Surfing: Surfers to take on best in the world

Daniel Kereopa with the trophy his brother Aaron has carved for the Surf Sessions. Picture / Richard Robinson

New Zealand surfing is set for the ride of its life next month with four of the world's top competitors, Andy Irons, Sunny Garcia, Mark Occhilupo and Joel Parkinson confirmed for the inaugural Surf Sessions.

Hot off the ASP World Championship Tour, the international legends will take on four of New Zealand's best - Daniel Kereopa, Maz and Jay Quinn and Bobby Hansen - in a head-to-head competition at Piha on October 22.

The event would put New Zealand on the international surfing map, said Surfing NZ executive officer Greg Townsend.

Not only would it lift competitive surfing locally, it would boost the profiles of the top Kiwis worldwide,

"We're stoked. Never before has a group of this calibre visited New Zealand to compete. Combined they will be the most potent force competitive surfing has seen in New Zealand."

Hawaiian Irons, the three-times defending world champion who recently took another step toward defending his title with a win in Japan, said he was looking forward to helping put something back into the sport.

"I'm also really amped to be visiting New Zealand for the first time. I've heard it's an awesome place to surf."

Occhilupo, of Australia, is eyeing retirement at the end of the year and this could be the last time he competes in this part of the world.

Garcia, of Hawaii, was the 2000 world champion and is renowned for his powerhouse surfing style.

Parkinson, an Australian, is from the new school of surfing and was runner-up on the World Championship Tour last year and in 2002.

Raglan's Kereopa has been the overall winner of the Surfing New Zealand Pro Series three times in the last four years.

Gisborne-born Quinn is New Zealand's most successful surfer and the only Kiwi to have made it on the World Championship Tour (in 2002). His brother Jay became the country's first world junior champion in 2001 and since then has been travelling the world competing on the World Qualifying Series. Also from Gisborne is Hansen, an up-and-coming competitor who at the age of 16 became the only surfer to win three titles at one event.

To help acclimatise, the surfers will take part in an expression session on October 21 at Raglan.

The surfers will compete for a trophy board designed by Kereopa's brother Aaron, featuring Tawhirimatea, Maori god of the elements, winds, storms and tempests.