The Auahi Kore Maori Surfing Team will leave for Tonga tomorrow to compete in the Oceania Surfing Cup, an annual event that the Maori teams have been attending for the past 6 years.
The event was initiated in Fiji, but for the past 2 years it has been held in Tonga and for the 3rd consecutive year will be hosted by the Tongan Surfing Association.
The Maori team have 3 consecutive wins to their credit, and a total of 4 wins in the 6-year history of the event.
"Each year it gets more and more difficult for us to defend the cup,"said Surfing New Zealand Maori Co ordinator Steve Ria (Rongowhakaata).
"Some very talented competitors from Tonga, Fiji, New Caledonia, and Norfolk Island are starting to emerge."
The 2003 New Zealand National Open Women's Champion, Jess Terrill (Ngati Rahiri) will be the most senior surfer of the group. This is Terrill's 3rd year in the Maori team. She has won the Oceania Open Women's title twice and will be looking to retain the title for the 3rd time.
South Island surfer Leilani Morgan will join Terrill in the Open Women's division. Morgan currently leads the South Island Circuit and was acclaimed the most improved Maori female surfer in last year's Surfing New Zealand Awards.
Open Men's representatives Jason Zimmerman and Jamie Andrews (Atiawa) are both very powerful surfers who were born and bred on the point breaks off Taranaki. The pair should find the waves in Tonga to their liking as they push over coral reef and peel in similar fashion to their home breaks.
Andrews will double as the teams longboard representative. He was runner up at last year's Maori Surfing Titles.
This is the first time a longboard section has been included in the event and is an opportunity for competitors to hone their skills before the South Pacific Games which begin in Fiji in late June.
Jesse Bramley (Ohope) is the youngest member of the team and is the junior representative. Although only a Cadet (under 16) Bramley has competed on the New Zealand Grommet circuit since he was 12 years old.
The official welcome for surfers on Saturday night will include a traditional kava ceremony, Tongan dancing and cultural activities.
Sunday is a lay-day and the contest will start Monday if the surf is favourable. The event has a 5-day time frame to allow for the best conditions and will conclude on Saturday 26 April.
Surfing: Maori team ready to defend Oceania Cup
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