Third-round exit for Christie at Ballito Pro

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

Gisborne professional surfer Ricardo Christie has bowed out of the Qualifying Series 10,000 Ballito Pro in South Africa.

Christie, who is seeking a return to the World Surf League’s Championshop Tour (CT), finished fourth out of four surfers in his Round 3 heat at the sand-bottomed right-hander.

At a break known for its hollow tubes, the swell failed to deliver and in the one-to-two-foot surf Christie struggled to find any of the rare high-scoring waves.

His heat total of 10.17 out of 20 for his two best waves was no match for Australia’s Davey Cathels, who won the heat with 15.36, followed by fellow Australian Ethan Ewing (15.30) and Ramzi Boukhiam of Morocco (15.00).

The top two advanced to Round 3.

The early exit at one of six 10,000-point-rated events on the Qualifying Series (QS) calendar was a blow to Gold Coast-based Christie’s aspirations to return to the top stage.

He is ranked 57th on the QS and needs a top-10 finish in the series to earn a spot in the 2017 Championship Tour.

Christie competed on the 2015 CT but was unable to retain his place.

Fellow Kiwi QS competitor Billy Stairmand also struggled in the small conditions at Ballito.

Like Christie, he was fourth in his heat. His score was 13.17.

The next QS 10,000 event is the Vans US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach in California this month.,