It was quite a surprise for us to hear about the Piha Pro QS10,000 proposed for March 2020. It got leaked via NZ Herald and TVNZ on Friday and caught everyone off guard. Here's the full story of the Piha Pro here.
So, yes, it really is a thing. It is being driven by Karl Budge – he's delivered international tennis events over the past few years and is a smart operator. He's engaged Surfing New Zealand throughout the feasibility phase of planning and has World Surf League poised to deliver the event. At this stage the only box not ticked is one of the biggest: the funding. The event will require a healthy budget and that's most likely to come from a combination of Tourism New Zealand's major events funding, Auckland City Events and other sports funders. It's a big hurdle, but the numbers look like they could work.
The chatter around the social media cages is focusing on why it is being held at Piha. Well, that's simple. It has a great big metropolis called Auckland swinging off the side of it. That means accommodation, venues and festival activities that you just can't replicate in Raglan or even Taranaki. And the super city has deep pockets and would love nothing more than to be intricately linked to surfing in the sport's first Olympic year.
Like any tall poppy, it would be easy to take pot shots at this event. But if Karl's ambition lands in the right place then imagine what an event of this calibre might do for surfing in New Zealand. That could be something exceptional. Not just for the young athletes coming through, the current QS surfers grinding away or Ricardo Christie and Paige Hareb, but for all the surf community who have toiled away at the grassroots of surfing in New Zealand. It could herald a new era of opportunity. Now, that would be worth getting behind.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We're on the final fundraising push towards Glenn Sutton's Badwater 135 race in July. To help get the team there we have a couple of beautiful dining tables – made by the master craftsman himself – up for auction. One is made in Rimu and the other a really cool white Kingfisher Spruce. These are very solid pieces and are sure to become a family heirloom. The highest bidder for each table by noon on Friday June 14 will win them. Free delivery in Otago and Southland and they can be viewed at Southern Motor Group Volkswagen in Dunedin at any time. Check them out and make your bid right here. We're also offering two supporters packs. The Basic Supporters Pack includes one of the awesome Emerson's Into The Valley T-shirts and is just $50. The Ultimate Supporters Pack includes a T-shirt and nine cans of Richard Emerson's and Glenn Sutton's special Into The Valley brew ... just $100. Grab your suppoorter pack here.
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