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Posted on Wednesday April 21st 2010 at 4:37 p.m.
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Maz Quinn will be gunning for his third straight Export Gold Series title when he competes at the Super 16 at Piha. Image by Cory / NZ Surf Mag.
In 2009 Quinn had to come from behind to win the series leap frogging Gauranga Ormond (WGM) in the final event to claim victory. This year he goes into the Export Gold Super 16 as the front runner with his opponents having to do all the work to create a big upset and take the title.
Quinn's run for the hat trick has been made slightly easier with National Champion Billy Stairmand (Rag), who is currently ranked number two, unavailable due to international commitments.
Stairmand is making his way from Scotland to France by land after his flights were cancelled due to the Iceland volcanic ash over Europe. Stairmand will be competing in a 4-star World Tour event commencing tonight (21st April) alongside fellow Kiwis Richard Christie, Jay Quinn and Rowan Aish.
Maz Quinn's nearest rivals this weekend and the only surfers with a better-than-mathematical chance of beating him and winning the Export Gold Series are third ranked Chris Malone (Gis) and Morehu Roberts (Gis), currently ranked fourth.
Malone is yet to win an event in 2010 but has placed in the top four on three occasions to achieve his third ranking. Roberts on the other hand has been a revelation in 2010 coming from nowhere to win the Rip Curl Pro at Raglan and then going on to place fourth at the Hyundai National Championships - behind Quinn who placed third.
The three surfers will still need to overcome the remainder of New Zealand's best surfers in the unique round robin format that adds a different element to the usual surfing event.
Guys like Bobby Hansen (Gis) who is coming back from injury as well as Mount Maunganui surfers Nick White, Tim O'Connor and Taranaki's Keone Campbell will all be keen to make an impression at the final event of the year and take home a portion of the $17,000 on offer at the event.
Jessica Santorik (Rag) will be looking for a perfect send off in the Women's Division with the Raglan surfer now having her sights firmly set on her international campaign in Europe commencing in May.
This is Santorik's first year contesting the Women's World Tour which has already seen her compete in Australia on two occasions this year. From May she will head off to Portugal an
France before potentially heading to USA and then back to Europe in August in a bid to join the likes of New Zealand's Paige Hareb in gunning for a world title.
In New Zealand Santorik has dominated the Export Gold Series winning both the final event and the series for four of the past five years making her the one to beat this weekend.
Newly crowned National Champion Laura Rishworth (Mnt) will be out to build on her victory at the most recent event of the Export Gold Series but first she will have to progress through the trials on Friday before contesting the main event.
The Export Gold Super 16 also includes several South Island surfers who will make the journey north. Hayden Brain (Chch) and Anthony Hema (Buller) will contest the Men's Division trials while Hayley Coakes (Dun) will contest the Women's Division trials.
The South Island team also includes several other surfers who will form the basis of the South Island Team to contest the North vs South Challenge. Those surfers are Sam Dunfoy, Llewellyn Thomas, Hayley Coakes, Kristi Zarifeh, Aleathea Lock, Jimmy Crooks and Tom Bracegirdle.
The Export Gold Super 16 is the fifth and final event of the season and is being held at Piha Beach, Auckland from the 23rd - 24th April. The Export Gold Super 16 sees the top 16 male surfers and the top 4 female surfers battle it out for final season honours.
Combined with the main event is a trials round which includes a further 19 surfers competing for the final five main-round slots available.
The North Vs South Challenge takes place on the Saturday with the best athletes from both Islands going head-to-head in a tag team format competition.
The final piece to this weekend's equation is the Inter Club Championship which sees the best boardrider clubs in New Zealand come together to grab bragging rights.
The defending champion Point Boardriders team from Raglan will be out to fend off all the other top clubs in New Zealand. They will have to overcome the likes of Whangamata, Bay Boardriders, Gisborne Boardriders, Lion Rock Boardriders and Wildcoast Boardriders throughout the weekend in a bid to take home some of the $5,000 up for grabs between the Inter Club Championship and the North Vs South Challenge.
See below for a full list of surfers who have qualified for the Export Gold Super 16.
Open Men's Top 12 (Seeded directly to the main event)
1, Maz Quinn (Gis)
2, Chris Malone (Gis)
3, Morehu Roberts (Gis)
4, Gauranga Ormond (Whmata)
5, Tim O'Connor (Mnt)
6, Luke Hughes (Rag)
7, Nick White (Mnt)
8, Keone Campbell (Tara)
9, Paco Divers (Sandy Bay)
10, Leon Santorik (Rag)
11, Ben Kennings (Whmata)
12, Tane Wallis (Piha)
Open Men's Back 14 (Contest the trials until final four trialists are found)
13, Ryan Hawker (Piha)
14, Jarred Hancox (Tara)
15, Dane Simpson (Gis)
16, Braedon Williams (Whmata)
17, Johnny Hicks (Gis)
18, Scott Bell (Auck)
19, JC Susan (Mnt)
20, Blair Stewart (Gis)
21, Che Whitaker (Gis)
22, Zennor Wernham (Rag)
23, Alex Dive (Mnt)
24, Tim Thompson (Auck)
25, Bobby Hansen (Gis)
26, Zen Wallis (Piha)
27, Hayden Brain (Chch)
28, Anthony Hema (Buller)
Open Women's Top 3 (Seeded directly to the main event)
1, Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2, Rosa Thompson (Auck)
3, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis)
Open Women's Back 4 (Contest the trials with winner going on to the main event)
4, Grace Spiers (Whmata)
5, Laura Rishworth (Mnt)
6, Ella Williams (Whmata)
7, Hayley Coakes (Dun)
Previous Export Gold Series Winners
Men
2005 - Daniel Kereopa (Rag)
2006 - Daniel Kereopa (Rag)
2007 - Daniel Kereopa (Rag)
2008 - Maz Quinn (Gis)
2009 - Maz Quinn (Gis)
Women
2005 - Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2006 - Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2007 - Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2008 - Mischa Davis (Piha)
2009 - Jessica Santorik (Rag)
Export Gold Super 16 Winners
Men
2005 - Daniel Kereopa (Rag)
2006 - Mark Dovey (Mnt)
2007 - Bobby Hansen (Gis)
2008 - Maz Quinn (Gis)
2009 - Maz Quinn (Gis)
Women
2005 - Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2006 - Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2007 - Jessica Santorik (Rag)
2008 - Mischa Davis (Piha)
2009 - Jessica Santorik (Rag)
Interclub Championship
2008 - Point Boardriders (Raglan)
2009 - Point Boardriders (Raglan)
North v South Challenge
2008 - North Island
2009 - North Island
The action will go down at Piha Beach on both Friday and Saturday. The event will run between 8.00am and 3.00pm both days with prize giving held at the beach.
Images
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