NZ Boardrider Club Championships 2024: Tairua surfers make waves at Whangamatā event

Tairua Boardriders in action on the weekend.

Tairua surfers made an impression at the recent Hurley New Zealand Boardrider Club Championships in Whangamatā.

It was the first time the Tairua Boardriders participated in the event, but they finished in second place.

They were left requiring a 7.4 point ride for the win but came up just short, and the young team had to settle for a respectable runner-up finish, behind defending champions the Mount Maunganui’s Bay Boardriders.

The 2022 champions Point Boardriders from Raglan needed a 5.85-point ride for the win on their final wave but also came up short as the swell built and made life tough for each team’s final surfer.

The score proved too much for the Raglan team and they finished in third place ahead of host team Whangamatā who had the wheels fall off in the final after a big day of action and they finished in fourth place unable to make it back to the team tents before the final hooter sounded.

Earlier in the day it was Piha’s Elliot Paerata-Reid and Leia Millar, of Keyhole Boardriders, that won the open men’s and women’s divisions respectively.

However, they took a shock exit in the semifinals of the tag team to dash their title hopes.

Whangamatā claimed the over 40 men’s division through Jos Kennings and Bay Boardriders picked up their sole individual title thanks to Tai Murphy in the under 18 boys.

It was an epic day of surfing, organisers said, as in building 1.5m to 2m swell and perfect offshore winds, Bay Boardriders found themselves trailing front-runners Keyhole Boardriders going into the all-important tag team division on the final day.

Despite playing catch up, the talent-laden team went about their work in the teams event progressing through to the final and holding on for a well-deserved win.

Bay Boardriders captain Owen Barnes said the win meant a lot for the club.

“We went to the Usher Cup this year and got a taste of that event, competing with clubs from around the world and we wanted to come here this weekend and defend our title against some tough competition and we did that. Now we get to give the international stage another shot next year.”

He said the win was about more than just the team of five as he thanked organisers and supporters of the club and the event.

The Bay Boardriders posted a 32.87-point heat total in the tag team final exiting the water with just under four minutes to go.

Full results from the 2024 Hurley New Zealand Boardrider Club Championships presented by Volkswagen can be viewed online at liveheats.com/events/230387.

Team standings

• Bay Boardriders, 7628 points

• Tairua Boardriders, 6615 points

• Point Boardriders, 6245 points

• Keyhole Boardriders, 6230 points

• Whangamatā Boardriders, 5795 points

• Oakura Boardriders, 5530 points

• Waihi Beach Boardriders, 5343 points

• North Coast Boardriders, 4933 points

• Lion Rock Boardriders, 4610 points

• Māori Bay Boardriders, 4591 points