Best longboarders drop in at the Bay

LOCAL HOPE: Craig Anderson will be in action at the national longboarding event off Papamoa next weekend.PHOTO/FILE

In just over a week, the country's best longboarders will hit the water at Papamoa in a one-off national longboarding event.

Scheduled to take place at Papamoa Domain from April 5-6, the competition will highlight the talent-laden pool of longboard and stand up paddle surfers in New Zealand.

Leading the field will be three-time and current national champion Thomas Kibblewhite (Red Beach) who is undefeated at national level for the past 12 months.

He won the final three events of the New Zealand Longboard Tour in 2013 as well as the National Championships at Gisborne this January.

Kibblewhite also placed ninth at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Longboard Championships last November, the best result by a Kiwi.

The Women's Division will see surfers from around the country compete with locals such as Ann Snyder who is set to defend her Mount Maunganui title she won last year.

Other surfers are likely to include 2013 Tour Champion Belinda Goodwin (Rag) and current national champion for both longboard and stand up paddleboard Alexis Poulter also of Raglan.

The event will see age group divisions with an Under-18 Longboard division for the youngsters and over 40 and over 50 Divisions.

The defending over 40 champion is local surfer Craig Anderson while Orewa surfer Mark Hoyle claimed the Over 50s last year. Stand Up Paddleboard divisions include surfing for both men and women as well as a battle of the paddle style race through the line up at Papamoa Domain.

Defending champion in the surfing division is Daniel Kereopa (Rag) who will be pushed by several of the fresh faces emerging.