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Posted on Saturday February 20th at 6:36 p.m.
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Duncan Cameron. Image PhotoCPL
Day one saw some great waves in the 1.0m - 1.5m range with light winds at St Clair Beach. The good conditions gave the surfers plenty of opportunity to show their form in front of the Dunedin crowds that packed the elevated Esplanade.
Rust surfed to a 14.0 point heat total in his quarterfinal to better the number one seed at the event - Dylan Barnfield (Ohope). Rust looked relaxed in his performance maximising his opportunities on the lefthanders that peeled into the corner of the beach.
The heat was a high scoring affair with number one seed Barnfield posting 13.00 out of a possible 20 to also move through the heat eliminating Michael Kibblewhite (Auck) and Troy Scott (ChCh).
Rust and Barnfield will now face Shayne Baxter (ChCh) and Duncan Cameron (Mnt) in the first semifinal to be contested on Sunday morning.
Christchurch surfer Shayne Baxter has been in excellent form of recent and today he surfed to a 13.00 point heat total to move through to the semifinals eliminating Ant McColl (Mnt) and Steven Tyro (Chch).
The second semifinal sees fellow New Zealand representatives Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck) and Daniel Proctor (Gis) facing off against each other alongside Owen Barnes (Mnt) and Tom Owens (Chch).
Proctor is the defending national champion and won two events in 2009 so will be keen to press on to the final and get a good result in Dunedin. Kibblewhite is also looking for some form. Having made every final on the tour in 2009 he is no stranger to the latter stages of the events and will want to get a good result after placing 17th at Sandy Bay two weeks ago.
Daisy Thomas (Chch) highlighted the first round of the Women's Division posting a convincing win in her heat to advance to the semifinal where she will meet Sunny Yoshida (Rag) and Claire Norman (Aust). Shortboard converts Mischa Davis (Piha) and Alexis Poulter (Rag) will face off against Natasha Civil the lone Dunedin surfer remaining in the women's event in the second semifinal.
Late in the day the Over 40 Men's Division was surfed through to the final four surfers. Christchurch surfers dominated the division, three of the four finals slots going to the southern surfers. Paul Bennett was dominant all day making it through all of his heats in the Over 40 and Over 50 Divisions. Grant Cochrane and Steve Tyro join him to face off against the lone North Island surfer - Michael Thompson (Rag) who was the highest scoring surfer in the semifinals posting 10.75 to win his heat.
Please see below for results from day one of Event three of the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour held at St Clair Beach, Dunedin today (Saturday 20th February).
Open Men's Round 1
Heat 1
Troy Scott (ChCh), 1, Steve Tyro (ChCh), 2, Gavin Neal (ChCh), 3
Heat 2
Duncan Cameron (Mnt), 1, Michael Kibblewhite (Auck), 2, Dan Warren (ChCh), 3, Jae Kilgour (Dun), 4
Heat 3
Tatsuya Okamoto (Japan), 1, Scotty Riach (Orewa), 2, Steve Morris (Auck), 3, Tristan Murray (Timaru), 4
Heat 4
Isaac Johnston (Mngwhai), 1, Tom Owens (ChCh), 2, Luke O'Neill (Chch), 3, Grant Pacey (ChCh), 4
Open Men's Quarterfinals
Heat 1
Leroy Rust (Dun), 1, Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), 2, Michael Kibblewhite (Auck), 3, Troy Scott (ChCh), 4
Heat 2
Shayne Baxter (ChCh), 1, Duncan Cameron (Mnt), 2, Ant McColl (Mnt), 3, Steve Tyro (ChCh), 4
Heat 3
Tom Owens (ChCh), 1, Daniel Proctor (Gis), 2, Jackson Winter (Noosa), 3, Tatsuya Okamoto (Japan), 4
Heat 4
Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), 1, Owen Barnes (Mnt), 2, Isaac Johnston (Mngwhai), 3, Scotty Riach (Orewa), 4
Open Men's Semifinals (To be surfed on Sunday)
Heat 1
Leroy Rust (Dun), Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), Shayne Baxter (ChCh), Duncan Cameron (Mnt)
Heat 2
Tom Owens (ChCh), Daniel Proctor (Gis), Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), Owen Barnes (Mnt)
Open Women Semifinals
Heat 1
Natasha Civil (Dun), 1, Claire Norman (Sydney), 2, Belinda Goodwin (Mt), 3
Heat 2
Daisy Thomas (ChCh), 1, Tsuneyo (Sunny) Yoshida (Rag), 2, Hannah Howard (Auck), 3
Heat 3
Mischa Davis (Oratia), 1, Nicola Warren (Chch), 2, Alexis Poulter (Rag), 3
Over 40s Round 1
Heat 1
David Storck (Auck), 1, Paul Bennett (ChCh), 2, Mark Calcutt (ChCh), 3, Rob Bayes (Auck), 4
Heat 2
Grant Cochrane (ChCh), 1, Scotty Riach (Stanmore Bay), 2, Gavin Neal (ChCh), 3, Simon Scandrett (ChCh), 4
Heat 3
Mike Thomson (Rag), 1, Stephen Tyro (ChCh), 2, Rupert Newbold (Ocean Bch), 3, Tim Clemence (ChCh), 4
Over 40s Semifinals
Heat 1
1, Scotty Riach (Stanmore Bay), Grant Cochrane (ChCh), 2, Paul Bennett (ChCh), 3
Heat 2
Mike Thomson (Rag), 1, Stephen Tyro (ChCh), 2, David Storck (Auck), 3
Over 50 Mens Round 1
Heat 1
David Storck (Auck), 1, Tim Clemence (ChCh), 2, Chris Tillson (ChCh), 3, Rupert Newbold (Whngrei), 4
Heat 2
Grant Cochrane (ChCh), 1, Paul Bennett (Chch), 2, Rob Bayes (Auck), 3, Rob O'Neill (ChCh), n/s
Heat 3
Viv Treacy (Ocean Beach), 1, Mike Thomson (Rag), 2, Peter Mannix (ChCh), 3, Simon Scandrett (ChCh), 4
Over 50 Mens Semifinals (To be surfed on Sunday)
Heat 1
Grant Cochrane (ChCh), Tim Clemence (ChCh), Paul Bennett (Chch)
Heat 2
Viv Treacy (Ocean Beach), David Storck (Auck), Mike Thomson (Rag)
A decision on the location of the event for Sunday will be made at 7.00am tomorrow morning with the likely venue being St Clair Beach. The Surfing New Zealand event hotline will be updated by 7.00am each day with venue, order of events and swell conditions. The number is 021 1134506.
The remaining events for the 2010 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour follow:
Hyundai National Longboard Championships, Whangamata - 6th - 7th March
Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 5, Port Waikato - 26th - 27th March
Entry into remaining events can be completed at www.surfingnz.co.nz under events. Complete the entry process online or download entry forms and send them in. The 2010 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.
To find out the prizes on offer for the ‘best surfing family in New Zealand' visit the SNZ website - http://www.surfingnz.co.nz/2010_hplt_family_criteria.htm.
Hyundai have been involved with Surfing New Zealand since 2004 and also sponsor the most prestigious event in New Zealand - The Hyundai National Championships.
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.
For more information on the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour please contact Ben Kennings on 021 2278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz. Alternatively, please contact Hyundai Brand Manager, Devyn Cantley on 64 9 573 2050 or dcantley@hyundai.co.nz.
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