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Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour 2011

Monday 20 December 2010, 11:21PM

By New Zealand Greenroom Productions Ltd

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At the beginning of 2010 we spent the summer driving from one end of NZ to the other chasing waves and filming the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour.
The Event took on 4 locations Sandy Bay, Whagamata, Dunedin, and Port Waikato.

Bring on Summer 2011.. Its here already!

http://www.nzgreen.tv/

Check out the doco that features some of the surfing highlights and good times that were had over the long hot NZ summer of 2010.


Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9msDxN9JYo
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsraKdA5CuA


Ending one of our best years to date we are proud to announce that Hyundai NZ have signed up for another year supporting the “Pro Longboard Tour”

The NZGPL team will cover all of the events, delivering a media package to news rooms, online video sites, and social networks worldwide. Our increasing popular ‘Free DVD’ will again be made available after the end of the tour!


2011 HYUNDAI PRO LONGBOARD TOUR DATES

· Tour Event 1, 8-9 January, Piha (4-star)

· Tour Event 2, 13-16 January, Dunedin (5-star)

· Tour Event 3, 4-6 February, Sandy Bay (SNZ 6-star / ASP LQS 1-star)

· Tour Event 4, 19-20 February, Mount Maunganui (4-star)

· Tour Event 5, 4-5 March, Port Waikato (6-star)

The 2011 Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour has received sanctioning from the 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 pastimes" 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.

Entry into the events can be completed at www.surfingnz.co.nz under events from 1st 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.

New Zealand’s coastline has it all, from perfect beaches, long point breaks and several big wave spots just to name a few. There is no surprise we now see over 200,000 people taking part with surfing in New Zealand every year. Hyundai have taken the initiative to sponsor such a widely participated sport and have for the third year running, held the ever so prestigious Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour within New Zealand.

The recent up-taking of longboarding in New Zealand is due to a combination of many factors, one of which is the Hyundai professional competition circuit. This in turn has drawn the original crew as well as the new generation of enthusiasts into the water and back onto the old school majestic vessel.

The strong sponsorship fit that Hyundai has with surfing in New Zealand is illustrated by the extent to which surfers travel. Sport Research Group in 2006 found that 47% of surfers travel more than 500 kilometres per month in search of waves. In years gone by, the Volkswagen Combi and HQ Holden were iconic surf vehicles. The opportunity exists to fill this space in the future. Hyundai has positioned this sponsorship around their range of SUV (4x4) vehicles in recognition of the fact that the search for quality waves frequently involves long gravel roads, west coast beaches and the odd trip around the rocks.

Hyundai is aiming to build brand preference among surfers and fans of surfing in New Zealand who are in the market for a new vehicle. By sponsoring the Surfing Nationals and the Longboard Tour, Hyundai NZ, 100% owned and operated in New Zealand, hopes to make those people aware of Hyundai’s presence and involvement with surfing in New Zealand.