Entries Flowing In And International Interest Builds For The 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour
For immediate release
23rd December 2010
From: Surfing New Zealand
Sport: Longboard Surfing
Series: 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour
Date: 8th – 9th January 2011
Location: Piha Beach, Auckland
Event Info: Surfing New Zealand and Hyundai
Entries Flowing In And International Interest Builds For The 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour
The 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour roars into action in less than one month with the first event set to take place at Piha Beach, Auckland on the 8th – 9th January.
Entries from surfers throughout New Zealand have been flowing in. A big rise in interest from Australia’s top longboarders has also been noticed in recent weeks with the likelihood that the first event of the tour will play host to several top international competitors.
“We have been fielding calls from Australia almost daily about the tour. Just this week, 2006 ASP World Champion Josh Constable got in touch and said that he was looking at coming out for the first event of the tour” said Surfing New Zealand CEO Greg Townsend adding “I think we will see the level of surfing jump to new heights in 2011 and I am looking forward to the Tour kicking off in less than three weeks time.”
It will be the first time that Piha has been part of the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour in the six years that it has been running.
Famous for big waves and westerly winds, Piha may show another side this summer with the La Nina weather pattern set to offer up easterly quarter winds making conditions clean should the swell cooperate at Piha. This will set up an amazing platform for the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour to kick off in style at the first event.
Six divisions will be contested on the tour – Open Men, Women, Junior Men (under 18), Over 40, Over 50 and SUP. The 2011 Tour will also see a SUP Paddle Race take place for the first time during the event.
The Piha event is promptly followed by the Hyundai National Surfing Championships at Dunedin which start four days later (13th January). No doubt a mass exodus of surfers will occur with fleets of surfboard-laden vehicles hitting State Highway 1 during the 3 days between the two events.
To foster the competitive nature amongst the top echelon of the Open Men’s Division, the 2011 Tour winner will also receive an all expenses paid trip to Australia and entry into the Noosa Surf Festival – one of the three other ASP LQS events held in the region.
The best surfing family in New Zealand will again feature in 2011. Throughout the tour, families that enter Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour events will go into the draw to win New Zealand’s most popular diesel family wagon, the Santa Fe for a year at the end of the season. This further promotes the fantastic family atmosphere that the tour is renowned for, while still retaining that brutally competitive nature of the key divisions.
Hyundai will continue to bring the relaxed family orientated surf event to the beach. The raffles will be back again in 2011 with Stand Up Paddleboards up for grabs and proceeds from the raffles being donated to the local Boardriders clubs. Initiatives such as this ensure that while having a competitive side to them, the events also offer a lot to the host surf communities.
The complete calendar of events for the 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour follows:
Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 1, 8-9 January, Piha (4-star)
Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 2, 13-16 January, Dunedin (5-star)
Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 3, 4-6 February, Sandy Bay (SNZ 6-star / ASP LQS 1-star)
Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 4, 19-20 February, Mount Maunganui (4-star)
Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 5, 4-5 March, Port Waikato (6-star)
Entry into the events can be completed at Surfing New Zealand under events. Complete the entry process online or download entry forms and send them in. The 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour is expected to receive high entry levels so entrants will need to be in well before the cut off dates to assure themselves a slice of the action.
Past Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour champions are set out below.
Open Men
2006 – Michael Fitzharris (Gis)
2007 – Daniel Kereopa (Rag)
2008 – Daryn Mcbride (Mnt)
2009 – Michael Burling (Gis)
2010 – Dylan Barnfield (Ohope)
Women
2006 – Pauline Pullman (Sandy Bay)
2007 – Anna Jolly (Piha)
2008 – Daisy Thomas (Chch)
2009 – Daisy Thomas (Chch)
2010 – Daisy Thomas (Chch)
Over 40
2006 – Brendon Young (HBay)
2007 – Michael Thomson (Rag)
2008 – Michael Thomson (Rag)
2009 – Lynden Kennings (WGM)
2010 – Grant Cochrane (Chch)
Over 50
2006 – David Storck (Piha)
2007 – Michael Thomson (Rag)
2008 – Viv Treacy (Whangarei)
2009 – David Storck (Piha)
2010 – Mike Thomson (Rag)
Junior Men
2006 – Dylan Barnfield (Ohope)/Kirk Beyer (Wgtn)
2007 – Dylan Barnfield (Ohope)
2008 – Sam Guthrie (Mnt)
2009 – Sam Guthrie (Mnt)
2010 – Jackson Winter (Noosa, Aus)
Stand Up Paddleboard
2010 – Shayne Baxter (Chch)
Further Information
For further information on the 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour please contact Surfing New Zealand’s Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz. Alternatively contact Hyundai Sponsorship Coordinator Lily Clark on 0272886780 or email lclark@hyundai.co.nz.
Imagery
Web clips and newsfeeds will be distributed free of charge from each event. Please contact Ben Kennings for further details.
High resolution action images of the surfing at all events on the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour will be available to media free of charge upon request.
Event Hotline
The Surfing New Zealand event hotline is 0211134506. This will be updated daily at approximately 7am with venue, divisions contested and conditions.
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