SURFING - Treacy rides off with surf tour title

Raglan's Mike Thomson may have dominated the senior men's divisions at the final round of the Hyundai Pro Longboard series at Raglan over the weekend, but it was Ocean Beaches' Viv Treacy who took out the national over-50s men's title by a country mile.
Treacy finished second behind Thomson on a countback after both surfers were tied for first place on Sunday, but because Treacy had won four of the six events in 2008, his overall tour victory was never in doubt, no matter what result was posted in the final event.
Thomson denied him a fifth win by way of the highest single wave score (7.10) to win the final, with Auckland's Paul Browne finishing third and another Whangarei surfer, Rupert Newbold, picking up fourth - one placing behind his third in the over-40s final.
The Mount's Daryn McBride claimed the overall open tour title by finishing seventh in the Port Waikato event, where Australian surfers proved too strong for the Kiwis.
Aussie Jackson Close beat compatriot Harley Ingleby in the final, with Ohope's Dylan Barnfield the first Kiwi home in third place.
Another Ocean Beach surfer Kirstie Thomsen won her semifinal in the open women's event, but didn't fare too well in the final, finishing fourth behind Sydney's Claire Norman.
Christchurch's Daisy Thomas claimed the overall women's title ahead of Norman, with Raglan's Shereen Lobb and Thomsen fourth.