Surfing: Kiwi's big win dumps Slater

New Zealand surfer Billy Stairmand, of Raglan, yesterday had the most notable victory of his career. Photo / Alan Gibson

Raglan surfer Billy Stairmand's shock win yesterday over 10 times world champion Kelly Slater at a pro event in Western Australia should propel him into the top 50 surfers in the world.

In the biggest victory of his surfing career, the 21-year-old went into the event ranked 58th in the world. New Zealand has not had a top 50 surfer since Maz Quinn (Gisborne) in 2002.

Stairmand fronted up to the American surfer, described as the best surfer ever, in the 30 minute showdown at Western Australia's Margaret River. He eventually eclipsed the American in the head to head match up 16.50 to 15.50 out of a possible 20 points in the massive 3m swells pummelling the coastline.

"It's crazy, got the biggest smile I ever had right now" said a disbelieving Stairmand.

Stairmand was clearly hunting the lefthanders after growing up on the world famous waves at Raglan and surfing lefts every day.

"I went out trying to look for lefts then got a right hander at the start of the heat but that one lefthander I got had two big sections on it and formed up perfectly for me."

The wave described by Stairmand scored a near perfect 9 points for the two big turns and put Kelly Slater on the ropes. Sure enough Slater came back strong and surfing an excellent wave in the dying stages, came up with an 8 point ride to hand Stairmand the win.

Showing his cool or perhaps the gravity of the situation, Stairmand was not too worried about Slater's last wave when asked about the contest.

"It was a littler wave, I wasn't worried really, to have a man-on-man heat with him is crazy. I was having fun with Kelly Slater out there. It didn't matter if he got that wave and beat me but to actually beat him here is a dream come true."

Slater was sombre in defeat. "It wasn't my day, I was one paddle away from that 9 point ride that Billy caught," Slater said.

"When you haven't got a 9 point ride in three previous heats, it is pretty hard to get one in three minutes. But I had a chance on that last wave, it just wasn't to be."

Stairmand comes up against American ASP World Tour surfers Damien Hobgood and Patrick Gudauskas in the next round.

Only 12 surfers remain in the US$285,000 ($365,000) event which is one tier below the World Championship Tour events. The event ends today.

Stairmand's travelling companion Richard Christie (Mahia) was unable to make it a Kiwi double after he was eliminated by two times ASP World Champion Mick Fanning 13.70 to 10 to place 13th.