Seventh NZ title to Billy

MOMENTOUS ACHIEVEMENT: Open men’s winner at the national surfing championships was Raglan’s Billy Stairmand . . . for the seventh time. He has won two open men’s national titles more than anyone else. Coff Media pictures

Gisborne teenager Saffi Vette claimed one title and narrowly missed the premier one at the National Surfing Championships, which finished in Taranaki on Saturday.

World Surf League Championship Tour surfer Ricardo Christie, however, had to settle for second as Raglan’s Billy Stairmand claimed a record seventh open men’s crown.

Vette returned home as the under-18 girls’ champion and almost made it a double in the open women’s final.

Great Barrier Island surfer Aimee Brown was to prove her nemesis, winning her first open women’s national title by just 0.2 of a point from Vette.

Brown posted 14.2 in the final, with Vette second on 14, Taranaki’s Zhana Hutchieson third and Mount Maunganui surfer Laura Griffin fourth.

“I came into this comp just wanting to make the final but to win it is crazy,” said Brown, who also beat Vette in their semifinal — 12.67 to 12.23.

“It was so much fun to have that final out at Stent Road with three others. The waves were so good that anyone could have won; you only had to get the best waves.”

Vette was in a class of her own in the u18 final — powering to 17.67 to win by over seven points from Mount Maunganui’s Georgia Wederell (10.37), with Taranaki’s Natasha Gouldsbury (10.04) third and Aucklander Gabrielle Paul (8.7) fourth.

Stairmand had been looking forward to a showdown with good mate, defending champion and fellow professional Christie — and, as expected, it proved a high-quality duel in clean, 1.5-metre waves.

Stairmand scored 17.6 for his two best waves — just short of his event-high 18.03 in the semifinals.

“Each heat I got more and more comfortable and my scores reflected that throughout the week,” he said.

Gisborne-Mahia surfer Christie was left searching for 8.71 in the dying stages but was unable to find it and was second on 16.27.

Piha’s Elliot Paerata-Reid, who had earlier beaten Stairmand with a superb 19.13 in the semis, was third on 15.33 and the youngest surfer to make a national championship open men’s final, Taranaki 15-year-old Tom Butland (11.27), was fourth.

Stairmand was thrilled with his record-extending victory (the next-best men’s open tallies are five titles to Wayne Parkes and Iain Buchanan).

“I always want to beat Ricardo (Christie), have done since we were kids, and now he is on tour I really wanted to get this one over him,” Stairmand said “I was stoked to have him in the final, and Elliot, and Tom, who was ripping all week.

“The past few months I have had a kick in the butt and realised that I have to work hard and stay focused if I want to do this.

“I came down here early and surfed before and after the event each day to get used to the waves. I don’t know what has changed but I know I seriously want to win now.”

Vette’s brother Finn (13.3) was third in the u16 boys’ final, won by Butland (15.74), whose performance throughout the week jointly earned him the award for the most outstanding performance, alongside fellow local surfer and triple finalist Dwaine Mataa.

Point Boardriders of Raglan won the top club award. Last year’s winners, Gisborne Boardriders Club, were second and host club Oakura Boardriders third.

Other title winners on Saturday were Gouldsbury (under-16 girls, 11.54), Jarred Hancox (over-30 men, 15.2), Luke Kerr (over-35 men, 15.6) and Manu Schafer (over-40 men,17.6), all of Taranaki, while Hamilton’s Caleb Cutmore (18.66) won the u18 boys’ final and Aucklander Thomas Kibb