Mount Maunganui's Ant McColl is the fifth place getter in the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour – completed at the weekend at the fifth and final tour event held at Port Waikato.
At the weekend he was knocked out in the semifinals by eventual third and fourth place getters Daniel Proctor from Gisborne and Thomas Kibblewhite from Auckland. These were the best placed Kiwis at the event, with the overseas longboard riders too good.
Ant McColl was knocked out in the semifinals at Port Waikato. He finished fifth overall in the tour. Photo by PhotoCPL.
In first and second were American Taylor Jensen, who won the event, and Australian Josh Constable won the overall tour – the first time an international surfer has achieved the feat.
The final day of the tour started out in clean 1m waves before the West Coast yet again turned into a raging ocean with waves in excess of 2m hitting the shoreline. The rain put a dampener on much of the day but the action in the water was spectacular.
After winning three events from three this year, tour champion Josh had to settle for second place today after Taylor surfed to a 15.50 point heat total in the final.
Taylor only rode the two waves in the final and had to sit out the last four minutes on the beach waiting to see what Josh had left in the tank. Sure enough with 10 seconds remaining and lady luck seemingly on Josh's side, he stroked into a massive wall of water and proceeded to ride the wave to the beach with re-entry after re-entry, stepping off on the sand. However, the 9.50 point ride required for first proved too much for the Australian with his last wave coming in at 7.5.
For Taylor it will be sweet revenge after an average campaign at Sandy Bay at the start of February and then again getting beaten by Josh at Mount Maunganui two weeks ago. Josh on the other hand will still go home more than stoked on his performance over the past two months.
Josh won the first event at Piha before missing the national championships in Dunedin due to ineligibility. He then came back to win the Sandy Bay and Mount Maunganui events before placing second today.
For the Kiwis it was Thomas Kibblewhite from Orewa who placed the highest in the Port Waikato event – coming third. This result means he finished runner up on the 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour.
Thomas, who was the only Kiwi to win an event on the tour this year – the National Championships, equals his best ever year-end rating of second, one place higher than both 2009 and 2010 where he finished in third.
Finishing the Port Waikato final in fourth was Daniel Procter from Gisborne. He was stoked to place in the final after an indifferent year results wise.
Australian Georgia Young claimed the second of three wins for the international surfers winning the women's longboard division.
After the win and the shock early elimination of ratings front runners Shelley Jones from Auckland and Hannah Howard from Orewa, the ratings race was close, but Georgia fell 15 points short of Shelley to finish second overall.
In the final at Port Waikato it was Anna Jolly from Piha who led for much of the 25 minutes before succumbing to Georgia and finishing in second. Sasha Brownlee from Auckland placed third in the final with Alexis Poulter in fourth place.
Australian Nic Jones returned to Port Waikato after winning the first junior men's event of the tour to claim his second win of the year. He scored a convincing 13.40 point heat total to win the final over Hone Douglas from Ohope who finished second scoring 11.40.
The second placing was enough for Hone to clinch the 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour – his first ever series title. In the final today, Matt Craig from Ohope placed third ahead of Joseph Stewart of Whakatane in fourth.
The over 40 men's division was a low scoring match up that was won by local surfer David Craddock who was surfing in his first event of the year. Craddock got off to a great start scoring a 5.0 point ride before the conditions deteriorated. The tour championship was already determined on day one when Brian Young from Orewa entered the water and was consequently eliminated from the event. However, the results of the final were crowd pleasing for the determined few that stuck out the torrential rain all afternoon to see their hometown hero deliver the goods. Steve Tyro of Raglan placed second in the final to hold down second place on the ratings while Tatana Heke from Mount Maunganui finished in third place ahead of Dave Burbage of Whangamata.
Grant Cochrane travelled north from his devastated home in Christchurch with two missions on his mind; win the over 50s division at the final event and hold off Viv Treacy, the ratings leader to third place at best. Grant came close to taking everything home after winning the final but his closest opponent Viv held on to second place despite an agonising four minute wait on the beach as his opponents tried in vein to move into runner up. Their efforts were fruitless with Mike Thomson from Raglan finishing third and David Storck of Piha finishing in fourth.
Daniel Kereopa from Raglan claimed his fourth victory in five events in the stand up paddleboard division romping home with the highest heat score of the entire event. Kereopa scored near perfect 9.25 and 8.0 point rides for a 17.25 point heat total. The national champion already had the ratings sewn up and the win today was simply the icing on the cake for the Tour. Placing second in the final was Shayne Baxter from Christchurch who was left requiring a combination of scores to catch Kereopa with local surfer Damon Mark from Port Waikato in third and Robert Hawkins of Raglan in fourth.
Raglan's Arnie Armstrong battled courageously in the massive seas to be the first paddler to complete the 2km course and tackle the heavy shore dump successfully. Armstrong took the come from behind win after race leader Jeremy Stephenson from Auckland came unstuck in the waves and lost his paddle. By way of his win, Arnie also jumped to first overall for the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour to be crowned ‘King of the Waves' ahead of Jeremy. Queenstown surfer Mike Stewart placed second in today's race with Gisborne's Sean Hovell in third and Jeremy in fourth.
Men's Longboard Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Morgan Bramely (Whtane), 8.15, 1, Daniel Proctor (Gis), 7.1, 2, Matt Cockayne (Mngwhai), 6.95, 3, Kelly Ryan (Gis), 6.65, 4
Heat 2
Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), 10.4, 1, Ant McColl (Mnt), 6.85, 2, Leroy Rust (Dun), 5.5, 3, Nic Jones (Sunshine Coast, Aus), 5.25, 4
Heat 3
Taylor Jensen (USA), 15.25, 1, Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), 11.5, 2, Sam Johnson (GIS), 9.85, 3, Owen Barnes (Mnt), 9.25, 4
Heat 4
Josh Constable (Aust), 15.25, 1, Phil Morris (Auck), 12.25, 2, Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 11.35, 3, Wyn Hoogerbrugger (Kaukapakapa), 7.35, 4
Men's Longboard Semifinals
Heat 1
Daniel Proctor (Gis), 10.3, 1, Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), 9.6, 2, Ant McColl (Mnt), 4.55, 3, Morgan Bramley (Whtane), 4.25, 4
Heat 2
Josh Constable (Aust), 16, 1, Taylor Jensen (USA), 13.7, 2, Phil Morris (Auck), 8.9, 3, Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), 7.1, 4
Men's Longboard Final
Taylor Jensen (USA), 15.5, 1, Josh Constable (Aust), 13.50, 2, Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), 9.25, 3, Daniel Proctor (Gis), 5.90, 4
Women's Longboard Semifinals
Heat 1
Alexis Poulter (Rag), 7, 1, Georgia Young (Aust), 4.85, 2, Denise Piper (Whngrei), 2.6, 3, Anna Gooding (Tau), 2.4, 4
Heat 2
Sasha Brownlie (Auck), 6.25, 1, Anna Jolly (Piha), 4.8, 2, Kelsi Efford (Mt), 3, 3, Nava Young (Aust), 2.4, 4
Women's Longboard Final
Georgia Young (Aust), 9.0, 1, Anna Jolly (Piha), 7.4, 2, Sasha Brownlie (Auck), 3.90, 3, Alexis Poulter (Rag), 3, 4
Junior Men's Longboard Semifinals
Heat 1
Hone Douglas (Whtane), 10.8, 1, Matt Craig (Whtane), 6.55, 2, Sam Bound (Tara), 2.65, 3
Heat 2
Nic Jones (Aust), 11.2, 1, Joseph Stewart (Whtane), 5.65, 2, Blake Barnfield (Ohope), 3.95, 3
Junior Men's Longboard Final
Nic Jones (Aust), 13.4, 1, Hone Douglas (Whtane), 11.4, 2, Matt Craig (Whtane), 6.35, 3, Joseph Stewart (Whtane), 3.05
Over 40 Men's Longboard Semifinals
Heat 1
David Craddock (Auck), 8.25, 1, Tatana Heke (Mnt), 4.75, 2, Brian Young (Orewa), 4.65, 3, Simon Shepard (Auck), 2.15, 4
Heat 2
Steve Tyro (Rag), 8.05, 1, Dave Burbage (Whmata), 4.85, 2, Pete Taylor (Whangaparaoa), 2.6, 3, Murray Lowe (Mnt), 2.05, 4
Over 40 Men's Longboard Final
David Craddock (Auck), 7.2, 1, Steve Tyro (Rag), 6.35, 2, Tatana Heke (Mnt), 5.85, 3, Dave Burbage (Whmata), 3.65, 4
Over 50 Men's Semifinals
Heat 1
Mike Thomson (Rag), 6.3, 1, David Storck (Auck), 5.6, 2, Rob Bayes (Auck), 5.4, 3, Shane Murrell (Auck), 3.2, 4
Heat 2
Grant Cochrane (ChCh), 8.6, 1, Viv Treacy (Ocean Beach), 7.95, 2, Paul Browne (Orewa), 4.7, 3, Ian Parker (Auck), 3.95, 4
Over 50 Men's Final
Grant Cochrane (ChCh), 9.15, 1, Viv Treacy (Ocean Beach), 6.45, 2, Mike Thomson (Rag), 5.45, 3, David Storck (Auck), 4.1, 4
Stand Up Paddleboard Semifinals
Heat 1
Damon Mark (Auck), 9.25, 1, Robert Hawkins (Rag), 8.35, 2, Jeremy Stephenson (Auck), 7.3, 3, Sean Hovell (Gis), 5.75, 4
Heat 2
Shayne Baxter (ChCh), 10.1, 1, Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 7.8, 2, Shane Murrell (Auck), 5.75, 3, Lynden Kennings (Whgmata), 4.7, 4
Stand Up Paddleboard Final
Daniel Kereopa (Rag), 17.25, 1, Shayne Baxter (ChCh), 11, 2, Damon Mark (Auck), 7.5, 3, Robert Hawkins (Rag), 3.15, 4
Stand Up Paddleboard Race
Armie Armstrong (Rag), 1, Mike Stewart (Qtown), 2, Sean Hovell (Gis), 3, Jeremy Stephenson (Auck), 4
Tour Final Result
Men's Longboard Division Top 5
1, Josh Constable (Aust)
2, Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck)
3, Phil Morris (Auck)
4, Matt Cockayne (Mngwhai)
5, Ant McColl (Mnt)
Women's Longboard Division Top 5
1, Shelly Jones (Auck)
2, Georgia Young (Aust)
3, Hannah Howard (Auck)
4, Nava Young (Aust)
5, Sasha Brownlie (Auck)
Junior Men's Longboard Division Top 5
1, Hone Douglas (Whtane)
2, Joseph Stewart (Whtane)
3, Matt Craig (Whtane)
4, Blake Barnfield (Ohope)
5, Sam Bound (Tara)
Over 40 Men's Longboard Division Top 5
1, Brian Young (Orewa)
2, Steve Tyro (Rag)
3, Pete Taylor (Whangaparaoa)
4, Mike Thomson (Rag)
5, Michael Willman (ChCh)
Over 50 Men's Longboard Division Top 5
1, Viv Treacy (Ocean Beach)
2, Grant Cochrane (ChCh)
3, Mike Thomson (Rag)
4, David Storck (Auck)
5, Paul Browne (Orewa)
Stand up Paddleboard Division Top 5
1, Daniel Kereopa (Rag)
2, Shayne Baxter (ChCh)
3, Sean Hovell (Gis)
4, Armie Armstrong (Rag)
5, Shane Murrell (Auck)
Stand Up Paddleboard Race Top 5
1, Armie Armstrong (Rag)
2, Jeremy Stephenson (Auck)
3, Sean Hovell (Gis)
4, Troy Huston (Auck)
5, Shane Murrell (Auck)
0 comments
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.