Two Kiwis to join World Surf League Championship Tour field for Raglan event

When the World Surf League Championship Tour comes to Raglan in May, two Kiwi surfers will be in the line-up.

The league will have a spot for a wildcard in the men’s and women’s draws for the New Zealand event at the famed left-hand point break, with a trial competition to decide those spots.

World Surf League (WSL) Asia Pacific president Andrew Stark confirmed to the Herald that the annual King and Queen of the Point event at Raglan will double as the trial, with the winners earning the opportunity to compete against the world’s best on the Championship Tour (CT).

“We want to make sure all NZ surfers have an opportunity to secure that spot because it’s pretty life-changing for a local surfer to get a spot in a CT at a home break, you know, in their own country,” Stark said.

“It’s a very unique opportunity so we want to make sure all NZ surfers get the chance.”

Surfing NZ have provided further details on that process, with the trial tournament to be restricted to only NZ citizens, ensuring there will be some Kiwi participation in the Championship Tour event.

The WSL will also continue its Rising Tides initiative in Raglan, offering 30 young surfers – an even split between boys and girls – the chance to surf with the CT athletes during the official practice day on May 14.

Of those 30 spots, 18 spots will be allocated to the top nine male and female surfers in the NZ Grom Series’ under-14 division, with the remaining 12 held for local Raglan surfers.

Those spots will be allocated through two local clubs, Raglan Point Boardriders and Whaingaroa Māori Boardriders.

There will also be an opportunity for local surfers under the age of 14 to be board caddies for the CT athletes during the event.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB, Surfing NZ chief executive Ben Kennings said the event was a great opportunity for locals, particularly given the men’s CT has never visited NZ and the women’s hasn’t been on our shores since the Taranaki-hosted stop in 2013.

“To see them in real life is what the surfing fans are going to love the most,” Kennings said.

“It’s taken a while, but it’s coming back. We’re super excited about it.

“The opportunity for the two wildcards – the Kiwi surfers that are going to surf – that’s something special, and I think just all the young groms around the country getting to go and surf with them ... to be able to surf shoulder to shoulder with them is going to be crazy.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.