Study boosts Bay surfer's chances

Swapping fickle Mount Maunganui for wave-rich Dunedin has provided a strong build-up for junior hotshot J.C. Susan as he looks to extend his lead in the national tour over the weekend.
With the three-day Rip Curl Pro set to hit the water at Raglan tomorrow, Susan is front-runner in the SOL Surf Series under-20 division, holding a slender lead over Piha's Ryan Hawker.
Having moved south three weeks ago for university studies, the Mount 18-year-old says Dunedin's consistent, high-quality waves have been a blessing as he gears up for the Raglan contest - the fourth of five events in the national under-20 series.
"I'm feeling really in tune and confident, the surf's been pretty good since I moved down and I've been in the water most days," Susan said. "The surf hasn't been under three foot and it isn't even that cold yet."
A member of the New Zealand team that competed at the ISA world junior championships at Piha last year, Susan has had a patchy season so far, his lead coming courtesy of victory at January's Billabong Pro at Whangamata.
Making the semis at November's opening round in Gisborne and dipping out in the first round of last month's Power Balance Pro in his Mount home waters, Susan admits a check of the standings this week brought a pleasant surprise.
"After the Mount contest I thought I'd be fourth or something. I'm stoked to find I'm on top and I'm out to keep it that way. But it's a bit nerve-wracking, too. Ryan Hawker's definitely a major threat, a really tough competitor."
Susan's Piha rival is snapping at his heels with 2983 series points to the Mount surfer's 3040, a win at Raglan earning 2500 points and a second-placing 2150. Under-20 competitors then face a long wait for their series' final fling, the O'Neill Sequence Surf Shop Pro in November.
The last of five rounds for open-division contenders before April's elite Super-16 showdown, the Rip Curl Pro may face relocation from the usually dependable Manu Bay line-up. With only one- to two-foot waves predicted for the Raglan point breaks, contest co-ordinator Ben Kennings yesterday said a move to the more exposed Ruapuke Beach is on the cards.
While Manu Bay's left-hand peelers suit Susan and other goofy-foot competitors, his Mount beach-break experience would serve equally well at Ruapuke - and fellow Mountie Tim O'Connor even more so.
A top-placed Bay surfer in the series' open division at No5, O'Connor will have to contend with the local knowledge of defending Rip Curl Pro champ Morehu Roberts - originally from Raglan but now based in Gisborne - along with top Raglanites Luke Hughes, Leon Santorik and Luke Cederman.
Women's ratings leader Ella Williams of Whangamata will be looking to take down Raglan standout and three-time Rip Curl Pro winner Jessica Santorik, along with fellow locals Alexis Poulter and Kelly Clarkson.
The contest packs a prizemoney purse of $12,500, with the open winner also collecting airfares and entry to the coveted Rip Curl Padang Cup invitational in Bali.