Christie's timing perfect

CHAMP: It took 13 years but it was worth the wait as Gisborne-Mahia surfer Ricardo Christie reclaimed the open men’s throne at the national surfing championships here on Saturday. A near-perfect wave in the last minute of the final at Makorori Beach earned Christie the title, who won it for the first time as a 16-year-old in 2005. Former World Championship Tour professional Christie had a classic duel with Piha’s Elliot Paerata-Reid, and delivered the killer blow with his final wave, scoring 9.93 out of a possible 10 for a two-wave total of 17.96, the highest score of the week-long competition. “It’s been a long time between drinks,” said a jubilant Christie, who competed on the World Surf League Qualifying Series tour last year. “I have done a few things between then and now but I'm happy to get my name on the trophy again." Raiha Ensor (Mt Maunganui) won the open women’s final, with Gisborne teenager Saffi Vette fourth. Christie’s win also helped Gisborne Boardriders Club clinch the top overall club honours from Point Boardriders (Raglan) and Bay Boardriders (Mt Maunganui). Picture by Paul Rickard

RICARDO Christie waited until the last minute of the open men’s final to post the best heat-score of the national surfing championships.

A near-perfect ride of 9.93 out of 10 gave the Gisborne-Mahia surfer a two-wave total of 17.96 at Makorori Beach on Saturday.

With that, Christie overhauled 21-year-old Elliot Paerata-Reid, of Piha, and won his second national open men’s title. He won his first as a 16-year-old in 2005.

On Saturday, Christie called on all he had learned in the intervening 13 years to snatch victory in the dying moments.

In the open women’s final, Mt Maunganui’s Raiha Ensor also fought back from a trailing position to win.

Auckland’s Gabriella Sansom had posted two good scores, but the turning point came when Ensor had a ride that yielded a score of 6.83.

“It gave me the confidence to wait for waves and get the right one,” Ensor said.

When it came, she scored 9.67 off it, for a 16.5-point heat total.

Christie’s open men’s victory is another milestone in the career of a 29-year-old who has circled the globe competing against the world’s best.

Christie kept his surfing dreams alive by crowdfunding his World Qualifying Series campaign and breaking into the elite Championship Tour for 2015. He and Maz Quinn are the only New Zealanders to have made that step.

(After an early flourish in the open men’s contest, Quinn stamped his authority on the over-40 men’s division, where his opponents in the final included early surfing buddy Chris Malone, now of Raglan. They finished first and second.)

Since Christie lost his place on the Championship Tour, he has contested the Qualifying Series trying to break back into the elite ranks. This hard-won experience came to his aid on Saturday.

In one-metre surf, the finalists put on a phenomenal show for the spectators packed on to the beach.

Paerata-Reid led the field after posting an 8.9-point ride, and seemed to have one hand on the trophy until Christie stepped up with his clutch performance.

Searing backhand turnsThe 9.93-point ride included three searing backhand turns on a left-hander.

“I just wanted a wave so bad,” Christie said.

“Me and Elliot were having a bit of a paddle battle with no priority and I suckered him into that wave before mine. I knew it was going to be a burger and I didn’t think he was going to go for it but he did, which gave me just enough time to catch that last one.

“He quickly paddled back out and he kinda had my inside but I was going to go no matter what, and I was lucky not to kook that wave.”

Paerata-Reid’s heat score was 15.87.

The disappointment showed on Paerata-Reid?s face, but he did receive the award for most outstanding overall performance of the week. He dedicated it to recently deceased Piha identity Bruce Smith.

“Yeah, I kinda knew I didn’t have it yet,” Paerata-Reid said, referring to the lead he held with two minutes of the final to go.

“I made a mistake, and if you don’t win you learn, I guess.

“I was stoked to put on a good performance and have a good battle with the best surfer in New Zealand at the moment, but it is a tough pill to swallow.”

Placing third and fourth in the final were underdogs Levi Stewart (Waihi Beach) and Paul Moretti (Northland).

Both challenged for the early lead, but when the pressure went on, Qualifying Series campaigners Christie and Paerata-Reid stepped it up to another level.

Top club to GisborneChristie’s win helped Gisborne Boardriders Club take the award for top club from previous holders Point Boardriders of Raglan.

In the open women’s final, Sansom was runner-up to Ensor. Dual finalist Elin Tawharu (Mt Maunganui) was third and Saffi Vette (Gisborne) was fourth.

Tawharu had previously won the under-18 title, posting a 13.1-point heat total to secure her second title in this division. Brie Bennett (Rag), Georgia Wederell (Mnt) and Zhana Hutchieson (Tara) finished second through to fourth.

Christchurch surfer Conor McLennan won the u18 men’s division with a heat total of 15.77.

Triple finalist Kora Cooper (Rag), Elliott Brown (Dunedin) and Jay Piper-Healion (Whitianga) were second, third and fourth respectively.

Piha’s Zen Wallis retained his longboard title, withstanding a determined challenge from three Gisborne surfers.

Wallis had a heat score of 15.6 to edge out Sam Johnson by 0.20 of a point. Daniel Procter and Guy Edge Burns were third and fourth respectively.

Wallis travels to China next week to compete at the ISA World Longboard Championships.

Raglan duo Kora Cooper and Brie Bennett won their u16 divisions. Cooper dominated his final, posting a 16.17-point heat total to combo his opponents.

Finn Vette (Gis) posted a 7.67 in the last five minutes of the final to challenge for the lead but could not get the 8.51 he needed for the win.

Jack Lee (Whakatane) placed third and Tom Robinson (Whangarei), fourth.

Bennett also put on a convincing performance in her final, posting a 6.33-point ride on her first wave and finishing with a 12.4-point heat total.

Georgia Wederell (Mnt) finished second, Stella Smith (Gis) was third and Estella Hungerford (Christchurch), fourth.

The morning started with finals in the senior divisions. Geoff Hutchison (Rag) won the over-50s, Quinn the over-40s and Nick White (Mnt) the over-30s.

Former Gisborne surfer and 1998 national champion Malone was an early casualty in the open men’s competition but made finals in the over-30 men’s division, finishing third; the over-35s, second; and the over-40s, second.