Surfing: Crowd swells to fund dream

Ricardo Christie came third at Sunset Beach, Hawaii, to claim a spot on the World Surfing League. ASP/Cestari

Ricardo Christie has become the first New Zealand man in more than 12 years to join surfing's elite thanks to the goodwill of the crowd-funding community.

Crowd funding is the practice of offering financial assistance to a project through individual contributions on the internet. It's like a sausage sizzle on a global scale.

In 2013, Forbes magazine estimated the industry grew to over US$5 billion of investments worldwide.

Christie has joined 33 others in the rebranded World Surfing League, the world's most charismatic gang of surfers since Patrick Swayze's Ex-Presidents in Point Break. The 26-year-old has reclaimed a place last filled by a New Zealander when Maz Quinn competed in 2001 and 2002.

It's the culmination of what Christie describes as "an 18-year mission" after following older brothers Danny and Ryan into the surf at Mahia on the East Cape. They're expected to be barracking for him on the shoreline.

When Christie needed sponsors, he took an innovative approach through the crowd-funding platforms Sportfunder and Spark my Potentia, which sorted costs at crucial stages.

"With Sportfunder, I phoned every person I knew and asked if they wanted to donate product," he says. "They got something in return such as a surfboard, wetsuit, photo or hat. It propelled me to tour for half a year in 2013 and got invitations to some of the biggest qualifying series events.

"I had a couple of years of almost qualifying, then I lost my sponsorship so I went home but a lot of people throughout New Zealand had begun to follow me. Everyone was trying to pay for my ticket because they wanted to see me achieve what I'd been striving for.

"I had a rough start last year but the support kicked in again. They told me, 'don't give up, keep going'. It was now or never [for making the top tour] and I ended up doing a crowd funder for $5000 of flights and accommodation to get to the Azores Islands. With Spark my Potential, it had ticked over within a day and a third place meant I got the result I needed."

Christie eventually qualified for the world tour with a "bare minimum" result of third in the third heat at an event at Hawaii's Sunset Beach.

The phrase 'world-class New Zealand surfer' seems oxymoronic, despite miles of pristine, uncrowded coastline in which to work. Apart from Quinn in his pomp at the turn of the century and Paige Hareb's six-year elite foray which ended last year, few Kiwis have become household surfing names, although Ella Williams looks promising, having won the junior world title last year.

Contrast that to Australia, a country of similar ample coastlines where, since 1976, nine men have won 16 world titles and six women have won 18.

"I've always grown up in quality surf," Christie says. "But surfing has such a small niche in New Zealand. Not many people are aware of it.

"Guys I looked up to, like Jay Quinn, Bobby Hansen and Maz, were all reliant on sponsorship. That holds everyone back, whereas I did a lot of junior events in Australia which is a hotbed of the surfing world."

The tour opened yesterday on Australia's Gold Coast, the first of 11 events on the annual circuit. The surfers are allocated 12 days to complete the competition to ensure enough decent waves arrive to guarantee fairness.

Christie's committed to a year in a suitcase and getting to events early to prepare. However, he always carries a momento from home.

"I've worn a pounamu necklace since I was a child. I can be on the other side of the world but it reminds me I'm from Mahia. It grounds me."