Tauranga Moana Maori Surf team captain Martin Matenga (Tainui) was inspirational in leading his team to victory at the Maori Tri Series held in Gisborne over the long weekend. Matenga contributed a valuable 22 out of a possible 30 points for his team and along with team coach Doug Te Ranga (Ngai Te Rangi) kept the team focused.

The event was the first of the Te Puni Kokiri - Auahi Kore Maori Tri Series and kicked off in near perfect conditions at Gisborne surf break ‘The Pipe’.

Competitors were greeted with1.0m – 1.5m of clean south swell that pumped and barreled all day. Team coaches wasted no time in preparing their surfers for battle coaching them on which peak would have the better scoring potential.

During the early heats both the Tauranga Moana Maori Surf Team (BOP) and the Turanganui a Kiwa Maori Surf Team (Gisborne) had equal points and were evenly matched. However disaster struck the Turanganui a Kiwa Team when event favourite Richard Christie (Rongomawahine) failed to find a good scoring 2nd wave and finished 4th in his 1st  round heat.
Christie found his form in the 2nd round winning the heat but was eliminated from the event as his combined points were not enough to earn him a spot in the final. To rub salt in the wound Morehu Roberts (Rongowhakaata) and Bodhi Whitaker (Ngati Whakaue) had to retire due to injury and coach James Fowell (Ngati Kanohi) and Chris Malone (Te Aitanga a Mahaki) had to replace the 2 injured open surfers.

With total team points of 98 Tauranga Moana held a 12 point advantage at the end of the 1st round and then picked up the pace through Khan Butler (Ngati Awa), James Atutahi (Nga Puhi), Tim Oconnor (Tainui) Ronnie Mayor (Ngai Te Rangi), Reece Horne (Ngati Awa), Dylan Mayor (Ngai Te Rangi) and Ryan Elliot (Te Arawa) who were instrumental in helping their team win the 2nd round by 108 to 76.

Turanganui a Kiwa Team coach James Fowell (Ngati Kanohi) was confident that his team could still win as they headed into the finals but coming from behind was going to need a full team effort to overcome Tauranga Moana.

Daniel Proctor (Ngati Uepohatu) was the stand out for the Turanganui a Kiwa team winning all his Longboard heats and the grand final. Proctor scored a total of 30 out of a possible 30 points and was the top point’s scorer of the entire event. It is little wonder why he is regarded as one of the top longboarders in New Zealand.
2nd place getter James Atutahi (Nga Puhi) was in commanding form in his 1st two heats and didn’t hold back in the final. Atutahi attacked the waves as if he was possessed and is another longboarder that is amongst the best and is right up there with Proctor. Martin Matenga (Tainui) came in 3rd and was more concerned on helping his team maintain the lead and used his wave selection to ensure that he held his 3rd place until the final hooter. Regan Fairlie (Ngati Porou) surfed consistently throughout the event and was happy with making the finals and his 4th placing. Tauranga Moana won the Longboard final 12 - 11

Clint Daly (Ngati Porou) has always been a stand out in New Zealand surfing with his powerful but smooth style.  When you put that all together in good solid waves there is no stopping this man! Posting the highest single score of a 9.5 followed by another excellent score of 7.5, Daly had sealed the win in the first eight minutes of the Over 35 finals. Ngai Te Rangi surfers Ronnie Mayor and Doug Te Ranga surfed well all day but could not find the quality waves during the final that Daly had lucked into and finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. Grant Marriot’s classy performance during the earlier rounds earned him a well deserved place in the final and a well earned 4th.
Tauranga Moana Team was on a winning roll taking out the Over 35 division final 12 - 11

Wahine Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Ngati Porou) is no stranger to surfing The Pipe and surfed as she does every day, she took on some powerful 1.5m waves and was crowned the winner. Seasoned competitor Gabriella McCarthy – Marriot (Ngati Porou)  put on a good attempt to take the lead but had to settle for 2nd with Mahia Morten (Rongowhakaata) in 3rd.

Turanganui a Kiwa juniors Jay Paddock (Te Rarawa) and Reno Marriott (Ngati Porou) gained valuable team points finishing 1st and 2nd in the final while Dylan Mayor (Ngai Te Rangi) and Ryan Elliot (Te Arawa) had to settle for the minor placings of 3rd and 4th. Mayor and Elliot had good results in the earlier heats and were hoping for a win to extend their teams points but the shifting conditions halted their winning streak and the Turanganui a Kiwa team won the junior final 17 – 6

Coming into the open men’s final the Tauranga Moana lead had been reduced to a mere 2 points and coach Te Ranga needed a minimum of 12 points or a 2nd and 3rd to win the 1st event of the series.

On paper the Turanga team had the advantage with local ‘pipe master’ Chris Malone (Te Aitanga a Mahaki) on their side. Malone stamped his signature on the 20 minute final right from the start with a series of heavy snaps and vertical re-entries sending spray high in the sky. Malone was on his home break and never looked like relinquishing the lead or giving away  the much needed10 points.
However Tim O’Connor (Tainui) had no intention of letting their teams hard work slip away and is no stranger to surfing under pressure. O’Connor fought valiantly for Tauranga Moana in an effort to keep them ahead finishing 2nd collecting a valuable 7 points. As the heat was drawing to a close Khan Butler (Ngati Awa) had enough kai in the tank to maintain 3rd place and secure the 5 points. Butler was a standout throughout the event with his high performance surfing and as a central figure for his team. James Fowell was humble in defeat and had to settle for 4th. Fowell could not string together his high speed manoeuvres and knew that O’Connor and Butler had sealed the deal for the Tauranga Moana team and winning the open final12 - 11.

Although the Turanganui a Kiwa team received 1st placings in each of the finals they did not accumulate enough points in the earlier rounds to win the teams challenge and it was the mana and combined team effort of Tauranga Moana that gave them the overall title and a well deserved win.

Team captain Martin Matenga said he knew it was going to be close and that they were in with a chance if the team could hold on to the advantage that the had gained in the early rounds. All we had to do was hold on and as anticipated the Turanganui Team started to find their straps. It was a big relief when the final hooter went but we weren't sure until the prizegiving that we had won. Matenga accepted the team trophy and said Team events like this are better suited to Maori as it encourages us to reunite ourselves with our cultural ways and the ways of our tipuna. The team acknowledge their win and the hospitality of the Ngati Ruapani whanau with an exceptional haka which was an appropriate way to close the inaugural Auahi Kore Maori Tri Series.

Please see below for final results from event one of the Auahi Kore Maori Tri Series held at Gisborne over the weekend.

Accumulated Team Points

1st Tauranga Moana, 248 points

2nd Turanganui a Kiwa, 212 points

Open Men

1st Chris Malone (Te Aitanga Mahaki)

2nd Tim O’Connor (Tainui)

 3rd Khan Butler (Ngati Awa)

4th James Fowell (Ngati Porou)

Wahine

1st Jayda Martin Fitzharris

2nd Gabe McCarthy-Marriott

3rd Maiha Morten

Longboard

1st Daniel Proctor (N.Uepohai)

2nd James Atutahi (Nga Puhi)

3rd Martin Matenga (Tainui)

4th Reagen Fairle (N.Porou)

Junior

1st Jay Paddock (Te Rarawa)

2nd Reno Marriot (Nagti Porou)

3rd Dylan Mayor (Ngai Te Rangi)

4th Ryan Elliot (Te Arawa)

Over 35s

1st Clint Daly (Nagti Porou)

2nd Doug Te Ranga (Ngati Awa)

3rd Ronnie Mayor (Ngati Te Rau)

4th Grant Marriot (Nagti Porou)

See below for future dates of the Auahi Kore Māori Tri Series:

Event Two – 14th June, Bay of Plenty

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.

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