Piha pro cancelled: Now for New Zealand surfing's D-Day

The event attracted an impressive field to New Zealand, including 11-time men's world champion Kelly Slater. Photo / Getty Images.

As the surfing community digests the cancellation of the highest profile event in this country's history, the national body that runs the sport could be set for a cutback of its own.

Monday was meant to be the start of the biggest week for the sport in New Zealand, but a global pandemic put paid to the Piha Pro.

The event attracted an impressive field to New Zealand, including 11-time men's world champion Kelly Slater, 2015 men's champion Adriano de Souza, as well as four-time and current women's champion Carissa Moore.

Monday is also D-Day for a number of sports, including surfing, waiting to hear how big their slice of Sport New Zealand's funding pie will be.

Rumours are rife that several national sporting organisations, including Surfing New Zealand, are in for a rude shock.

A well-known national surfing identity claimed that the NSO was looking at a funding cut of more than 50 per cent from their previous figure of $50,000 per annum, stating it was "bloody shameful".

The Herald attempted to confirm that figure with Surfing NZ but received no response. Sport New Zealand will announce the funding on Monday morning.

If the 50 per cent cut is true, there would be great irony given surfing has made it on to the Olympic programme – Covid-19 permitting – for the first time and New Zealand has already qualified Billy Stairmand and Ella Williams, with a chance of two more joining them.

However the greater irony would be the fact that at the same time it was reducing funding to its NSO, central Government was pouring $1.65 million across three years into the privately run and promoted Piha Pro through its Major Events fund and Ateed.

No revenue generated by the World Surf League event was obligated to go back into the sport.

The week before the funding announcement is often a time of high anxiety for NSOs, particularly those who administer niche or minor codes.

Sport NZ has announced that future rounds of funding will be made in alignment with their Strategic Plan 2020-24.

The plan contains five investment principles, the headlining one being a move towards investing in programmes that encourage participation.

"We will focus our investments and those of our partners on achieving better play, active recreation and sport outcomes for participants," Sport NZ says on their website.