One hundred Kiwi surfers across seven divisions will be carving up the waves at Waimarama Beach in the Hawkes Bay for the Backdoor BayBash this weekend.

The combined New Zealand Pro Series and Grom Series event will feature several Bay surfers who've recently returned home from representing New Zealand overseas.

There is a significant south swell building through Sunday which will be accompanied by strong southerly winds. The primary venue is Waimarama Beach but if the surf is big enough, the righthand point break at Te Awanga could come in to play on Sunday.

The Open Men's Division will see Mount Maunganui surfer Matt Hewitt, who represented New Zealand at the ISA World Surfing Games in Costa Rica during August, go into the event as the number one seed.

While Kiwi dual representative Raiha Ensor will spearhead the Open Women's Division, and fellow Mount surfers Jonas Tawharu and Lee Ririnui, plus Ohope's Jared Gebert are also back from the World Junior Championships and will compete for one last time this year.

Five of the seven divisions being contested see the ratings battle already decided after dominant performances earlier in the year.

Whangamata surfer Ella Williams has already claimed the title in the Open Women's Division after winning her first national title to start her year and then going on to win the Rip Curl Pro held in April.

Gisborne's Maz Quinn has also secured his fourth straight series title after winning the Rip Curl Pro at Raglan and the Go Pro Canterbury Champs earlier in the year, along with a third placing at the Billabong National Championships held in Dunedin.

In the junior divisions, Tawharau has been too strong in the Under 17 Boys Division, so too has his sister Elin Tawharu who's has already put her name on the title for the U17 Girls Division, while Georgia Wederell easily claimed the U14 Girls Division which is not being contested this weekend.

The two titles that are up for grabs this weekend are the U20 Girls Division and the U 14 Boys Division.

The Backdoor BayBash is an extension of the successful Backdoor GromBash event that's been held at Raglan for the past three years. This is the third time the event has been held in the Hawkes Bay.

The Backdoor BayBash takes place atWaimarama Beach/ Te Awanga in the Hawkes Bay on Saturdany and Sunday, October 29-30, from 8am to 5pm daily.

For more information visit Surfing New Zealand's website at: www.surfingnz.co.nz

RANKINGS:

Open Men's Division
1 - Maz Quinn (Gis)
2 - JC Susan (Dun)
3 - Billy Stairmand (Rag)
4 - Matt-Lewis Hewitt (Mnt)
5 - Daniel Farr (Tara)
6 - Harrison Whiteside (ChCh)
7 - Sam Sands (Chch)
8 - Taylor Hutchison (Rag)
9 - Zen Wallis (Piha)
10 - Jack Wilson (Chch)

Open Women's Division
1 - Ella Williams (Whmata)
2 - Britt Kindred (Mur)
3 - Elin Tawharu (Mnt)
4 - Raiha Ensor (Mnt)
5 - Kea Smith (Mnt)
6 - Billie Scott (Whangarei)
7 - Zhana Hutchieson (Tara)
8 - Tiana-Breeze de Mooij (Mnt)
9 - Marguerite Vujich (Napier)
10 - Georgia Wederell (Chch)

Under 20 Boys Division
1 - Taylor Hutchison (Rag)
2 - Callum Chuter (Tau)
3 - Harrison Whiteside (ChCh)
4 - Andrew Fraser - MacKenzie (Tau)
5 - Jack Wilson (Chch)

Under 17 Boys Division
1 - Jonas Tawharu (Mnt)
2 - Elliott Brown (Dun)
3 - Jared Gebert (Ohope)
3 - Dylan Preston (Whmata)
5 - Lee Ririnui (Mnt)

Under 14 Boys Division
1 - Tom Robinson (Whngrei)
2 - Myka Black (Chch)
3 - Ruben Peyroux (Dun)
4 - Maddy Barclay (Oamaru)
5 - Taylor O'Leary (Mur)

Under 20 Girls Division
1 - Britt Kindred (Muri)
2 - Claudia Fraser (Auck)
4 - Bianca Sansom (Auck)
5 - Indica Ratima (Rag)

Under 17 Girls Division
1 - Elin Tawharu (Mnt)
2 - Raiha Ensor (Mnt)
3 - Tiana - Breeze de Mooj (Mnt)
4 - Maaia Reid - Bennett (Mnt)
5 - Billie Scott (Whangarei)