Surfing: Hareb makes flying start to world tour

SYDNEY - New Zealand surfer Paige Hareb made a flying start to her world tour debut, beating her two Australian opponents to progress to the second round on the Gold Coast today.

The Taranaki 18-year-old scorched through her heat with 15.02 points, beating Samantha Cornish (12.10 points) and Jessi Miley-Dyer (11.50).

Hareb's heat was first in the water and she ensured victory with two waves where she topped seven points from the judges, as the Australians were unable to match her.

It was an anxious three-day wait for Hareb to become the first New Zealand woman to surf the world tour, with flat seas postponing the action on Saturday and Sunday.

Competition finally got under way for the 18-woman field this morning after it was relocated from the primary venue at Snapper Rocks around the corner to Duranbah Beach, in consistent two-foot (0.75m) swells.

- NZPA