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Zen and Tane to 50th ISA World Surfing Champs

  • Final Results from Peru

      7 November 2014
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    Hey everyone,

    The ISA World Surfing Games have come to a close and we are smarting at opportunities lost, but really happy with the experience we got and the amazing waves the contest was held in.

    It seemed like everyone had difficult heats where the really good waves became difficult to find, and if you had a heat go against you in a crucial round you were out.

    At the end, I finished 25th while Tane finished in 22nd position. We both made mistakes in our final heats but proved that we had the skills to have gone further. I scored one wave that was almost an excellent ride where one judge had scored it a 9.2. (it felt like a 10 to me). Tane dominated the start of his last heat with a 6.33 on his first ride but then committed the cardinal sin of not getting a follow up wave. A one point ride would have given him a 19th finish while a 3 point wave would have put him into the final 16 surfers.

    The wash up was I finished my five heats with a 2nd, a 3rd, two firsts and a 3rd, while Tane also surfed in 5 heats scoring a 2nd, a 1st, a 3rd, a 2nd and a 4th.

    Five heats each in a World Class event is the most valuable experience for our surfing. In my second heat I finished 0.4 behind a past World Champ, Santiago Muniz, whose brother competes on the WCT.

    And no, Kelly Slater wasn't competing but the standard was really high. Best of all, because it was the 50th Anniversary of the World Champs, there was a fantastic atmosphere and everyone was on high just to be participating. I can only imagine what if must be like to represent your country at the Olympics.

    So now I sit here at Punta Rocas after the event is over. We've done the best we could and can't change anything but we can now reflect and go over the video footage we have and learn, learn, learn.

    For the next few days before we fly home, we are going to travel up north of Lima and chase a massive swell that is about to hit.

    We'll be home in the weekend ready to get back to work and edit up our video footage so that we can hold another function at the Piha Cafe so that you can all better know what it was like to be at this event.

    Thanks yet again for all your support and giving us this amazing chance to represent our country at such an incredible contest.

    Lots of positive thoughts and love from Peru,

    Zen and Tane

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  • Day 3 Over - now it's backs to the wall!

      28 October 2014
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    Hi everyone,

    Sorry about the delay in getting you some updates but Peru still has third world internet coverage. Thankfully it has great waves and the event began in perfect 2m right handers with the occasional left.

    So far Tane has competed in three heats and had a 2nd, a first and a third. The third has put him into the repercharge rounds but by making the third round, he is into the final 36 surfers of the event.

    I've surfed in two heats so far and have had a 2nd and a third. That means I made a heat then missed out in my 2nd heat by .4 to a past world champ.

    It means no more mistakes for any of us guys while Grace this morning won her heat with style and is in the last 24 surfers in the women's draw.

    Tomorrow they will run the 2nd Round Repechage heats. That means fellow team members, Sean Dillon will be up at 2.20am (NZ time) and JC Susan will be up at 5.40am. I'm up at 4.40am but you can watch later by clicking on the website first thing in the morning and moving the youtube timeline back to when you see each of us surfing.

    In the photo with this update is Tane this morning surfing well but getting on the wrong side of the judges call. He'll be competing in his 4th round repechage sometime over the next couple of days.

    Please cross your fingers for us and I'll keep you posted on how we go. If you want to see more recent pictures of the contest or us surfing check our club Facebook page at:

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lion-Rock-Board-Riders-Club/238268612887462?ref=hl

    The photo that I referred to in the previous update can be viewed by clicking in the Gallery tab of our Spark My Potential page, sorry guys!

    Lots of happy Kiwi vibes and thanks from the depths of Peru,

    Zen.

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  • NZ Surfing Team has some high powered support!

      28 October 2014

    During the Opening Ceremony for the 2014 ISA World Surfing Games, Barbara Kendall who is the President of the Oceania Olympic Committee joined our team with her New Zealand colours.

    The next evening at the International Surfing Association Annual General Meeting, Barbara was elected to the position of Vice President which is a massive positive for both NZ and world surfing.

    In the photo with this update you can see the NZ Team with both the Mayor of Lima and the President of the ISA.

    Barbara is of course on the far right of the picture. I'm second from left while Tane is between the Mayor and the President playing 'where's Wally'.

    In the video with this update, Tane is on the second wave and then again surfing on the wave while the ISA President is talking.

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  • We're on route to Peru

      20 October 2014

    Thanks to your help, we're on our way to Peru. Here is the first of our videos sharing our experience.

    Thanks, Zen and Tane

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  • Thank you, we've reached our first target.

      1 October 2014

    Massive thanks for all your donations!

    We're overwhelmed and blown away by all the love and support we've received from everyone so far.

    We’ve reached our first target of $6000 for our airfares! However the total cost of our campaign is $9556 which includes entry fees, accommodation, food, travel insurance, hire car, excess baggage fee, petrol and car insurance.

    We would be super appreciative if you could spread our page and cause to all of your friends to donate a little. $5 or $2 or whatever they can. If a lot of people give a little in the next week and a half we'll have enough to go to Peru and take on the world stress free and knowing we have a huge team behind us wanting us to rise to the top.

    Your help is vital in our journey to take our skills, and New Zealand, to the 2014 ISA World Surfing Games in Peru.

    Here's a video of the last time we were in the same team going to the world champs.

    Thanks again, and kindest regards, Zen and Tane

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