luke Cederman, NZL
Open Men’s Qualifying Round Three (Yet to be surfed)
Tom Whitaker, AUS , Morehu Roberts, NZL, Pat O'Connell, USA, Tim Boal, FRA
Open Men’s Repercharge One (Yet to be surfed)
Shane Valiere, HAW, Zennor Wemham, NZL, Staffan Bjorlin, SWE
AJ Matthews, NZL, Freddie Meadows, SWE, Peter Rangel, VEN
Open Women’s Qualifying Round One (Yet to be surfed)
Kina Malpartida, PER, Mischa Davis, NZL, Imani Wilmot, JAM
Valeria Sole, PER, Lisa Hurunui, NZL, Danielle D'Hayon, JAM
Men’s Bodyboard Qualifying Round One (Yet to be surfed)
1, 11.00, Nai Oliver , TAH 2, 7.43, Hayden Parsons, NZL 3, 5.60, Henry Ambrosio, GUA
1, 10.53, Nicolas Richard, TAH 2, 6.83, Andrew Low, NZL 3, 1.97, John Malmquist, SWE
Men’s Bodyboard Qualifying Round Two (Yet to be surfed)
Cesar Bauer, PER, Hayden Parsons, NZL, Alberto Colucci, VEN, Shane Meehan, IRE
Javier Baez, PRC, Brad Mebust, USA, Jose Rutheford, MEX, Andrew Low, NZL
Women’s Bodyboard Qualifying Round One
1, 11.27, Kira Llewellyn, AUS 2, 6.93, Mihi Wells, NZL 3, 6.10, Keania Leon, MEX
Women’s Bodyboard Qualifying Round Two (Yet to be surfed)
Rita Pires, POR, Chasity Baltazar, HAW, Ebrina Curet, ARU, Mihi Wells, NZL
Longboard Qualifying Round One
1, Thomas Kibblewhite, NZL 2, Bruno Grandela, POR 3, Roberto Meza, PER 4, Nigel Benjamin, JAM
Men’s Longboard Qualifying Round Two
1, 11.33, Bonga Perkins, HAW 2, 8.40, Martin Perez, ARG 3, 6.80, John Mc Curry, IRE 4, 5.77, Thomas Kibblewhite, NZL
For further information regarding the the team, please contact Ben Kennings at Surfing New Zealand 07 8250018, 0212278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.
Event media releases will be distributed daily and updates on the progress of the New Zealand team will also be sent out. File images of the New Zealand team are available courtesy of New Zealand Surfing Magazine.
About International Surfing Association (ISA)
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for surfing, bodyboarding and surfriding. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964, and the Junior World Championships since 1980.
The New Zealand team is supported by The New Zealand Community Trust and Billabong.
Surfing New Zealand are proudly partnered by
Corona
Vodafone
Hyundai
SPARC
Smokefree
Ends
|
