Surfing: Outsider Stairmand steals the show in Gisborne surf

Raglan's Billy Stairmand was the odd man out entering the open men's division final at the national surfing championships in Gisborne yesterday.

But it did not stop him winning the title for the first time ahead of three finalist from Gisborne as he saw off the experienced Maz Quinn, Richard Christie and Morehu Roberts.

Stairmand posted 16.67 out of a possible 20 points, remarkably registering the scores within the first four minutes of the 30-minute final.

He caught the first right-hander to post a 6.5, paddled back out and caught a left under his three opponents' noses. He then belted the lip of the wave through to the inside to post a 9.0 point ride.

"I was lucky to get those first two waves, I hassled Morehu for the first wave and then paddled back out and got the next wave to push me way into the lead before anyone had even caught a wave. It just happened like that," Stairmand, 20, said.

The unexpected start left the others to battle for the minor spoils, with Christie eventually finishing second, Quinn third and Roberts fourth.

Mt Maunganui's Laura Rishworth won the open women's final, scoring 12.10 to beat three young opponents in Grace Spiers, of Whangamata, second, Gisborne's Jayda Martin-Fitzharris, third, and Ella Williams, of Whangamata, fourth.

The average age of the women's finalists was only 16 and 20-year-old Rishworth proved that age does have its benefits.

"It was good surfing with the younger girls and watching them step it up, but I wanted to surf my best and make sure that the oldest surfer in the final won ... ," she said.

- NZPA