Piha surfer Zen Wallis defended his title at the Emerson’s South Island Championships today (Sunday 21st April), his best result of the year and second career win on the New Zealand Surf Series.
Wallis was joined by 17-year-old Christchurch surfer Estella Hungerford who took out her first ever win in the Open Women’s Division.
The weather turned for the worst on the final day with a southerly front marching up the Otago coastline producing onshore winds but with it, the biggest waves of the three-day event which were in the 1.0m – 1.5m range at St Clair Beach, Dunedin.
Wallis was challenged by two of his younger opponents in the final but finally trumped them with a 14.43 point heat total.
“I have had a lot of close heats this season and I figured my luck was ready to turn soon” said Wallis who was happy with the way he put together his finals performance.
“To come down here and defend my title is special, it was the first time I won a national event last year which was a proud moment for me, but to make it two in a row is even better” he added.
It is the first time Wallis has made it past the quarterfinals this year and the result has pushed him up nine places to sixth overall on the New Zealand Surf Series.
Another Piha surfer in Shane Kraus finished runner up in the final, the 19-year-old surfing to a 13.7 point heat total to edge past local hope Elliott Brown who finished on 12.2 points. Dunedin’s Josh Thickpenny finished in fourth place overall, unable to reenact his feats in the Over 30 Men’s Division which he won earlier in the day.
Hungerford posted an 11.6 point total in the Open Women’s Division final for a comfortable win over an all-South Island cast of surfers.
“In 18s it didn’t go my way earlier in the day, I had one good ride in that final but couldn’t find a backup and lost” said the teenager. “I wanted to win the 18s more but had a bad heat so that fired me up for the Open Women’s” she added of her motivation to win the South Island Champs after making the final on previous occasions but always coming up short of the win.
“I surfed a good heat which I was most happy about. The sets were inconsistent but I waited for them and got a couple” said the quietly spoken goofy footer.
Dunedin surfer Tash Civil finished runner-up in the final ahead of Shani Ayson (Dun) and Anna Hawes (WC) who finished third and fourth respectively.
Wallis was again in action in the Men’s Longboard Division but this time could not produce a winning performance finishing second to the defending champion Hugh Ritchie (Chch). Ritchie finished with an 11.6 point heat total, less than a point clear of Wallis with Stephen Lee (WC) finishing in third and Nick Black (Chch) in fourth.
Elliott Brown produced his winning performance in the Under 20 Boys Division making up for the Open Men’s Final while Taranaki surfer Tom Butland won the Under 18’s, Kaikoura’s Reuben Lyons the Under 16s, and Tao Mouldey (Mnt) getting the double in the Under 14s and 12s.
Double finalist Shani Ayson (Dun) won the Under 20 Girls Division with Georgia Wederell (Mnt) winning the Under 18s, Liv Hayson (Piha) the Under 16s, Misha Peyroux the Under 14s and Chloe Groube the Under 12s.
Almost 200 entries were received for the three day event with the vast majority coming from the South Island surfing community eager to contest the southern-most nationally sanctioned event.
The three day event was hosted by South Coast Boardriders and was dual sanctioned by Surfing New Zealand and the South Island Surfing Association. The event featured 17 divisions ranging from Open Men and Women through to Under 12 Boys and Girls, Longboard, Seniors and Stand Up Paddleboard.
The Emerson’s South Island Surfing Championships is the fourth of seven events on the 2019 New Zealand Surf Series. See below for remaining events:
Exit Surf Men’s Canterbury Championships, Christchurch (mobile) – 26-28 April
Backdoor Oceanbridge Manu Bay Pro, Raglan – 3-5 May
Backdoor BayBash, location TBC – 16-17 November
The event is also part of the New Zealand Grom Series and the New Zealand Longboard Series.
Please see below for results from the Emerson’s South Island Championships completed at St Clair Beach Dunedin today (Sunday 21st April 2019).
Open Men’s Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Zen Wallis (Piha), 11.6, 1, Josh Thickpenny (Dun), 11.3, 2, Jack Wilson (Chch), 9.73, 3, Harrison Whiteside (Chch), 7.77, 4
Heat 2
Elliott Brown (Dun), 12.9, 1, Shane Kraus (Piha), 9.87, 2, Conor McLennan (Chch), 9.3, 3, Thomas Harcourt (Chch), 6.97, 4
Open Men’s Division Finals
Zen Wallis (Piha), 14.43, 1, Shane Kraus (Piha), 13.7, 2, Elliott Brown (Dun), 12.2, 3, Josh Thickpenny (Dun), 6.8, 4
Open Women’s Division Semifinals
Heat 1
Anna Hawes (WC), 9.53, 1, Shani Ayson (Dun), 9.5, 2, Georgia Wederell (Mnt), 7.67, 3
Heat 2
Estella Hungerford (Chch), 12.3, 1, Tash Civil (Dun), 8.5, 2, Hayley Coakes (Dun), 7.23, 3
Open Women’s Division Final
Estella Hungerfrd (Chch), 11.6, 1, Tash Civil (Dun), 7.83, 2, Shani Ayson (Dun), 7.67, 3, Anna Hawes (WC), 6.43, 4
Over 30 Men’s Division Final
Josh Thickpenny (Dun), 9.77, 1, Dane Robertson (Kaik), 7.6, 2, Damian Phillips (Dun), 7.5, 3, Luke Murphy (Dun), 5.6, 4
Over 45 Men’s Division Final
Matt Groube (Pau), 14.4, 1, Richard Ayson (Dun), 14.3, 2, Lyndon Fairbairn (Dun), 12.8, 3, Justin Summerton (Dun)), 8.03, 4
Senior Women’s Division Final
Hayley Coakes (Dun), 8.93, 1, Tash Civil (Dun), 8.1, 2, Jane Schofield (Dun), 5.5, 3, Lucy Te Moananui (Kaik), 5.03, 4
Men’s Longboard Division Final
Hugh Ritchie (Chch), 11.57, 1, Zen Wallis (Piha), 10.93, 2, Nick Black (Chch), 7.23, 3, Stephen Lee (WC), 7.77, 4
Women’s Longboard Division Final
Donna Henderson (Chch), 11.7, 1, Anna Hawes (WC), 9.17, 2, Kath Evydean (Chch), 7.37, 3, Mikaya Dyer (Dun), 7.33, 4
Stand Up Paddleboard Division Final
Blair Cooke (Chch), 9.9, 1, Dion Findlay (WC), 9, 2, Steev Peyroux (Dun), 6.77, 3, Sam Loader (Chch), 5.73, 4
Under 20 Boys Division Final
Elliott Brown (Dun), 13.4, 1, Conor McLennan (Chch), 11.7, 2, Shane Kraus (Piha), 11.1, 3, Jack McLeod (Dun), 10.9, 4
Under 20 Girls Division Final
Shani Ayson (Dun), 10.5, 1, Ava Henderson (Chch), 7.87, 2, Anna Brock (Mnt), 7, 3, Lydia Hawes (WC), 4.89, 4
Under 18 Girls Division Final
Georgia Wederell (Mnt), 12.3, 1, Tegen Bishop (Chch), 6.6, 2, Estella Hungerford (Chch), 5.9, 3, Liv Haysom (Piha), 5.67, 4
Under 18 Boys Division Final
Tom Butland (Tara), 13.8, 1, Ruben Peyroux (Dun), 11, 2, Taylor O’Leary (Mur), 9.77, 3, Reuben Lyons (Kaik), 7.13, 4
Under 16 Boys Division Final
Reuben Lyons (Kaik), 11, 1, James Millar (Chch), 9.73, 2, Tom Butland (Tara), 8.57, 3, Luke Rogers (Dun), 5.8, 4
Under 16 Girls Division Final
Liv Haysom (Piha), 9.23, 1, Anika Ayson (Dun), 9.2, 2, Ava Henderson (Chch), 8.1, 3, Anna Brock (Mnt), 6.37, 4
Under 14 Girls Division Final
Misha Peyroux (Dun), 12.8, 1, Blaise Lyons (Kaik), 7.3, 2, Chloe Groube (Pau), 3.76, 3, Tessa Gabbott (Dun), 2.9, 4
Under 14 Boys Division Final
Tao Mouldey (Mnt), 10.8, 1, Campbell Heasley (Chch), 7.7, 2, Jake Owen (Dun), 5.56, 3, Jack Mckenzie (Chch), 5.13, 4
Under 12 Boys Division Final
Tao Mouldey (Mnt), 14.2, 1, Alexis Owen (Dun), 11.9, 2, Sonny Lyons (Kaik), 6.83, 3, Lewis Murphy (Dun), 6.33, 4
Under 12 Girls Division Final
Chloe Groube (Pau), 10.7, 1, Amelie Clark (Chch), 6.8, 2, Tessa Gabbott (Dun), 6.13, 3, Ava O’Malley (Chch), 5.13, 4
Information
For more information on the Emerson’s South Island Surfing Championships please contact Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.
Follow Surfing New Zealand
Keep in touch with all the surfing info from around the country by following Surfing New Zealand’s social media channels – @surfingnz.
Surfing New Zealand is proudly partnered by:
Sport NZ
SunSmart
Water Safety NZ
Ends
