Hareb To Contest Final Day of Billabong World Surfing Games

For immediate release

27th October 2010

From: Surfing New Zealand
Sport: International Surfing
Event: 2010 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games
Divisions: Open Men, Open Women, Men’s Longboard
Date: 19th – 27th October (Peru time)
Location: Punta Hermosa, Lima, Peru
Websites: www.isasurf.org www.billabongpro.com and www.surfingnz.co.nz

Hareb To Contest Final Day of Billabong World Surfing Games

Quiksilver New Zealand Surfing Team member Paige Hareb (Taranaki) will contest the final day of the 2010 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games set to take place in Peru overnight (New Zealand time).

Hareb progressed through two repechage rounds today after earlier placing third in her qualifying round. She is now placed amongst the top six women at the event.

The performance of Hareb has lifted the Kiwi team which looks like holding down eighth place at the event – up three placings from 2009.

Hareb surfed a tight final heat with less than three points separating all four women in the heat to make it into the top six surfers. Hareb scored 10.83 points out of a possible 20 to win the heat over Pauline Ado (FRA), Kulia Doherty (USA) and Alize Arnaud (FRA).

Hareb will have to surf once on the final day to make it through to the final and challenge for the gold medal.

Hareb reflected on the days proceedings post day six action “Yeah I should have got through that qualifying heat this morning but just made a few mistakes and got a bit nervous I think.“

“But I am happy to get a few good waves in the repercharge rounds. One more heat till the main final, I really want to make it” added Hareb of her road to gold.

Paige is no stranger to the conditions at Punta Hermosa having visited the area several times staying with good friend Sofia Mulanovich.

“Yeah I have surfed here a lot and it reminds me of Rocky Point a little bit so I should feel at home out there” said Hareb of the conditions she encountered today. Hareb has always considered Rocky Point one of her favourite breaks back in her hometown of Taranaki.

Earlier in the day Hareb surfed a calculated heat to eliminate fellow Quiksilver New Zealand Surfing Team member Laura Rishworth. Hareb rode only the minimum two waves required scoring 11.83 to win the heat. Hareb was patient with her wave selection proving vital after initially falling behind the other surfers before her final 7.5 point wave, the highest of the heat, pushed her into the lead.

Hareb ended fellow team member Laura Rishworth’s ambitions at the event. Her stellar run came to an end with an impressive ninth equal placing. Rishworth was in second place for much of the heat until Hareb and eventual second place getter Alize Arnaud (FRA) jumped ahead with three minutes remaining. While Hareb was happy to move through she was also disappointed that Laura was eliminated.

“Yeah always sucks to see a team member go down but that was like the heat I had with Sofia Mulanovich, she's my best mate and we had a plan to stick together but we ended up being worst enemies and I came out worst off ha so you just have to think of whoever's out there as just another colour”.

Rishworth was eliminated from the event feeling she had left no stones unturned after a strong performance and improvement from 17th in 2009. Rishworth puts the improvement down to better wave selection, being more relaxed and focusing on her game rather than anyone else.

“To finish ninth has left me feeling happy, of course I wanted to go further, but I made sure that I gave everything I had in that heat and left it all in the water” said Rishworth. She went on to add “Throughout the contest I hadn't felt I'd surfed my best. I surfed the best I could on the waves I caught today and couldn't quite find the one wave I needed to get me over the line, so all in all I am happy with my final performance.”

Rishworth will take a lot out of the event as she now anticipates the national events back in New Zealand. “The experience and the amount of learning I can take away from this contest for me has been huge. I think more than anything I know I can be right in the mix with the best of them. To be at an event where everyone is really hungry for it and wants to win has been hugely beneficial, as you also feed off that energy. I look forward to using the experiences I've had here in future events” said Rishworth.

Swell conditions are expected to rise a touch for the final day which will suit Hareb. The event is expected to be played out on the lefthander of Senoritas as well which Hareb is “stoked” about.

The Billabong ISA World Surfing Games conclude tomorrow (Thursday 28 October, NZ time). Over 200 competitors from 31 nations competed for their national colours at the event.

The 2010 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games uses a double elimination format meaning that all surfers have to place third or fourth in their heats twice, before being entirely eliminated from the event.

The team is looking to improve on the eleventh placing in 2009 when the event was held in Costa Rica.

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Further Information
For further information regarding the New Zealand Junior Surfing Team please contact Ben Kennings at Surfing New Zealand 07 8250018, 0212278732 or email benkennings@surfingnz.co.nz.

About International Surfing Association (ISA)
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for surfing, bodyboarding and surfriding. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964, and the Junior World Championships since 1980.

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