Top surfers ease through heats

Richard Christie. Photo / Alan Gibson

New Zealand's top three internationally ranked surfers all progressed through their heats on the third day of the national championships at Piha yesterday.

Richard Christie (Gisborne), ranked 43rd in the world, and Billy Stairmand (Raglan), ranked 79th, drew each other in their first heat but easily progressed, Christie getting the nod over Stairmand this time around.

"I am stoked to beat Bill for sure," said Christie. "It was fun out there, I got into a rhythm early on and held the lead."

Christie is off to Brazil in 10 days where he will start his international campaign and attempt to better his ranking. This event, while important domestically, also doubles as a warm-up for the coming international season for Christie.

"It is good to get back into competitive mode after a break, get the routine going again and get a feel for making it through the heats."

Stairmand, who had to settle for second scoring 12.83 to Christie's 14.57, admitted to struggling with the strong offshore winds but was happy with his performance.

"We always end up in the same heats overseas and then we come back here and get each other again but it is good to surf with him."

Both have a national title each and will hope to match Jay Quinn who has two to his name. "Hopefully we make it through the early rounds and see each other in the final with one of us getting a second title," said Stairmand.

The man they are chasing, Quinn (Gisborne), was in equally devastating form winning his heat despite a slow start.

"It was a good result in the end but such a slow start for me. It was hard with the incoming tide and the wind," said Quinn. "I haven't had a look who I have next but I know that Billy and Ric are on the other side of the draw so if I meet them at all it will be in the final."

Of the locally based New Zealand surfers it was a resurgent Bobby Hansen (Gisborne) who made a successful three-heat comeback to move into the quarter-finals.

Hansen has been battling injuries for much of his career and in 2011 had further surgery on his shoulder.

But his form suggests he is at 100 per cent after surfing to the highest heat score of the day - 18.10 out of 20 points.