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Interbike Athlete Interviews
Name: Jackie Harmony
Age: 34
Home Town: Jackie and her husband Dante are currently living in their Ford E350 Van travelling from competition to competition.
Equipment/Sponsors: Culture of Speed, Smith, fiveten, Deity, MRP, SDG, TLD, EcoSphere, Dainese
Most Notable Career Result: Norway World Cup #7 – 5th Place & Currently is US National Champ!!
Paige Hareb (Tara) has regained the billing as New Zealand's top ranked female surfer after placing fifth at an international event held in Spain over the weekend. The 21 year old surfer now sits in sixth place - two spots clear of Mason and well within the hunt to qualify for the 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour.
Sarah Mason Climbs World Rankings After Third Placing
Sarah Mason - Image ASP / Will Hayden-Smith
Sarah Mason has rocketed up the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women's World Rankings to fifth after placing third at the Sri Lankan Airlines Pro completed at Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka yesterday (Sunday 4th September).
Mason jumped up five places on the rankings and now has a serious chance of qualifying for the 2012 ASP Women's World Title Tour as a spritely 16-year-old surfer. Should Mason qualify she will become the second youngest surfer ever to qualify for the tour behind Tyler Wright (AUS) who qualified this year also as a sixteen year old.
Mason steamrolled her way through an impressive line up of international surfers at the six-star event that was held in Sri Lanka. It was the first time the ASP Women's World Tour had frequented Sri Lanka with Arugam Bay providing a perfect right hand point break wave which clearly suited the young goofy foot surfer.
Mason was eliminated in the semifinals by American surfer Lakey Peterson 12.75 vs 10.20. Peterson went on to place second to Courtney Conlogue (USA) in the final.
Before her loss, Mason eliminated ASP World Title Tour surfer Jessi Miley - Dyer (AUS) in the quarterfinals.
"It was kind of slow so I knew I had to get the right waves," Mason said. "I'm trying not to think about the semis, I just want to keep going under the radar" added Mason before her narrow loss to Peterson.
Early in the event Mason also defeated 2004 ASP World Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER), event wildcard Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) and young French upstart Alize Arnaud. She also beat Peterson in the early rounds of the event but the two surfers progressed through to the next round and later met up in the semifinals where Peterson exacted revenge for her earlier defeat.
The result secures back-to-back third placings for Mason, her last being at the Swatch Girls Pro in France held during June. Mason also placed ninth at an event in Australia earlier in the year.
Paige Hareb (Tara) also contested the Sri Lankan event placing 13th after being defeated by Nage Melamed (HAW) and Lakey Peterson. Hareb is now ranked eighth on the Women's World Rankings and is also well in contention to requalify for the 2012 ASP Women's World Title Tour.
There are two further events to contest before the end of year rankings will be finalised. The Cabreiroa Pantin Classic Pro will be contested from the 15th of September. The Billabong Azores Island Pro is scheduled to take place from the 26th of September.
Mason and Hareb need to finish inside the top six surfers on the rankings to qualify for the 2012 ASP Women's World Tour.
From: Surfing New Zealand
Sport: International Surfing
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Surfing New Zealand are proudly partnered by:
SOL
Hyundai
SPARC
Smokefree
This endurance athletic event will come to Kaslo on October 1st & 2nd, 2011. A 2 day Multi-discipline Stage Race including XC & DH mountain biking & trail running amidst the spectacular scenery of the Selkirks in an area steeped in history. Challenge yourself to complete one stage or compete for the Monster Challenge or Cody Quest Challenge to be the overall greatest sufferer!
There will also be a kid’s event taking place on the Kaslo River Trail. Kids ages 13 and under will have the option of biking or running down the Kaslo River Trail on the side closest to town. They will start from the bridge and leave one at a time at :30 second intervals. 8 & under will complete the 2k distance, 9-13 yr olds will complete a 4k course.
All races will finish on Front Street in downtown Kaslo in front of the historic Kaslo Hotel overlooking spectacular Kootenay Lake. Front Street will be blocked off, a professional race announcer will be covering the race and a live video will be shown via large screen projector. The finish area will be extremely exciting for all. It will include a 10ft high wooden jump for the bikers to enter Front Street 'in the air' if they choose, putting on a show for the spectators.
Courses Info & Maps
**Please note, all areas of the course are habitat for bears, cougars, deer, elk, moose, grouse, woodpeckers and much much more... please take caution.
Kids Race • 100K Galena Ghost Ride • 40K Buchanan XC MT Bike • 15K Mountain Bike
50K Cody Claim Run • 25K True Blue Trail Run • 10K True Blue Trail Run • Monster
Kaslo Suffer Fest™ Wall Of Fame
LAKE WANAKA, New Zealand (24 August, 2011) – Day 12 of the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games saw many of the world’s best snowboarders hit the Big Air at Cardrona Alpine Resort with Canada’s Maxence Parrot and Germany’s Silvia Mittermueller taking the gold.
Winds picked up in the morning, delaying the competition but in the end mother nature cooperated and it was all go with a small but strong field competing for this year’s Winter Games NZ titles. With the delay the format was changed and competitors went straight to a three run final with the best two different jumps counted.
Everyone including the judges was happy to see the conditions improved. “We saw some good tricks,” said Iztok Sumatic, head judge “The wind didn’t the affect the level of the tricks from the top competitors but it probably did affect the size of the field with some of the less experienced riders opting out today.”
After a challenging season with a dislocated elbow followed by a rolled ankle, Germany’s Silvia Mittermueller was happy to turn a page today taking the top spot amongst the women.
Mittermueller attributed her success today in part to a desire to avoid hitting the knuckle and further injuring her ankle. “I knew I had to go big today to avoid injury,” she said. “After a series of injuries and some bad luck I am really happy with today’s results and hope I’ve shown the German national team selectors that I’m capable.” Silvia also has her sites set on competing in the new Olympic discipline of slopestyle in 2014.
“Silvia was a surprise,” said Sumatic. “During the practice she was only doing straight airs but when it came to the competition she boosted out with a lovely switch backside 180 mute grab followed by a frontside 360 tailgrab which was also performed very well, with big amplitude.”
New Zealand’s Abby Lockhart and Shelly Gotlieb placed second and third respectively.
Lockhart said that after taking time away from serious competition the inclusion of slopestyle as an Olympic discipline and the additional funding that will be available to New Zealand athletes has prompted her to refocus on competition. “This is a trial year,” she said. “If it all goes well then I hope to be named to the slopestyle team so that I can afford to compete at the level I need to get to the Olympics.”
“Abby rode really well putting down two good jumps, a backside 360 melon grab and a backside 180 melon,” said Webster. “It’s good to see her stepping up her game.”
“Shelly landed her first backside 360 tailgrab but fell on her two subsequent attempts at a backside 540 leaving her in third place,” said Sumatic.
Those seeking full results can log on to http://wintergamesnz.com/results/ <http://wintergamesnz.com/results/> .
Tomorrow brings the Adaptive Slalom racing at Coronet Peat and Day Seven of Curling at the Maniototo Curling Rink in Naseby.
It was Australia’s day today at the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games Jucy Snowboard Cross with reigning snowboard cross world champion and X Games competitor, Alex Pullin taking out the men’s competition and Belle Brockhof taking gold in the women’s competition.
Mother nature cooperated providing blue skies and light winds; the athletes provided the entertainment in this fast paced competition that, for spectators, is similar to watching a motocross event.
“It was great to be out here today competing against some of the world’s best,” said Pullin. “The Winter Games is fantastic in that it provides another major competition during the Southern Hemisphere season. It’s critical to our training and to being in top form for the Northern Hemisphere season. I’ll definitely be back.”
Pullin went on to comment on his teammates Cameron Bolton and Andy Fischer who placed second and fourth respectively. “We’ve been working hard to bring these two developing athletes up and it was fantastic to see them step it up for this competition. All around it was an amazing day, the weather was great, the course was great and we’re all happy to be here.”
In third was America’s Chris Mahaney the second highest ranked competitor in today’s field.
Six nations were represented in the men’s field with 31 riders competing. New Zealand’s top ranked snowboard cross rider Philip Dominick was the top placing kiwi today finishing in sixth place with Cody Logan coming in just behind him in eighth.
The women’s results today proved that in snowboard cross being at the top doesn’t guarantee the win; one small mistake can see a title slipping away. In the semifinals, top ranked rider, 2010 Olympian and X Games silver medalist Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (USA) slid out while overtaking Amanda Taylor (AUS) who launched over Chythlook. This small error cost Cythlook her shot in the finals and in the end the win went to Brockhof with teammate Alexandra Lockie taking second and Japan’s Karen Iwadare rounding out the podium.
Brockhof was pleased with her result, “This is my third race back after a two year break.” Brokhof took the break after a year of too many close calls and for a time changed her focus to Slalom and Parallel Giant Slalom. “When I stopped competing I was ranked 32nd in the world; it feels good to be making a comeback. I knew with Callan in the field I needed to go flat out. I was hungry for the win today.”
There are two stages to each snowboard cross competition. The first stage sees riders taking on the course against the clock to decide in which order they race. Then riders race in heats of four where they fly down the same course at the same time as three other competitors. The first two to cross the line move to the next stage of the competition.
Olympic gold medallist, Justyna Kowalczyk has confirmed her spot at next weekend’s 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games Winter Triathlon joining a field of local athletes that also includes New Zealand Olympic biathlete, Sarah Murphy.
Featuring a 6.8km run, 12km bike and 9.5km cross country ski, all on a hard-packed snow course at Snow Farm, the event is also open to age group athletes. The sport is new to Winter Games NZ, having been a demonstration sport at the 2009 event. Winter triathlons are an exciting sport and great for low impact, high intensity training over the cold winter months attracting a broad spectrum of athletes, from multi-sporters to triathletes.
“The winter tri adds a new dimension to triathlon,” said Winter Games NZ CEO, Arthur Klap. “It’s quite novel to be biking and running on snow, all at altitude and is great fitness and a lot of fun. It’s great for spectators as well with a few thrills and spills!”
The event is part of the ITU Oceania Championships and athletes can enter at www.wintergamesnz.com/accounts/register
Keep up to date with the action as it happens on the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games Facebook and Twitter pages.
www.facebook.com/WinterGamesNZ
http://twitter.com/#!/wintergamesnz
What an amazing week at the Roxy Pro Biarritz. Team Roxy enjoyed everything there was to enjoy about the quaint French town and surfed and swam their hearts out! Lily Wood and the Prick and the Sounds played a free concert for the town and over 6,000 people came to boogie down!
Team rider Jennifer Smith finished Runner-up on the World Longboard Event as she took down her fellow team rider Kassia Meador in the semi-final in 2-3 foot surf at the Cote d’ Basques.
For some other exciting highlights straight from the ROXY PRO in Biarritz, France take a peek at these ROXY PRO PODCASTS:
Check out this ROXY ART backstage clip and fall in love with the world of Surf throughout the generations. (pretty cool stuff!)
Wishing ROXY a very HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY is Lisa Andersen in this short clip (HAPPY BIRTDHAY ROXY)!
For some silly clips of the surfers (produced by LeeAnn and friends) have a look at the ROXY PRO X-TRAS
Last but not least, we’d like to share a big congratulations to Carissa Moore, who was crowned the 2011 Women’s World Champion during the event!
Cant wait until next year!
The 6th annual Heritage Gromtest presented by Quiksilver is gearing up once again and taking place on Sunday, August 21st at 37th street beach Sea Isle City, New Jersey. Top surfers have always come out of this region and with Brian Heritage at the helm its sure to be a great Gromtest/Slamfest. Following the Gromtest, don’t miss out on a fun filled evening with a Quiksilver Movie Premiere “Moments” which will be held on the south side of Heritage Surf & Sport 3700 Landis Ave. Sea Isle City, NJ. “Heritage Surf & Sport has always been proactive in cultivating young talent in the region, “owner Brian Heritage states. “Along with Quiksilver’s support we will continue to offer a platform for young up and coming surfers to test their mettle and see what they’re made of. This allows companies like Quiksilver and our stores to keep an eye out for future prospects while providing a really fun contest atmosphere.”
If you’re 18 and under, be sure to sign up at the Heritage website
Limited to 64 entries!
Juniors 16-18. Boys 13-15. Runtz 12 & Under. Girls 18 & under – Sponsored by Roxy.
To check on your entry after you submitted, call Heritage Gromtest Hotline (609) 263-3033 ext. 4
Get after it Grom’s! Don’t be late to sign up!
For more information on Heritage Surf & Sport and the incredible story of this family business see http://heritagesurf.com/about
Triple BASE Comp - Expression Session, Banked Slalom and Downhill all in one day
LAKE WANAKA, New Zealand (July 11, 2011) – The legendary Triple BASE competition returns to Treble Cone this Saturday 16 July testing the mountains boarders and skiers to three thrilling events packed into one day crowning the King and Queen of the mountain 2011.
This thrilling and well established competition is back with a bang after an intermittent couple of seasons, and is sure to entertain as riders test their skills, creativity, speed and precision over three varied events.
The day kick starts with the iconic fast paced and action packed POW Banked Slalom which will see riders thundering down the Gunbarrel’s steep banked natural turns battling it out for top scorings. Running concurrently is the fun packed Rossignol Expression Session offering skiers and snowboarders a chance to show off their skills and creativity over a section of natural terrain.
The afternoon’s Bern Downhill event in the Powder Bowl will test athletes speed and technical expertise over fast steep terrain. This event is sure to see some spills and thrills as competitors race through Powder bowl.
“This is a fantastic event which showcases Treble Cone’s true diversity of terrain and is designed for all levels of local skiers and boarders to enjoy. With all this new snow, we’re super excited for a huge day at Treble Cone”, said Brent Harridge, Managing Director of BASE Wanaka.
All skiers and boarders will compete on the same courses with the best run or score for each event counting.
A great prize pool including a pair of skis and a snowboard will be up for grabs at the off mountain prize giving at 5.30pm at Mint Bar in Wanaka with an after party to follow.
Please note that places may be limited, it is advised that entrants register online to avoid disappointment. Space permitting, entries can also be made on hill from 9am on event day.
For further information visit www.treblecone.com
-ends-
For further media information or images, please contact:
Anna McConville – EveNZ Consultancy
T: +64 3 443 2700
