Surf’s up for 3rd Annual Tairawhiti Stand Up Paddle Surfing Champs

SHREDDING: Tairawhiti Standup Paddlesurf Club member Rangi Kingi enjoys a sweet ride at The Pipe last year. The club is running its fourth annual champs this weekend. Picture by Derek Fryer Photography

EXpat Gisbornites now living across the Tasman will be among the field for the 3rd Annual Tairawhiti Stand Up Paddle Surfing Champs here this weekend.

Contest organisers have their fingers crossed that an “epic month” of waves will continue for what is expected to be a line-up of up to 30 “suppers” over the six divisions.

“We’ve got a contingent of ‘Aussies’ coming over — ex-Gizzy people now living over there,” said contest co-organiser Peter Boyd.

They include Wayne “Johno” Johnstone — now living and running a SUP club on the Gold Coast — and Paul Quirk, owner of Mana Standup Paddle School at Umina Beach, New South Wales.

Boyd said the Tairawhiti Standup Paddlesurf Club was keen to establish connections with Kiwi SUP surfers now living in Australia, and would look to set the wheels in greater motion this weekend.

On top of those travelling from afar, Boyd said the field for the one-day contest would also include surfers from up the Coast.

Conditions will dictate what day it is held and the contest venue.

“We will choose the best surfable spot,” said Boyd.

Divisions are open men, open women, junior men’s (under-20), 40yrs and over, 50yrs and over, 60 and over, and there is also a novice section.

The Tairawhiti club is going from strength to strength since formalising about a year ago in response to the growing popularity of SUP surfing.

“It’s expanding globally, there’s so many different avenues you can go down — from flatboard to ocean surfing to high performance,” said Boyd, who owns the business Kia Ora Sup.

Registration for this weekend’s contest close on Thursday. There is a cap of 30.

Enter at www.enternowonline.com/4236

Registration and a karakia/get together will be held at Tairawhiti’s “unofficial” clubhouse on Centennial Marine Drive at the group of houses near the Waipaoa River mouth on Friday.