Surfing: Top surfing pulls crowds to Piha

If anyone needed convincing of the pulling power of world-ranked surfers, the 15,000 who braved dodgy weather at Piha to watch New Zealand take on the world provided the evidence.

New Zealand surfers Maz Quinn, Daniel Kereopa, Bobby Hansen and Morehu Roberts took on world team Andy Irons, Mark Occhilupo, Sunny Garcia and Joel Parkinson in the Vodafone Surf Sessions. The World team won the overall competition, scoring 60 points compared to New Zealand's 50, but it was the skills of the four world surfers that really made waves.

Cars were turned away from 2pm when parking at the West Coast beach reached its limit. Some people apparently even parked at nearby Karekare Beach, some 10km away, and walked in.

The first round of four heats was a tie, with Quinn, Kereopa and Irons winning their heats. The second round, a tag-team competition, saw Andy Irons seal the victory for his team. Irons nailed the highest wave of the round, scoring a 9.0 out of a possible 10 and stole the hearts of the crowd with a number of phenomenal moves.

The conditions at Piha were contestable with waves of one metre and the rain holding off. Early in the competition, Irons treated the capacity crowd to the awesome sight of an aerial manoeuvre to score 9.8. However, the New Zealand team wasn't to be eclipsed when Quinn executed some powerful turns, producing a ton of spray.

At the prize-giving after the competition, surf legend Sunny Garcia said he was amazed with the hospitality the world team had received since arriving in New Zealand.

"We don't even get treated this way on the ASP World Tour," said Garcia. He also said that with the crowd's support, he was sure the New Zealand surfers could go a long way internationally.

Irons, the current world champion, said it had been the most generous crowd he'd surfed in front of and added he was looking forward to returning to New Zealand.

Quinn said: "This is the most people I've seen at a surfing event anywhere in the world."

Greg Townsend, chief executive of Surfing New Zealand, said the event's success is sure to help attract the world's top surfers to our shores.

The World team won a trophy board designed by Aaron Kereopa, Daniel's brother, featuring the Maori god of the elements in its design.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY