New Zealand Surf Journal asks the New Zealand surfing industry to rank our 10 best surfers. The concept is simple: include not just the best competitors, but also our very best free surfers and underground chargers. This is who they came up with.
THE CRITERIA
Surfers are assessed based on their International, Oceanic, Australasian and New Zealand feats, in that order. Those competing in World Surf League (WSL) and International Surfing Association (ISA) events get priority with females and males assessed equally. The rankings are not just based on competitive performance, but also take into account significant free-surfing sessions from the past 12-months. Rising stars can have a place too, but the idea is that if we were sending a Kiwi team to the Olympics being held at pumping Pipeline, Hawaii, what order would you line up the best New Zealand surfers?
THE PANEL OF EXPERTS
The New Zealand surfing industry canvassed includes media, board shapers, officials and identities who have helped shaped the sport. They were asked to rank their top surfers and we poured that data into an algorithm that awarded 20 points for number 1, 17 for number 2, 15 for number 3, 13 for number 4, 11 for number 5 etc. The resulting points saw a superb battle between first and second with just 12 points separating the two, polarising our industry experts. To give you some idea of how close that is the step back to third is almost 80 points adrift.
We go into this knowing how flawed the concept is and our industry experts challenged the idea:
“Trying to find New Zealand’s best surfer is flawed from the outset,” concedes Hughes Surfboards shaper Luke Hughes. “The only measure we have are competition results, and as we know, some surfers have all the ability in the world, but can’t put it together in a heat, and vice versa.”
“Where is the credit for the manufacturers who create awesome boards – works of art and surf them as well as the high-profile sponsored surfers up in lights?” Luke continues. “They will never be recognized as they have a nine-to-five job and are not able to pursue the traveling pro surfing dream. Think the Ellis Ericsons and Thomas Bexons of the world, Jordan Griffin surfs as good as them!”
Jerry Aubertin, the director of Damaged Goods Zine, described the task as having moving goalposts.
THE TOP 10 SURFERS ARE …
DRUM ROLL …
Ricardo Christie was New Zealand’s second ever male surfer to make the WSL Championship Tour (WCT), after Maz Quinn, when he qualified for the 2015 tour. But a miserable 2015 WCT campaign where he struggled to find his feet in anything but the best waves, saw him bucked off, relegated back to the WQS ranks for 2016. That’s a hard slog in anyone’s books. Ricardo made the most of it, scraping his learnings from that 2015 season and investing in his future, spurred on by his vibrant young family. He learnt what it means to be a top-level surf athlete. Not just the surfing instinct, which he has in spades, but the mind, body and competitive strategies. His 2016 and 2017 WQS seasons were brutal grinds, each time struggling to get within striking distance of the qualification ranks: 57th in 2016 and then 31st in 2017. By his own admission 2018 was his last roll of the dice. Toward the end of the season, as he turned 30, something changed in Ricardo.
“Ric seems to have found his happy space,” shares Matt Scorringe, of The Art Of Surfing. “He believes in his ability. He has proven he belongs at the top and he trusts in his process. I know he works on his mindset a lot and just being present in the moment so he can showcase his talent when it’s time to press go. He has proved that at Haleiwa – he looked so calm and relaxed pre- and post-heat, yet so lethal and enigmatic during the heat. It’s so great to watch.”
That event set in motion a sequence of events that would see Ricardo qualify for the 2019 season, his 11th chasing the tour dream. It was a sensational effort and critically lifted Ric above Paige Hareb in these very rankings … by a whisker.
“Ricardo tops the field for me and not just because of his re-qualification and his amazing surfing ability,” shares Hughes Surfboards’ Luke Hughes. “But also for the positive image he brings to the sport in New Zealand as a role model for our young. Paige Hareb is in this field for the same reason.”
“Ricardo tops the field for me and not just because of his re-qualification and his amazing surfing ability, but also for the positive image he brings to the sport in New Zealand as a role model for our young. Paige Hareb is in this field for the same reason.”
Others rated Ric’s comeback as one of New Zealand’s greatest sporting achievements of 2018 – you’d be hard pressed to argue with that.
“Ric has had an epic comeback to the CT,” offers strength and conditioning expert Dr Oliver Farley, who had Ric pegged as a close second behind Paige Hareb in his rankings. “It’s no mean feat with plenty of talented surfers out there vying for the same thing. This is a truly epic result for Ric and New Zealand heading to Tokyo 2020.”
For others, Ricardo’s end of year form in 2018 proved he has a new intensity around his game.
“While Ric’s heat performances are quite often frustrating to watch, he has an ability, style and free surfing that remains world class,” explains surf photographer Craig Levers. “Rumour has it that he wouldn’t have tried for re-qualification in 2019 if he hadn’t made it. In Balito and Haleiwa the flow finally went his way. If Ric can harness the intensity he showed at Haleiwa consistently then he’ll be on the ‘CT for years to come.”
Maybe it was that last roll of the dice, do or die mentality, but whatever it is Ricardo needs to tap into that energy for 2019. He can rest assured New Zealand will be right behind him.
Paige Hareb
The fight for the number one spot in this list was fierce. Taranaki’s Paige Hareb is unquestionably New Zealand’s most successful surfer ever. She is the consummate professional – a surf athlete carving out an incredible path. Just look at her achievements.
“Paige, to me, is the athlete we need to model if we want to get more New Zealand surfers to the elite stage.”
Paige, 28, is New Zealand’s first female surfer to make the tour – she joined it in 2009. She remained on tour right through to 2014 – six years straight until she was relegated to the QS in 2015. That didn’t dampen her spirits – she just resolved to work smarter. Paige rejoined the tour in 2018. The year was a tough one for her, suffering a nasty injury during a free-surf in Mexico that took her out of contention. She turned that negative into a positive and re-emerged with an intensity and focus that was crystal sharp and without doubt had five colourful Olympic rings etched into every single decision she made. Her back half of the 2018 season was masterful.
“Paige, to me, is the athlete we need to model if we want to get more New Zealand surfers to the elite stage,” offers Matt Scorringe, of The Art Of Surfing. “Her mental strength and share tenacity is what is missing in the New Zealand surf culture as a whole and she has shown such fight to stay at the top level for longer than any other New Zealand surfer. I look forward to the day she has time to help the next generation with some insight on her mental game, which has kept her at the top for so long.”
And that is partly why she is emerging as our most likely Olympic hope – she proved that at The Founders Cup held in Kelly Slater’s wave pool at The Ranch, where she was a key performer on the World Team. She didn’t just join a good team, she was one of the World Team’s standouts that earned victory at the specialty event.
“The fact that Paige has been in the top bracket, or lurking around the top bracket now for so many years makes her our top surfer for sure,” offers Craig Levers, of Photo CPL Media. “This year we saw a reinvigorated Paige. Now regarded as a veteran of the tour, she proved once again that she belongs in that top echelon. Her performances at the Ranch (which was fucking epic), the win in Japan and the quarters berths in Australia and Honolua Bay illustrated she’s not just there as cannon fodder for the top seeds, she’s evolving as a surfer. She’s most likely to be our New Zealand Olympic medalist hope by qualifying for the CT in 2019.”
As the 2019 WCT season begins Paige and Ric are the first Kiwis we’ve ever had on the tour at the same time. They’ve both earned their place and both are surfing stronger than ever. Should Paige have occupied the number one spot? Maybe, but either way these two surfers at the top of this list are where New Zealand’s big hopes lie.
Billy Stairmand
Despite heading into his ninth year of WQS grind, we reckon Billy Stairmand may have found a reason to breakthrough in 2019, but it won’t be easy. Relegated to lower level WQS events for 2019, he has to earn his way back into the bigger and better rewarding WQS competitions to have a crack at the Top 10. That’s a kick in the guts for the seasoned pro from Raglan, but the fact his good mate and fellow Suitcase Surfers stablemate Ricardo Christie pulled it off has surely got to ignite the fire in the talented natural-footer.
But sheer talent alone may not be enough to secure Billy’s future.
“Billy, the 7x National Champ, is hamstrung by the financial burden of competing on the WQS,” admits Craig Levers. “It’s a bummer to watch Billy’s competitive sorties simply come down to the lack of bucks. But on any given day on his native Raglan Points he is surfing incredibly. No doubt he’s got a couple more National Open titles in him.”
Winning the New Zealand Surfing Championships in 2019 from a hard charging, freshly qualified Ricardo Christie isn’t the only signal that Billy’s firing up for 2019. He’s got an air of confidence about him that’s exciting. We haven’t seen that since 2011 when he took down the then 10-time World Champ, Kelly Slater, in Margaret River as a 21-year-old.
“Billy is amazing,” offers Paige Hareb. “He’s the only Kiwi to beat Kelly Slater and has been close to qualifying for the world tour before. I still believe he can do it.”
In 2015 he also beat three-time World Champ Mick Fanning in a heat at Manly, NSW. He has the ability to produce the type of surfing that can knock the wind out of the world’s very best. We know that for sure. Can he produce it day-in, day-out on the QS grind? Does he have the mettle to rise back to the top? We certainly believe he can.
Kehu Butler
Fresh off his World Surf League Oceania Junior QS win in 2018, Te Kehukehu Butler, is on a tear right now with many billing him as our next big CT star. That’s a lot of pressure for the young, almost 19-year-old surfer from Mount Manuganui. But he has big shoulders and a support team around him that is second to none.
“My guess is that we won’t see Kehu Butler ranked as low as this for many years to come,” smiles Craig Levers. “Before mentioning results, let’s take stock of the sheer style and power the Bay of Plenty surfer holds in spades. Just watch a couple of his clips from videographer Billy Lee-Pope – wow, the young man is a joy to witness. Funny, too. Result wise, he’s our World Surf League Oceania Junior Champion. To contextualise that, all the past regional champions have gone on to stellar surfing careers – we’re talking guys like Jack Freestone, Visco Ribero, Ethan Ewing, Finn McGill … in earlier machinations of the Junior World Cup … Joel Parkinson, Gabriel Medina. 2019 will see Kehu turn his attention to the WQS. This is gonna be a fun space to watch. Tune in.”
And Craig is not the only well-positioned commentator to see the potential in Kehu.
“Kehu is New Zealand’s next big hope I reckon,” considers Paige. “He’s got a lot of talent and determination and I would not be surprised at all if he’s the next Kiwi on the World Tour!”
Despite his very cruisy, laidback, quintessential Kiwi demeanour, Kehu is a worker.
“I don’t think people realise how much Kehu puts into his success,” states Matt Scorringe. “I see him out every single day, all day at Omanu when he’s home. No matter if it’s 1ft or 5ft, onshore or offshore, he surfs all day continually working on his craft. He wants it bad and is going after it with everything he’s got. It’s inspiring to see.”
Kehu Butler may be the new generation of New Zealand pro surfer and if that is the case then we’re heading in a very good direction.
Elliot Paerata-Reid
We’re not surprised to see Elliot Paerata-Reid, or EPR, as he is often called, sitting inside the top five. He’s been waging battle on the WQS since 2014, had a strong year in 2015, cracking the top 200, and then topped it in 2018 with a 172nd position. That’s still along way to go, but with the QS algorithms the way they are anywhere inside the top 200 is within striking distance.
“EPR is the undercover brother,” laughs Craig Levers with a shake of his head and sparkle in his eye. “He placed second at the Nationals in 2018 just behind Ric Christie in an awesome paddle battle and wave tussle. Yes, we all know his name, Elliot’s done a pretty good job of getting images in print and on the web – how crazy was that Nias session? What many don’t realise is that the young Piha surfer has been determinedly chipping away at the WQS beast.”
To understand what EPR and all the Kiwi surfers are up against, first you have to understand how the WQS works.
“You can’t earn enough points on the ‘QS to go onto the ‘CT in anything other than 6 Stars,” offers Craig. “Mathematically this is incorrect, but practically it’s all about the 6-Star events. The catch is you need enough points from the 1, 2 and 3-star events to get into the top 200 ranked surfers to be eligible for the 6 Stars, but those 1, 2 and 3’s are small points … a bit like scraping a few cents here and there so eventually you’ve got the dollars to buy into the the big game. It’s brutal.”
Elliot played to his strengths to get there. He’s been an Indo regular for the past 10 years, it’s almost his second home.
“EPR’s 2018 quest was to get the points/ranking to qualify for the 6 Stars and he did it quite strategically by identifying the events that suited him, such as Indo, and were inexpensive to get to (ie not Europe). EPR is now at the highest ranking he’s ever been. So goal achieved. This means he’s poised for the 6 star events in 2019. Shrewdly played EPR.”
Outside of the competition arena Elliot starred in the Mega Swell that rolled into Indonesia in late July 2018. He arrived just as Nias was transformed from a playground into something on the brink of madness. While others were questioning if it was even possible to paddle in, Elliot stroked into an incredible wave. He didn’t stick the drop, got the hiding of his life and went viral. That moment elevated him and put New Zealand surfing a notch or two higher on the performance spectrum.
Maz Quinn
The staggering thing about Maz Quinn is that even into his 40s he could still hold his own in any WCT heat. The better the waves, the better he surfs and he hasn’t wound back one ounce of that powerful rail game he became renowned for during his, and surfing’s, heyday.
Part of the reason for that, is he works hard to keep in shape and fit enough to surf the way he wants.
“I’m probably not surfing as good as I did in my late 20s and early 30s,” he laughs. “But I feel like I am surfing well and I am keeping fit – that’s the key at our age – keeping fit and getting in the water as much as possible and hopefully that downward spiral will be a little slower than a slippery slope.”
“I’m probably not surfing as good as I did in my late 20s and early 30s, but I feel like I am surfing well and I am keeping fit – that’s the key at our age – keeping fit and getting in the water as much as possible and hopefully that downward spiral will be a little slower than a slippery slope.”
Maz became New Zealand’s first ever surfer to make the World Championship Tour when he qualified in 2002. It was an incredible achievement.
“I still think, results wise, it’s hard to get on the world tour,” admits Paige Hareb. “Even back in the day when Maz did it. I would have had him as number two except Ric just made it two years on the World Tour so he just tops Maz!”
Maz, who officially retired from competitive surfing in 2017, had 26 years competing and was making finals in New Zealand right through to that last season. In the events he’s “come out of retirement for” since then he’s continued to be a force to be reckoned with. He just won the 2019 Barrett Homes Open of Surfing.
From his long-standing relationship with Quiksilver to the manner in which he set his life up after competition, he’s one inspiring character. Maz is often regarded as surfing royalty in New Zealand – a fitting mark of respect for who he is and what he has achieved.
Luke Cederman
Coming in at number seven is Raglan’s Luke Cederman. He’s best known for his powerful surfing style and inability to transfer it completely to competition arenas. Those of you with dreadful TV-watching habits may also know him from his appearance in the cringe-worthy Married At First Sight, New Zealand. If you missed it, well done. But it was an important segue to Luke’s other venture: The Raglan Surf Report, where he turns the dial right up and walks a tenuous line between cringe and comedy.
If you find it cringe-inducing, then you’re probably taking life way too seriously. No one is spared his wrath, even Kelly Slater uses The Raglan Surf Report to dispel rumours. Luke takes a satirical potshot at everyone from tourists to local heroes, surfing culture and even black sand gets its face rubbed in it.
But The Raglan Surf Report, as good as it is for all of us, isn’t why he made this list. And he wasn’t always bombing out of competitions (he has an impressive haul of trophies from his career), but when it comes to free-surfing, without the weight of a competition vest on his shoulders, Luke has always been and remains to be one of the most powerful and fluid surfers in a line-up.
He’s knocking on 35 now, but that hasn’t slowed him down one bit. He’s still surfing at the pointy end of any competitive field. He’s one of our most talented commentators in New Zealand, super funny and has his heart committed to seeing a better future for surfing in New Zealand. That’s pretty awesome in our book.
Ella Williams
If Paige is our leading lady then she’s given Whangamata’s Ella Williams a pretty impressive path to follow. Not that the 23-year-old needs a path to be cleared. She’s wanted to be world surfing champion since she wrote that goal on her bedroom wall at age six. In 2013 she stood on the top step of the podium and was crowned the Junior World Champion. It was an incredible feat that put her in the sights of the best surfers on the planet.
Ella is now in her seventh year of WQS competition with her finishing consistently inside the top 50. In 2017 she landed a wildcard to surf at Bells Beach, only to be knocked out by three-time World Champion, Carissa Moore. It was a taste of the big leagues and she liked it.
Her 2019 season has opened with a win at the Mothernest Great Lakes Pro, making it 1 from 1 for 2019. Of all people, she knows there is still a long way to go from here, but watch this girl. She knows what it takes and we’re tipping her star is rising. Bring it on …
Leroy Rust
We weren’t surprised that this list was dominated by competitive surfers, they’re incredibly visible and they have a list of sponsors and results to push them forward. And they need that exposure to meet the financial demands of competitive surfing campaigns. But to see a handful of non-competitive surfers nominated was pretty awesome. Dunedin surfer, Leroy Rust, appeared multiple times, enough to make the top 10, and while he can’t get far enough away from competitions he deserves to be here for the performance end of his surfing.
Leroy is leading the charge of the big-wave paddle-in crew that routinely chases the biggest and best waves around the southern coastline. He had an entry accepted into the finals of the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 Oakley Big Wave Awards paddle-in category where he had paddled into a huge wave at Papatowai in less than ideal conditions. He stuck the drop and rode the wave into the record books. He also became the first New Zealander to paddle into Jaws, Maui, when he caught a giant wave from the lineup on January 22, 2015.
His free-surfing is flawless. He’s got rail surfing, barrel riding and he can boost above the lip. Not that he’d tell you that. He’s a quiet guy with zero ambition for fame or fortune.
“We have talented surfers everywhere that never see the limelight,” offers Luke Hughes, of Hughes Surfboards. “Some prefer it this way, yes, but if you look at the global scale of who is succeeding – people pushing surfing across a wide array of disciplines are receiving the due credit. Leroy, for example, is pushing the big wave contingent here in New Zealand and has aspirations to look bigger and further, all while surfing a twin fin, a performance shortboard and a longboard very well. He will never be considered New Zealand’s best surfer as he doesn’t compete in contests or have mainstream sponsorship to be on the global scale, but I feel he, and the surfers like him, should be recognized for their overall ability.”
At 27, Leroy has ambition to push himself further to satisfy his own curiosity if nothing else. Together with others who share the paddle-in journey with him, such as Tom Bracegirdle, Jamie Civil, Jimi Crooks and Joe Dirt, it’s an exciting landscape to watch.
Dune Kennings
New Zealand doesn’t have a whole heap of third generation surfers. Dune Kennings is one. His dad Lynden is a multi-national champion and his grandfather, Taff, featured in the 1968 Kiwi surf film Children of the Sun. It became a cult classic. We don’t know if Dune has ever sat down and scrutinised the movie, but that lineage surely adds a whole heap of pressure to perform.
I remember vividly Lynden telling me the story back in the late ’90s about how his son Dune, then two years old, was paddling along their hallway on a skateboard then leaping to his feet to ride the rest of the way along it. It made complete sense to me that that would be the actions of a toddler in the Kennings family.
Not long after Lynden threw a blank on a shaping stand and started to build a board for Dune. The bright orange weapon would be his first. The board he’d learn to surf on. That’s it right here in these pictures. Dune kept that board.
“I remember that day,” explains Craig Levers. “Dune’s boards were in Elliot’s [Paerata-Reid] car and he’d bailed from the beach. Dune grabbed this board and turns out he can still surf it.”
As a grommet Dune won two national titles in Under 16s, winning in 2011 and 2012. He backed that up with an U18 title in 2014. He’s never bagged an Open Men’s title, battling with injuries instead including ankle and knee issues.
“I put that down to his high-octane style of surfing,” offers Craig. “He’ll never hold back, goes for these crazy big airs and tries to stick them – it’s so brutal on your ankles and knees.”
At just 22, Dune is still considered one of the most explosive surfers in the water. If he can get his body in line with his instinct then we’ll see another star on the rise. If he just goes free-surfing, let’s hope he takes a photographer and filmer along to capture the moments.
Conclusion
Did we get it right? Did we overlook someone at your local break? Of course, we’ll never be bang on in everyone’s eyes. But we reckon we have a pretty good crop of surfers in this list. If you think otherwise, leave a comment below and tag in a surfer we may have overlooked. The debate that rages from a list like this is what a feature like this is all about.