Elliot Paerata-Reid
Elliot Paerata-Reid was ranked fifth in 2019 and he hasn’t moved a single spot for 2023. Elliot has been waging battle on the WQS since 2014 (the Junior QS since 2013), had a strong year in 2015, cracking the top 200, and then topped it in 2018 with a 172nd position. He had had enough of a sniff and stepped it up in 2020 to finish 78th, then 31st in 2021. Last season he finished in 39th place with just three events in his tally.
While the Australian QS rounds make the events slightly more accessible, you still have to beat a lot of quality Aussie surfers on their home turf. It’s still a very tough environment to crack before you even start to consider the pressure cooker that is the Challenger Series.
Elliot has one very strong advantage – he’s been an Indo regular for most of his surfing life – Nias is like his second home.
Outside of the competition arena Elliot starred in the mega swell that rolled into Indonesia back in 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.
He’s more recently teamed up with Australian-based Kiwis McKenzie and Tane Bowden producing a series of satirical and sometimes poignant skits dealing with anything and everything in modern life. Definitely worth a watch …
