Surfers survive to fight another day

New Zealand’s two surfers – Billy Stairmand and Ella Williams - survived their first day of Olympic competition and are now focused on round 3 tomorrow.

The 20-strong men’s and women’s fields need to negotiate three rounds of heats over two days, before the top eight in each field move on to the quarter-finals. But some of the first-day competitors faced elimination if they didn’t perform.

Stairmand, the 31-year-old from Raglan, began with scores of 5.00 and 4.97 for a total of 9.97 in round 1, and was third in his heat. He needed to be in the first two to advance directly to tomorrow’s competition. Having missed that route, he had one more opportunity to do so, if he could finish in the top two of his heat in round 2.

Benefiting from his first outing, Stairmand returned looking more assured and put together rides of 5.87 and 5.47 for 11.34, and second placing – enough to advance.

Stairmand is clearly enjoying every moment of his Olympic experience.

He said that regardless of his result, he was delighted to be at the Olympics representing New Zealand, a longtime dream.

Ella Williams, a former junior world champion, made a solid beginning, and looked right at home in Olympic competition.

Williams, who has had four top 10 finishes at the World Games, scored 5.17 and 4.53 for a total of 9.70. By finishing second in her heat she advanced directly to tomorrow’s round 3.

The 26-year-old from Whangamata looks an accomplished and experienced surfer who was certainly not fazed by her first experience of Olympic competition.