Tane Wallis - Maiden Victories All-round At South Island Champs

It was a hat trick of maiden victories at the 2014 South Island Champs today (Monday 21st April) with titles going to Tane Wallis (Piha), Hayley Coakes (Dun) and Harrison Whiteside (Chch), all first time winners on the New Zealand Pro Series.The final day of the event was played out in what many described as perfection with a solid 1.5m swell hitting Aramoana Spit north of Dunedin. Offshore winds prevailed throughout the day making for exceptional peaks offering big power pockets and barrels.Tane Wallis won the most dramatic of finals to conclude the event taking a come from behind victory over Maz Quinn (Gis) on the last wave of the event.

Wallis led at the start of the final but Maz Quinn bounced back with 7 and 8 point rides to jump into the lead. With time running down the two surfers paddled out for an approaching set. The first wave was so nice that Wallis decided to ‘hoot’ Quinn into the first wave. Quinn smashed the wave to bits posting another eight point ride. But it was the wave behind that finished the event in the best possible way.

Wallis stroked into a perfect wave, pulled into the barrel and proceeded to get spat out five seconds later at the end of the wave to score a perfect ten point ride and the victory.

“I didn’t want to ruin that first wave for Maz ‘cause it was so good” said Wallis. “Then I saw the next wave, I didn’t have to do anything on the wave, it was mother nature at its finest” added Wallis of the wave and ensuing barrel.

It is the first Open Men’s Division win ever for Wallis which he was glad to “tick off this year’s goals list.” “I am absolutely stoked to win in those types of waves and against Maz, he is one of my favourite surfers so absolutely and respectfully stoked in every way possible.”

Quinn finished the final in second place missing yet another close final as he searches for the event win that has eluded him for more than two years. Despite not winning the event, Quinn jumps into the lead on the New Zealand Pro Series with one event remaining and will aim to defend his 2013 title.

Placing third in the final was local favourite Jamie Civil (Dun) with Hugh Ritchie (Chch) finishing the final in fourth place. Ritchie moves up to third on the South Island Circuit rankings behind leader Levi O’Connor (Kaik) who holds off Harrison Whiteside for the number one spot.

Original article from Surf2surf.com

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