Surfing: Quinn takes national title

Gisborne's Maz Quinn moved further into the New Zealand surfing hall of fame, winning the 2006 Hyundai National Surfing Championships at The Bluff, Ninety Mile Beach yesterday.

With a 1m swell, full tide and light winds on offer, Quinn scored 15.85 for his total heat score, which included an excellent backhand ride of 8.10, after he completed three huge turns on one of the biggest waves of the day. The ocean almost went flat after his last wave and left the remaining three competitors struggling to make any headway.

Quinn said he felt the final went to his game plan. "Everything went to plan out there - apart from falling off on my first wave. I had to put that behind me and live in the now and concentrate on what was ahead. I managed to stay patient and get the bigger waves that I knew I could get the scores on.

"My last wave, that bigger left-hander, was definitely a result of my patience."

Posed the question of the highly touted match-up with Raglan rival Daniel Kereopa, Quinn was unmoved. "It didn't really play on my mind. We were on either side of the draw so we were never going to meet each other until the final.

"That allowed me to concentrate on my own game plan the whole week and it has paid off."

With his fourth title, Quinn draws level with two other surfers in Wayne Parkes and Alan Byrne and now has to chase down only one surfer - Iain Buchanan - who has six to his name.

Second place went to fellow Gisborne surfer Damon Gunness, who led for the first half of the final. He finished with a total score of 12.90, ahead of Kereopa for whom the Open Men's title remains elusive.

Gunness opted to surf the longer left-handers to the left of the other three surfers and the tactic almost paid off. Kereopa had been the form surfer through the semifinals of the event but could not find the right waves in the final.

Dane Simpson (Gisborne) finished fourth and, while he didn't get the rub of the green in the final, he was happy to be in that company and impressed in his comeback.

The Hyundai Longboard Division match-up between Michael Fitzharris (Gisborne) and Kereopa lived up to all expectations, with the former notching a 6.76 point ride to win.

The Hyundai Open Women's Division, which suffered a lull in the surf, went to New Zealand's sole female on the international tour, Lisa Hurunui of Gisborne.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY