Boardriders celebrate big year

PRIZEWINNERS: Gisborne Boardriders Club held its prize-giving following its annual meeting. Prizewinners are, back (from left): Manawa Ruru and Kobe Johnson. Third row: Riaki Ruru, Ben McCulloch and John Gisby. Second row: Reuben Mottart, Don Pearson and Tommy Dalton. Front: Finn Vette, Stella Smith, Saffi Vette, Finn Johnson and Hannah King. Picture by Finn Rainger

SURFING veteran John Gisby was named surfer of the year at the Gisborne Boardriders Club end-of-year prize-giving.

He was unbeaten in all four of the club competitions and at the national championships this year won his 35th age-group title.

“I am stoked to win the award and stoked to be a part of the best club in the country,” Gisby said.

Club president Don Pearson and four-time New Zealand surfing champion Maz Quinn presented trophies to top surfers in divisions from under-12 to over-60.

Local surfboard shaper Tommy Dalton won the open men’s division and teenager Saffi Vette claimed the women’s.

Ben McCulloch won the under-20 title, Reuben Mottart the u16s, Finn Johnson the u14s and Manawa Ruru the u12s.

Cody Keepa was the over-35 champion, club president Don Pearson the over-50s, and John Gisby the over-60s.

Awards were also given for standout performances. The junior trophy went to Stella Smith and the senior to Mitchell McFarlane.

Noah Collier was named the most improved surfer and Andy McCulloch won the sportsman award for his contributions to the club in recent years.

Before the prize-giving, at the club’s annual meeting, members looked back on a successful year for the club, Pearson said.

A stellar year“This has been a stellar year for the club on every level,” he said.

“We have seen individual success nationally and internationally. Our scholastics team won second place in the nationals, we have won three-year hosting rights for the National Scholastic Surfing Championships in conjunction with the ECT and, perhaps most importantly for the future, we have established a new national high-performance grommet development camp.”

Events held in Gisborne, such as the National Scholastics and the Grom Lab, ran smoothly and received positive feedback from other clubs and organisations around the country, he said.

Gisborne could host an international event — the Ultimate Waterman — in March, and the GBC has put in a bid for Gisborne to host the 2017 National Surfing Championships.

Members put in some standout individual performances during the year.

Ricardo Christie surfed well during his rookie year on the Championship Tour, and Kai Woolf won u14 and u16 titles at the Billabong Junior Series in South Africa.

Jasmine Smith represented New Zealand at the World Junior Championships and Abby Falwasser-Logan was in the New Zealand team that competed in the Melanesian Cup in New Caledonia.

Both Smith and Falwasser-Logan are leaving Gisborne next year, along with this year’s scholastics captain Dayna Story, to study at university and travel overseas.

They are three of Gisborne’s top young surfers and will be missed, Pearson said.

“They have been the backbone of our women’s division in recent years and all three are world-class surfers who have given us a lot to be proud of over the years."

But he said young surfers are coming through to replace them.

An over-60 division was added to the club competitions this year, and under-10 and under-8 divisions could follow next year to cater for the new wave of potential club members.

A surf history project is being developed alongside the Activate Tairawhiti 10-year plan. It will acknowledge some of the club’s early members as well as its history.

This year, Bob Hansen received a GBC life membership for his contributions to surfing, and Pearson said others will be recognised in the near future.