LONGBOARD SURFING: Local doctor unable to ward off Orewa rival

Clinical would perhaps have been the best way to describe the victory.
Only if Dr Michael Burling had won the annual Bede Parker Longboard Memorial title yesterday, of course.
As it happened, Thomas Kibblewhite, of Orewa, had other ideas and the ``house officer'' at Hawke's Bay Hospital had to settle for second place-getter in the Open men's event.
``He had barely had three hours of sleep in the morning when he came down to compete,'' the organiser of the 10th event, Dave Baxter told SportToday.
Last night Burling just had enough time to make a dash from Waimarama Beach to his Napier home and shower, change, grab a bite before making a beeline for the hospital for his 8pm shift. He missed the prize-giving ceremony in Napier at 8pm.
Coast Longboarders Hawke's Bay president Baxter said Burling was from Tonga where his father runs a surf camp.
Kelly Ryan, of Gisborne, was third in the field of 48 competitors from North Island while Anthony McColl, of Mt Maunganui, finished fourth after the winners of the four 15-minute heats went on to compete in the 20-minute final.
``They could only catch a maximum of 10 waves and the top two results counted,'' said Baxter, claiming the finalists were all former national title holders, bar McColl.
``It was very close and it could well have been the national final of the longboard tour.''
While the inclement weather offered some pretty trying swells and made it difficult for surfers to paddle out, Baxter said it was godsend when compared with last year's hail and nippy southerlies.
``It was a luxury this year but you can't crack the perfect offshore surf on the day.''
In the women's open grade final after two heats, Hannah Marley prevailed over Pounamu Gardiner, of the Bay.
Stacy Koti, of Gisborne, was third and Hannah Howard fourth.
The event honours the late Bede Parker who was an old friend Baxter often surfed with in Mahia. On November 26, 1987, Bede, of Napier, and his crewmates, Sven Kristensen and Stu Hamilton, set out from Napier on their trawler, the Deep Sea 2.
More than two decades later neither the boat, nor any of the crew, has been found.
Fifty-thousand square kilometres of ocean between Cape Kidnappers and Wellington was scoured until the families conceded defeat and a memorial service was organised for December 17.