Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour

Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour - Event 4

Mount Maunganui

If you missed out last time or you're keen for more, this weekend we're holding a Stand Up Paddle Surf Race (approx 3km) at Mount Maunganui, as part of the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour.

Entries for the SUP Surf Race will be open up until one hour before the race, with the event schedule posted by Surfing NZ at 7am at the contest each morning.  A $70 entry fee gives you entry into one of world's best-run surf events, the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour 2011 Registration Pack with cool t-shirt, beach towel and cap, and of course a safe, well-organised arena to test your waterman skills against an awesome line up of SUPers, including Kiwi legends Daniel Kereopa and Shayne Baxter.

The 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour will once more feature a Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Surf division, co-sponsored by Starboard NZ.  Tour dates and locations are:

• Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 1, 8-9 January, Piha (4-star)

• Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 2, 13-16 January, Dunedin (5-star)

• Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 3, 4-6 February, Sandy Bay (SNZ 6-star / ASP LQS 1-star)

• Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 4, 19-20 February, Mount Maunganui (4-star)

• Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour Event 5, 4-5 March, Port Waikato (6-star)

The 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour has received sanctioning from Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Australasia with the most popular event of the tour held at Sandy Bay, Whangarei, being granted a 1-star Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) rating.  The news comes as five venues are confirmed to host events in 2011 making for yet another performance-filled summer of longboard surfing.

The Sandy Bay leg of the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour is joined by events at Piha, Dunedin, Mount Maunganui and the famous Port Waikato finale.

The launch of the tour follows Hyundai's confirmation of their commitment to the sport of surfing and Surfing New Zealand for a further year.

"Hyundai New Zealand is extremely proud to continue the sponsorship of Surfing New Zealand, building on its five year investment and involvement in one of New Zealand's favourite summer past times" said Hyundai Marketing Manager Darren Kirkland.

"Being 100% locally owned and operated, it's rewarding and a privilege to play such a large role in communities up and down the country - bringing the world-class Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour to the shores of some of New Zealand's best surf breaks and beaches."

Hyundai will also use the opportunity to kick off a Trans Tasman Challenge between the best longboarders from New Zealand and Australia in a team's event that will determine ultimate supremacy.

The best surfing family in New Zealand will again feature in 2011.  Throughout the tour, families that enter Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour events will go into the draw to win New Zealand's most popular diesel family wagon, the Santa Fe for a year at the end of the season. 

To foster the competitive nature amongst the top echelon of the Open Men's Division, the 2011 Tour winner will also receive an all expenses paid trip to Australia and entry into the Noosa Surf Festival - one of the three other ASP LQS events held in the region.

Surfing New Zealand CEO Greg Townsend is ecstatic with how the 2011 tour and the pending summer of longboard activity are shaping up.

"As like every other year, we continue to get queries on the tour daily from surfers both in New Zealand and abroad" commented Townsend.  

Six divisions will be contested on the tour - Open Men, Women, Junior Men (under 18), Over 40, Over 50 and Stand Up Paddle boarding.

Entry into the events can be completed at www.surfingnz.co.nz under events from 1^st December.  Complete the entry process online or download entry forms and send them in.  The 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour is expected to receive high entry levels so entrants will need to be in well before the cut off dates to assure themselves a slice of the action.

For more up to date info on the tour go to http://surf.co.nz/hyundai/

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