Christie straight into last 32

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Gisborne-Mahia surfer Ricardo Christie’s bid to move up the Championship Tour rankings got off to a winning start at the weekend.

Christie yet again advanced straight to the round of 32 at the Tahiti Pro Teahupo’o — the seventh contest of the 11-event World Surf League Championship Tour.

Taking on one of the world’s most famous breaks, Christie won his seeding round heat.

He totalled 10.23 for his two best waves, opening with a ride worth 6.0 points and backing it up with one of 4.23.

Brazilian Willian Cardoso was second with 9.67, while Australian Ryan Callinan was third with 7.54 and dropped to the elimination round.

Christie has made it to the round of 32 in every CT contest this year, but has not been able to advance from there.

He told NZME in an interview last month that his focus was on bettering his string of 17th-equal finishes.

“Everything’s feeling really good, just the heats aren’t quite going the way that I plan,” said Christie, who is also in the running to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where surfing will make its debut.

“The Olympics would be a cool bonus but I’m just focusing on the tour and being the best surfer I can be and just trying to improve on where I’m at.”

Christie faces a tough next-up opponent in his round-of-32 heat at Teahupo’o — tour veteran Jordy Smith, of South Africa. Smith is sitting sixth on the CT rankings, which are led by American Kolohe Andino.

Christie is 30th. The top 22 at the end of the series requalify for the 2020 CT.