Raglan
surfers
Billy
Stairmand
and
Maya
Mateja
claimed
the
premier
divisions
of
the
2026
National
Surfing
Championships
presented
by
Trust
Tairawhiti
on
Saturday
(17th
January)
taking
the
trophies
north
from
Gisborne.
Under
moody
skies
and
unruly
1.5m
waves
at
Makorori
Beach,
the
two
surfers
added
to
their
tallies,
Stairmand
extending
his
impressive
tally
to
nine
while
17-year-old
Mateja
claimed
her
second
title.
Having
last
won
a
title
in
2021,
36-year-old
Stairmand
had
to
battle
the
largest
field
of
surfers
in
the
past
two
decades
for
the
win
and
by
his
own
admission
had
battled
to
find
his
feet
during
the
seven-day
event.
“I
had
a
couple
of
scrappy
heats
this
week,
it
was
small
most
of
the
week
but
contestable
and
I
just
couldn’t
find
my
rhythm.
I
actually
changed
up
my
boards
today
too
which
was
good
and
I
saved
my
best
performance
until
last,”
stated
Stairmand
who
finished
with
a
17.84
point
heat
total
for
the
win
in
what
ultimately
was
a
dominant
performance.
“I
started
with
that
left
hander
and
got
an
8.67
then
I
got
a
right
that
allowed
three
good
turns
and
I
thought
it
was
better,”
he
added
of
his
second
scoring
ride
–
a
9.17.
“My
ninth
title
feels
real
good.
Stoked
on
the
win
going
into
Hawaii
next
week,
it
looks
like
some
good
swell
around
over
there,
the
conditions
will
be
a
bit
different
to
here,
that’s
for
sure,”
said
Stairmand
who
departs
to
Hawaii
on
Tuesday
to
contest
the
second
last
WSL
Challenger
Series
event
of
the
series.
Defending
National
Champion
Alexis
Owen
was
the
only
surfer
that
stayed
in
reach
of
Stairmand
posting
an
8.33
point
ride
to
open
the
final.
Needing
a
near
perfect
9.51
point
ride
for
the
win,
the
Dunedin
surfer
remained
patient
all
final
looking
for
the
opportunity
but
the
clock
beat
him
and
he
had
to
settle
for
a
well-deserved
runner
up
finish.
Taranaki
surfer
Daniel
Farr
finished
the
final
in
third
place
and
together
with
first
time
finalists
Cooper
Roberts
(Mnt)
in
fourth,
was
left
requiring
a
combination
of
scores
to
match
Stairmand.
By
contrast
the
women’s
final
was
an
edge-of-your-seat
match
up
with
0.67
points
separating
first
from
fourth
with
the
lead
swinging
several
times
through
the
25
minutes.
Mateja
grabbed
the
win
late
and
on
her
last
scoring
ride
of
5.73
to
post
a
12.80
heat
total
for
her
second
title,
her
first
coming
in
2024.
“I
feel
so
happy
and
blessed,
super
grateful
to
be
here
with
my
family
and
enjoy
the
event
and
get
the
win
this
week,”
said
Mateja.
“Really
hard
conditions
today,
I
didn’t
know
what
was
going
on
out
there
because
I
couldn’t
hear
the
scores
coming
out.
The
other
girls
were
surfing
good,
so
I
knew
I
had
to
concentrate
on
getting
more
good
waves
for
the
win
and
when
I
came
into
the
beach,
I
found
out
that
I
did
enough,”
she
added.
Mateja
was
proud
to
win
alongside
Billy
as
someone
she
looks
up
to.
“I
love
his
surfing,
it
means
a
lot
to
me
to
win
alongside
him
today
and
take
two
titles
back
to
Raglan,”
she
said.
Second
and
third
placed
surfers
Ariana
Walker
(Mnt)
and
Leia
Millar
(Piha)
both
finished
in
fourth
with
Walker
getting
the
nod
by
way
of
her
7.40
point
ride
as
the
highest
of
the
two
surfers.
Walker
was
another
surfer
to
sit
patiently
and
wait
for
a
final
good
ride
after
taking
the
early
lead
in
the
final
but
the
young
surfer
fell
short
by
the
time
the
final
hooter
sounded.
Millar
again
only
needed
a
small
6.11
ride
for
the
win
in
her
first
year
out
of
the
age
groups
but
the
conditions
didn’t
give
her
the
opportunity
to
challenge
for
her
first
title.
Alani
Morse
(Rag)
while
finishing
fourth,
was
never
out
of
the
title
race
after
surfing
five
heats
on
the
final
day
of
the
event,
chasing
a
small
5.4
point
ride
for
the
title.
In
the
junior
divisions
it
is
was
Alexis
Owen
(Dun)
who
earlier,
secured
the
win
in
the
Under
18
Boys
alongside
Poppy
Entwisle
(Tara)
in
the
Girls
Division.
Owen
completed
the
full
set
of
age
group
titles
having
previously
won
the
Under
14
and
16
Boys
Divisions.
For
Entwisle,
she
added
to
her
2022
title
in
the
Under
14
Girls
Division
and
heads.
For
the
Under
16
Division’s
it
was
Vitor
Bauermann
(Mnt)
that
defended
his
title
in
the
boys
division
and
the
experienced
yet
young
Lola
Groube
(Pau)
winning
her
first
ever
title
for
the
girls.
Jaxon
Willows
(Mnt)
and
Izaro
Williamson
Sasia
(Tara)
won
the
Peter
Byers
Most
Outstanding
Performance
Award
for
the
event
after
the
two
young
surfers
claimed
double
titles
in
the
longboard
divisions
winning
the
open
and
age
group
divisions.
Just
under
400
entries
across
28
divisions
were
received
for
the
event
which
featured
competition
across
shortboard,
longboard,
stand
up
paddleboard
(SUP),
Kneeboard
bodyboard
and
adaptive
disciplines,
with
divisions
spanning
from
Under
14s
through
to
Over
70s.
The
event
marks
the
first
of
eight
national
events
around
the
New
Zealand
coastline
as
part
of
the
Epic
Break
summer
campaign
showcasing
surfing
talent
and
celebrating
the
surfing
community
between
January
and
April.
The
2026
event
is
hosted
by
Gisborne
Boardriders
Club
alongside
Trust
Tairawhiti.
They
are
joined
by
event
partners
Neighbourhood
Cantina,
Chris
Fougere
Orthopaedics,
Kiwi
Holiday
Insurance,
ACC
and
Sun
Bum.
The
2026
National
Surfing
Championships
commences
both
the
domestic
NZ
Surf
Series,
NZ
Grom
Series
and
NZ
Longboard
Series
with
events
scheduled
around
the
country
this
summer.
Further
Information
For
further
information
on
the
2026
National
Surfing
Championships
please
contact
Surfing
New
Zealand’s
Ben
Kennings
on
021
2278732
or
email
benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.
Imagery
High
resolution
action
images
of
the
surfing
will
be
available
to
media
free
of
charge
upon
request.
Social
Media
Keep
up
with
all
the
action
by
following
@surfingnz
on
Facebook,
Instagram
and
Twitter.
Use
the
hashtag
#Nats2026
and
#EpicBreak
to
follow
the
story.
Surfing
New
Zealand
is
proudly
partnered
by:
Sport
NZ
ACC
Sun
Bum
Kiwi
Holiday
Insurance
Ends
Go to Surfing New Zealand
Author: Ben Kennings