Pardoe retains SUP Maori title

AND STILL CHAMPION: Geoff Pardoe (Ngati Porou) retained his title in the stand-up paddleboard division and finished second in the longboard at the Aotearoa Maori Surfing Titles at Waitara, Taranaki, over the weekend. Col/Surf2Surf.com picture

NGATI POROU surfer Geoff Pardoe, of Gisborne, retained his stand-up paddleboard (SUP) title and finished runner-up in the longboard at the Aotearoa Maori Surfing Titles at Waitara, Taranaki, over the weekend.

And while Pardoe was the only Gisborne surfer to win a title at the event, other surfers with Gisborne links also did well.

Ngati Ranginui surfer Josef Jungwirth, formerly of Gisborne and now of Raglan, won the under-16 boys’ division — his first national win — and was third in the u14 boys’ final. His efforts helped Ngati Ranginui claim the Iwi of Origin title from hosts Te Atiawa.

Another Raglan surfer, Navryn Malone, was second to Jungwirth in the u16 boys’ final and fourth in the u14 final. His father, former Gisborne surfer and national champion Chris Malone, now of Raglan, finished third in an open men’s semifinal heat.

Last year, Chris Malone (Te Aitanga a Mahaki) won the over-35 men’s title and was second in the open men’s division.

Ngati Ranginui surfer Kehu Butler, of Mt Maunganui, won the open men’s and u18 boys’ divisions in his first event in New Zealand waters this year. Butler also won the open men’s title last year.

Taranaki’s Zhana Hutchieson (Te Atiawa) retained the open women’s title she won last year.

The event was held in small surf and onshore winds.

Butler’s international experience showed. The 17-year-old started both finals strongly and then dominated until the hooter. He posted a 17.0-point heat total out of 20 in the open men’s final.

Taranaki surfer Jayson Zimmerman (Te Atiawa) finished second, while Butler’s father Khan was third.

Butler now heads to Australia for a World Qualifying Series QS1000 event at Phillip Island this week for further international experience.

Hutchieson’s local knowledge helped her in a low-scoring final in the open women’s division.

She could not complete the double though, finishing runner-up to Brie Bennett (Ngati Hine) in the u18 girls’ division.

Jayden Willoughby (Ngapuhi) won the u14 boys’ division.

Khan Butler won the over-35 men’s division, while Taranaki’s Pipi Ngaia (Te Atiawa) won the over-45 men’s division to take home a second medal for the family . . . daughter Kahana placed third in the open women’s division.

Waitara’s Jamie Andrews competed in four finals, winning the longboard and finishing second in the stand-up paddleboard to Gisborne’s Pardoe.

Taranaki surfer Patrick Kilmister won an amateur division for relatively inexperienced surfers, ahead of Whangarei’s Journey Lum (Ngapuhi).

Results of finals

Open men: Kehu Butler (Mnt) 17, 1; Jayson Zimmerman (Tara) 11.6, 2; Khan Butler (Mnt) 9.83, 3; Jamie Andrews (Tara) 6.17, 4.

Under-18 boys: Kehu Butler (Mnt) 16.2, 1; Kora Cooper (Rag) 8.57, 2; Jayden Willoughby (Rag) 7.07, 3; Jared Lewis (Tara) 1.27, 4.

U16 boys: Josef Jungwirth (Rag) 11.8, 1; Navryn Malone (Rag) 11.6, 2; Kora Cooper (Rag) 11.4, 3; Jayden Willoughby (Rag) 3.4, 4.

U14 boys: Jayden Willoughby (Rag) 15.1, 1; Kora Cooper (Rag) 14.8, 2; Josef Jungwirth (Rag) 7.87, 3; Navryn Malone (Rag) 6.97, 4.

Open women: Zhana Hutchieson (Tara) 9.73, 1; Kea Smith (Mnt) 7.23, 2; Kahana Ngaia (Tara) 4.77, 3; Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin) 3.23, 4.

U18 girls: Brie Bennett (Rag) 9.67, 1; Zhana Hutchieson (Tara) 8.5, 2; Kea Smith (Mnt) 7.27, 3; Natasha Gouldsbury (Levin) 6.3, 4.

Over-35 men: Khan Butler (Mnt) 11.6, 1; Jamie Andrews (Tara) 10.3, 2; Erin Pennington (Tara) 8.63, 3; Kupe Lewis (Tara) 8.47, 4.

Over-45 men: Pipi Ngaia (Tara) 11, 1; Jason Matthews (Tara) 7.03, 2; Phill Willoughby (Rag) 3.53, 3; Gavin Kelly (Rag) 2.77, 4.

Men’s longboard: Jamie Andrews (Tara) 12.2, 1; Geoff Pardoe (Gis) 5.37, 2; Charles Kauwhata (Whngrei) 2.63, 3.

Stand-up paddleboard: Geoff Pardoe (Gis) 12, 1; Ryder Pennington (Tara) 5.77, 3; Jason Matthews (Tara) 2.93, 4.

Amateur division: Patrick Kilmister (Tara) 9, 1; Journey Lum (Whngrei) 3.5, 2; Chris Abraham (Tara) 3.33, 3; Renata Blair (Auck) 2.33, 4.