Surfing: Gisborne surfer wins Billabong Pro

Gisborne surfer Maz Quinn took a convincing victory at the Billabong Pro
completed at Whangamata on Monday. The win elevates him from 13th to first on the Export Gold Series ratings after two of five events for the season.

The surf remained messy for the final day of the event with a 1.5m swell and moderate easterly winds affecting surface conditions.

Quinn scored 15.0 in his final, leaving his opponents requiring excellent scoring rides to come close to snatching a last minute win.

"I am pretty stoked, I mean the conditions were pretty tough to compete in out there," said Quinn afterwards. "It was a bit of a lucky dip and you just had to be in the right place at the right time and fortunately I was."

Quinn was riding a small 510 surfboard that he had not ridden in surf of
this size but after scoring a pair of 7.50 point rides it was clear that the board was suited to the conditions.

The third event of the Export Gold Series takes place at Raglan on the 26th - 28th of February.

- NZ HERALD STAFF