A top-10 finish on the QS guarantees qualification to the Championship Tour. However, if a surfer requalifies by way of a top-22 finish on the CT as well, the next best QS surfer is promoted.
Christie finished in 16th place on the ladder in 2014, but because a number of those above him had already requalified on the CT, he was promoted for the 2015 campaign.
It was clear from his opening heat in the Ballito Pro that the Kiwi had arrived with his eyes on the prize, winning his opening heat with a two-wave combined total of 13.04 and eliminating current CT surfer Pat Gudauskas in the process.
He continued to be one of the stand out performers of the event as the money rounds drew closer - winning his heats in round three, four and five to reach the quarterfinals.
With an average heat total of 13.02 before the quarterfinals, Christie went into battle against Australian Jack Freestone.
Christie had gotten the better of Freestone in round four, but being a three-man heat a second-place finish there was enough for Freestone to press on. It was a different story in the quarterfinal, with the Kiwi falling agonisingly short.
With Freestone counting a 6.17 and a 7.17, Christie was left searching for a 6.68 to pair with his 6.67 to win the heat but could only find a 6.17 before the final horn sounded. Freestone went on to finish make the final, where he was beaten by Brazilian Peterson Crisanto.
Christie will now look to continue his charge toward to CT later this month, when the QS returns to Huntington Beach, California, for the Vans US Open - where he reached the quarter-finals in 2017 before losing to eventual competition winner Kanoa Igarashi of Japan.
