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| Thomas Kibblewhite - Image PhotoCPL |
Thomas Kibblewhite (Rodney) has made the best possible start to the 2012 Hyundai Tour convincingly winning the first event completed at Manu Bay, Raglan today (Sunday 8th January).
Kibblewhite posted 16.07 out of a possible 20 points in a wave starved final
and claimed the edge over his opponents early on the five event tour.
The surf remained in perfect condition for the final day with the forecast gale
force winds not eventuating leaving a groomed ocean and a 1.0m swell.
In today’s final Kibblewhite posted his two best scores early on thanks to his
trademark backhand vertical attack. His strategy
of getting a quick start clearly paid dividends.
“I looked at it all day and it got consistent for a while but when the tide
went out it slacked off so I knew the quick start was the key because you never
know what could happen over 25 minutes with the tide going out even further and
sure enough it went pretty dead toward the end there” Kibblewhite said.
Reflecting on the event as a whole Kibblewhite admitted to “saving his best
until last” in the final to eclipse his opponents who all had at least one good
wave but lacked the good second scoring rides.
Dylan Barnfield (Ohope) placed second in the final after earlier beating
Kibblewhite in the semifinals. Barnfield
scored an impressive 7.57 point ride early in the final to match Kibblewhite but
with the ocean going flat for much of the latter half of the heat he simply did
not get the chance to challenge for the win.
Barnfield finished with a 12.87 point heat total.
Gisborne’s Sam Johnson was another to have just the one good ride – a 7.50
which he scored on his first wave but Johnson only surfed two other small waves
that did not allow the burly surfer to score more than a four point ride.
Phil Morris (Auck) finished the final in fourth place unable to claim his
maiden Hyundai Tour victory that everyone including himself knows he is capable
of.
Kibblewhite now takes the lead on the Hyundai Tour heading into the National
Championships where he is the defending champion. “The tour victory is my goal this year so
hopefully I can achieve it. I would
really like to win the Nationals next week too and get two under the belt which
would mean an unreal start to the year for me so that is what I will be going
for as well” Kibblewhite said.
Mischa Davis (Piha), fresh back from a year studying in Europe
took the honours in the Women’s Longboard Division. It was the first event that Davis had competed in for 12 months but that
did not impact on her performance scoring 14.73 points in the final.
“It feels pretty good to come home and win” Davis said.
“I love surfing Raglan, I am a goofy footer so I feel at home here. It is perfect for longboarding at this size”
added Davis who has returned back to New Zealand to finish her studies
and plans to contest all five Hyundai Tour events this year.
Alexis Poulter (Raglan) placed second in the final and scoring 10.90 with
Shelley Jones (Auck) in third and Anna Jolly (Piha) in fourth.
Nic Jones led the Under 18 Boys Final from the outset after posting a 9.0 point
ride on his first wave ridden. The smooth young surfer from the Sunshine Coast was a standout all event after
also posting a fifth placing in the Open Men’s Division. He finished the final with a 17.67 point heat
total to surpass the Poulter brothers Ben and Sam who finished second and third
respectively. It was Ben that took the
honours on his last wave scoring 6.83 to jump ahead of Sam. Josh Taylor (Mnt) placed fourth in the final
also showing some of the flare that he is renowned for on his more preferred
shortboard.
Defending Over 40 Men’s Champion Brian Young (Orewa) got his year off to the
best start by winning the first event.
Young eased to victory scoring a 14.83 point heat total in the final
comprising of 8.83 and 6.0 point rides.
Young left his three opponents to battle out a closer fought race for
the minor placings. Mount Maunganui’s
Mal Brady clinched runner up ahead of Steve Tyro (Rag) and Guy Rencher (Mnt).
Michael Thomson was never going to let a national event slip by his home break
without putting in a performance that only a local could. He sealed the win via his last wave sharply
surfed for a 7.17 to finish with a 13.50 point heat total. Mark Hoyle (Orewa) surfed to his best ever
result at a national level placing second in the final. Hoyle had looked the in-form surfer all event
but was not quite a match for Thomson in the final finishing with an 11.60
point heat total. Grant Cochrane (Chch)
finished in third place ahead of David Storck (Piha) in fourth.
Daniel Kereopa had only one result in mind for the Stand Up Paddleboard
Division and that was first place in front of his family and friends. “Oh I
think competing at home is tougher for me and local boys but I wasn’t thinking
of any other result than first. I had to win this weekend no matter what”
Kereopa said.
Like many other finals, the win came down to getting a good start to the final
and Kereopa used his knowledge of the break to put pressure on his opponents
who ultimately left him alone to get the pick of the waves. “I put the pressure on early and it paid off”
added Kereopa.
Christchurch
surfer Shayne Baxter challenged Kereopa for the lead but after surfing into the
rocks, had to change equipment midway through the heat and lost his momentum
finishing with 13.23 points to Kereopa’s 15.30.
Gisborne surfer Sean Hovell finished in fourth place with Raglan surfer Armie
Armstrong in fourth.
The ‘King of the Waves’ paddle race saw 24 paddlers take to the water
completing a 3.0km course from the boat ramp at Manu Bay out into the bay and
back around past the break then in through the waves. The lead changed several times as the
paddlers navigated the waves with limited success on their boards that are tailored
to distance racing.
Defending Hyundai Tour paddle race champion Armie Armstrong (Rag) surged into
the lead after the first two legs but with the last pass through the waves came
unstuck allowing Warwick Grey (Waihi
Beach) to fly past
surfing a wave down to the boat ramp and then complete the 100m dash back
through the car park. Jeremy Stephenson
(Auck) finished in second place with Armstrong in fourth.
Please see below for final results from day two of the first event of the
2012 Hyundai Tour completed at Manu Bay, Raglan today (Sunday 8th
January).
Men’s Longboard Semifinals
Heat 1
Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), 16.17, 1, Thomas
Kibblewhite (Auck), 14.5, 2, Nicolas Jones (Sunshine Coast, Aus), 11.53, 3, Ant
McColl (Mnt), 9.07, 4
Heat 2
Sam Johnson (Gis), 13.57, 1, Phil Morris
(Auck), 13.43, 2, Matt Cockayne (Mngwhai), 10.73, 3, Zen Wallis (Piha), 7.63, 4
Men’s
Longboard Final
Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), 16.07, 1, Dylan
Barnfield (Ohope), 12.87, 2, Sam Johnson (Gis), 11.07, 3, Phil Morris (Auck),
9.83, 4
Under
18 Longboard Final
Nic Jones (Aust), 17.67, 1, Ben Poulter
(Rag), 14.77, 2, Sam Poulter (Rag), 12.23, 3, Josh Taylor (Tau), 10.13, 4
Women’s Longboard Semifinals
Heat 1
Mischa Davis (Oratia), 13.67, 1, Shelly Jones
(Auck), 10.07, 2, Jess Roberts (Katikati), 8.73, 3, Anna Gooding (Tau), 7.73, 4
Heat 2
Alexis Poulter (Rag), 10.33, 1, Anna Jolly
(Piha), 9.17, 2, Belinda Goodwin (Rag), 8.57, 3, Hannah Howard (Auck), 7.13, 4
Women’s
Longboard Final
Mischa Davis (Oratia)14.73, 1, Alexis Poulter
(Rag), 10.90, 2, Shelly Jones (Auck), 8.0, 3, Anna Jolly (Piha), 6.77, 4
Over 40 Men’s Longboard Semifinals
Heat 1
Brian Young (Orewa), 16.17, 1, Mal Brady
(Mnt), 10.33, 2, Whare Heke (Mnt), 7.23, 3
Heat 2
Steve Tyro (Rag), 11.83, 1, Guy Rencher
(waihi Bch), 10.5, 2, Tatana Heke (Mnt), 6.67, 3
Over
40 Men’s Longboard Final
Brian Young (Orewa) 14.83, 1, Mal Brady (Mnt)
, 9.57, 2, Steve Tyro (Rag) , 8.97, 3, Guy Rencher (Waihi Bch), 8.63, 4
Over 50 Men’s Longboard Semifinals
Heat 1
Mike Thomson (Rag), 10.73, 1, David Storck
(Auck), 7, 2, Rupert Newbold (Whngrei), 6.5, 3, Terry Fong (Auck), 1.83, 4
Heat 2
Mark Hoyle (Orewa), 11.93, 1, Grant Cochrane
(ChCh), 11.53, 2, Scotty Riach (Auck), 6.87, 3, Barry Agnew (Auck), NS, 4
Over
50 Men’s Longboard Finals
Mike Thomson (Rag), 13.5, 1, Mark Hoyle
(Orewa), 11.60, 2, Grant Cochrane (ChCh), 10.47, 3,
David Storck (Auck), 9.47,
4
Stand Up Paddleboard Semifinals
Heat 1
Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 12.4, 1, Armie Armstrong (Rag), 9.03, 2, Te Roha Farlie
(Gis), 9, 3
Shane Murrell (Auck), 6.13,
4
Heat 2
Shayne Baxter (ChCh), 15.33, 1, Sean Hovell (Gis), 10.97, 2, Mike Cann (Auck),
9.8, 3, Karlos Aarsen (Whmata), 9.23, 4
Stand Up Paddleboard Final
Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 15.3, 1, Shayne Baxter (ChCh), 13.23, 2, Sean Hovell
(Gis), 9.97, 3, Armie Armstrong (Rag), 8.5, 4
Stand Up Paddleboard Race
1st
Warwick Grey (Waihi Beach), 2nd Jeremy Stephenson (Auck), 3rd
Armie Armstrong (Rag), 4th Sean Hovell (Gis)
Seven divisions are
contested on the tour – Open Men, Women, Junior Men (Under 18), Over 40, Over
50 and Stand Up Paddleboarding and the SUP Race. Overall the Hyundai Tour
boasts $20,000 in prize money.
The 2012 Hyundai Tour travels to Raglan, Piha, Sandy
Bay and Mount Maunganui
before the season concludes at Port Waikato in early March.
The remaining events for the 2012 Hyundai Tour follow:
Hyundai Tour Event 2, 15-21 January, Piha (5-star) – National Championships
Hyundai Tour Event 3, 3-6 February, Sandy Bay (SNZ 6-star / ASP LQS 1-star)
Hyundai Tour Event 4, 18-19 February, Mount Maunganui (4-star)
Hyundai Tour Event 5, 2-3 March, Port Waikato (6-star)
Entry into all events can be completed at Surfing
New Zealand under “events.” Complete
the entry process online or download entry forms and send them in. The 2012 Hyundai Tour is expected to receive
high entry levels at each location, so entries will need to be in well before
the cut off dates to assure participants get a slice of the action.
Further
Information
For further information on the 2012 Hyundai Tour and
the first of five events, please contact Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings on
021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz
Imagery
Web clips and newsfeeds will be distributed free of charge from each
event. Please contact Ben Kennings for
further details.
High resolution action images of the surfing at all events on the Hyundai Tour
will be available to media free of charge upon request.
Event Hotline
The Surfing New Zealand
event hotline is 0211134506. This will
be updated daily at approximately 7am with venue, divisions contested and
conditions.
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