Surfing: Getting ahead in Panama

Matthew Cockayne, who narrowly missed out on the national longboard title this year, is in an eight-strong New Zealand team competing at the event known as the Olympics of Surfing. Photo / Supplied

It's known as the Olympics of Surfing - and a New Zealand team will be competing at the event in Panama this week to see if they can better their record seventh placing last year.

Over 200 of the world's best surfers will converge on the wave-rich southern coast of Panama for the 2011 Billabong International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games, starting next Sunday (NZT).

Surfers from nearly 30 countries, including super powers the United States, Australia, Brazil and South Africa, will be there - along with a Kiwi team of eight, led by World Tour participant Paige Hareb from Taranaki.

Four Open men, two Open women and two longboarders will carry the New Zealand flag, with each competitor seeking individual gold, silver, bronze and copper medals. Individual points go towards an overall team placing.

Hareb, currently ranked 12th on the ASP World Tour, nearly stole the show in Peru in 2010 - taking second place in the Open women behind Australia's Chelsea Hedges. The New Zealand team placed seventh overall from 31 teams last year; so far the best result achieved.

The Kiwis have been steadily clawing their way up the surfing world's food chain. Not only has the level of talent at recent Games raised eyebrows, but the Kiwi team's haka at the opening ceremonies has helped build awareness and respect within the international surfing community.

Only one other surfer in New Zealand's history has equalled Hareb's efforts at an ISA World Surfing Games. In 1994, Whangamata and New Zealand surfing icon Lynden Kennings came second in the Open longboard division held at Reunion Island, near Mauritius.

Kennings missed out on the prestigious world title by less than a point, something he has often mentioned with both pride and regret. That exploit came before the days of the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour here when Kiwi longboard surfing had little exposure to the outside world.

Kennings' success paved the way for the growth of longboarding in New Zealand. Today it has moved into a semi-professional era - not that that is much of a consolation to two trying to follow in Kennings' footsteps but who are having to shell out $5000 to do so.

Matthew Cockayne, who hails from Northland's east coast wave haven of Mangawhai Heads, and Phil Morris from Orewa are stalwarts of the longboard scene and have featured in many of the recent Hyundai Tour events at the top end the ladder.

Morris, who spends most of the year working as a skipper on a super yacht in the Caribbean, has competed at events in the United Kingdom, Central America, US and Australia. He returned home for the New Zealand summer and came third overall in the Open men's division on the 2011 Hyundai Tour.

Cockayne is known as one of the quiet achievers on the New Zealand longboard scene, having worked his way through the junior divisions. In recent years, he has started to make a name for himself in the tough international longboard tour events.

This has been his best competitive year to date - narrowly missing out on the national title in Dunedin behind Thomas Kibblewhite of Orewa. He then came fourth overall on the Hyundai Tour, a career best for the 23-year-old tradesman.

Unlike teams from countries such as the US and Australia (who have an all-expenses paid trip), the Kiwis have to raise the close to $5000 themselves.

However, the trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Cockayne couldn't pass up and the pride of representing New Zealand at an international event was also irresistible.

"It's been tough raising the money to get to the [ISA] Worlds. But I have been blown away by the level of support I have had from the local surfing community, who have all dug deep to help me get there," he says.

One opponent Cockayne and Morris are looking forward to competing against is Australian professional and 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour champion Josh Constable. The 2006 ASP world champion has had a memorable year and has set his sights on the 2011 world title. Due to dwindling interest in the ASP Longboard World Tour, the ISA world event is the jewel in the crown for international longboarders.

"Josh [Constable] is one of our good mates and he really set the standard in New Zealand this summer with his progressive mix of traditional and explosive longboarding on the tour," says Cockayne.

"I've always dreamed of surfing against the world's best, and Panama couldn't be a better location for a surfing contest."

Others in the New Zealand team include Raglan's Ben Poulter and Piha brothers Zen and Tane Wallis. All three are top New Zealand competitors, with Poulter having gained plenty of international exposure at the 2010 ISA Junior Surfing Games held at Piha.

Panama participants

Open Men
* Ben Poulter (Raglan)
* JC Susan (Mt Maunganui)
* Tane Wallis (Piha)
* Zen Wallis (Piha)

Open Women
* Grace Spiers (Whangamata)
* Paige Hareb (Taranaki) Men's Longboard
* Phil Morris (Orewa)
* Matt Cockayne (Mangawhai Heads)