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FROM Gisborne to the Gold Coast to Japan.
A relocated Ricardo Christie is heading to the waves of the rising sun to continue his quest to regain a place on the World Surf League Championship Tour.
Christie will line up at the Ichinomiya Chiba Open Qualifying Series 6000 next week. It has been three years since a WSL contest of this scale has been held in Japan.
A high-class field will be chasing valuable QS points at Shida Point in the province of Chiba, the winner banking US$25,000 and 6000 points on the QS rankings.
Christie, after a lengthy competitive break, goes into the contest sitting 56th on the QS rankings led by Italian Leonardo Fioravanti. He has only competed in three QS contests this year and a strong showing in Japan will lift him substantially up the leaderboard.
The dangling carrot is a top 10 spot at the end of the QS, which would see him return to the big league — the Championship Tour — in 2017.
While he was unable to retain his place in his rookie season on the CT last year, Christie did not look out of place and gained huge respect from fellow competitors and commentators alike.
It was perhaps a lack of experience, a little bad luck and some fine surfing from his one-on-one opponents that saw him fall short of staying there.
That, however, has only intensified his hunger to get back on the CT and this year he will be attempting it while based in Australia.
Crazy, amazing, whirlwindIn a blog on his lemonyip.com website, Christie talks about a “crazy, amazing, whirlwind” past two years and of his shift to the Gold Coast.
“It’s pretty crazy unpacking your bags and committing to travelling to and from a certain place, rather than moving constantly which I had grown accustomed to,” he writes.
“At this stage of my life, competing on the World Surf League is my main focus and the Gold Coast is the best place for me to be while I’m doing it.
“Although I love my homeland with all my heart, I am passionate about improving and learning more about my surfing craft, my body, mind, health and wellbeing. This place happens to boast world-class waves, world champion residents and the best training facilities and facilitators in the world.
“It’s pretty inspiring to see the Australian Government’s openness and recognition of the sport of surfing over here, too. I only wish the same for New Zealand in the future and hopefully I can influence it through the goals I hope to achieve.
“I definitely have felt alive the past couple of years. I am grateful to have entered a period of stillness . . . I have used the time to lay down some solid foundations and put in some hard work ahead of a big year on the world qualifying series.
“It has given me the opportunity to take in what has already been and focus whole-heartedly on the now — taking all the knowledge I have acquired and channelling it towards my dreams that lie ahead.”