Surfing: Top surfers head south

The 2013 South Island Surfing Championships makes a welcome return to the New Zealand Pro Series this Easter Weekend with the event being nationally sanctioned for the first time since 2005.

The South Island Championships will take place from March 29-31 in the Dunedin area with the primary venue being St Clair Beach. The event will have a 3-star rating with $9000 in prizes and cash up for grabs and will be co-sanctioned by Surfing New Zealand and the South Island Surfing Association.

For the past six years the South Island Championships has been part of the South Island circuit and has attracted a strong field of surfers from around the South Island as well as a handful of keen North Island surfers looking for competitive opportunities.

Otago University student JC Susan from Mount Maunganui is the defending champion in the Open Men's Division. Susan, a former New Zealand Junior Surfing team member has been studying at Otago University for the past two years and is pleased to see the event gain national sanctioning.

"That is great, it will hopefully bring more guys down to compete in the event. It was pumping last year so hopefully it is pumping again this year and everyone gets some good waves," said Susan.

Susan has enjoyed his time, and the waves, in Dunedin so much so that he remained there for the summer only returning up north to contest the National Championships in January.

The event will include Open Women's and Under-20 Men's Divisions which will also be nationally sanctioned as well as a further seven divisions ranging from Under-14 Grommets through to Over 45s.

Host club South Coast Boardriders Association have run the event since the early 1970s. The club has been working hard in recent months to make the event as successful as possible and they are heartened to see the event take on additional meaning.

"South Coast Board Riders are pleased to be able to host a fully sanctioned SNZ/SISA event this year,' said club president Mark Stevenson. "Our primary contest site at St Clair is a natural amphitheatre for a surfing event and will always provide a variety of contestable conditions over the course of even a one-day event. With many other world class surf breaks within a 30-minute drive there is always the option to relocate quickly should conditions allow."