Quinn Finishes 41st - Top Kiwi In 2011

Jay Quinn (Gis) has finished the 2011 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour in 41st place as the highest ranked Kiwi for 2011. Official rankings were released after the final event was completed on Sunday (11th December).

Travelling companion Richard Christie (Mah) finished the year two places back ranked 43rd while Raglan surfer Billy Stairmand finished the year ranked 79th.

The final ranking is a jump of 57 places for Jay Quinn who finished just inside the top 100 at 98th in 2010. Christie also jumps up the rankings 22 places from 2010 while Billy Stairmand finishes 11 places outside his 2010 year-end ranking of 68th.

"You're always going to look at some key moments in the year and think what if, but there are so many positives to take away and work on for next year" Quinn said of his ascent up the rankings thanks in part to two big results at Prime rated European events - a third in the Azores and a fifth in Ericeira.

Despite missing the final two Hawaiian events of the year due to the birth of his first child, Quinn jumped two places up the rankings to finish the highest he has ever achieved. The ranking is only four places behind what his older brother Maz Quinn achieved in 2002 finishing the year in 37th.

The highest ranked Kiwi surfer ever is Iain Buchanan who placed 36th on the World Tour back in the early 1980s.

"I don't by any means want to take any emphasis off those guys and their amazing achievements on the ASP World Tour. They were on the elite tour and I have not made that yet. I feel I have the ability. It now comes down to mental and physical fitness. It is a tough new system, but I think the current few kiwi boys there are ready to take the next step" Quinn said.

Christie echoed Quinn's sentiments about the past twelve months that, for him, have included some key moments such as a third place finish at a Prime event in Brazil as well as an impressive ninth at the US Open - one of the biggest and most popular surfing events in the world. However the competitive nature of Christie has him striving to achieve greater feats in 2012.

"My final ranking of 43rd would have been good a couple years ago but I can't think like that. It was a sure improvement on last year and one step closer to my dream of qualification…all I can do is take the positives and negatives from the year and use them to build strength for my 2012 campaign. Fourth time lucky, its time to get on that thing already" commented Christie in reference to breaking into the elite ranks.

Surfers have to finish inside the top 32 surfers in the world to qualify for the elite level events and contest for the World Title leaving Quinn and Christie nine and eleven places respectively outside the top echelon.

All three surfers will take a break over summer with Jay Quinn staying in Australia with his family. Christie and Stairmand will be back in New Zealand enjoying some summer waves and time at home. All three surfers are expected to contest the Hyundai National Surfing Championships at Piha Beach, Auckland which start on the 15th of January and run through to the 21st. Quinn is the defending champion of the Open Men's Division.

The first major ASP international events scheduled are Brazil and Australia in early February at which time the guys will pack their bags and head off in a bid to climb the rankings further.

If the ASP qualification format is retained in its current form, it could be as early as the middle of next year when New Zealand sees its second surfer qualify for the ASP Men's World Tour. However if the format changes, as Quinn suggests may happen, it could be another gruelling twelve months of competition for the New Zealand surfers to achieve their goals.