Former World Championship Tour surfer Ricardo Christie is back. The talented Gizzy surfer has started his 2023 QS campaign at the Oakberry Tweed Coast Pro held at Cabarita with an impressive Round of 64 heat win.
The action for Day 3 of the 2023 Oakberry Tweed Coast Pro World Surf League QS 5,000 included completion of the men’s and women’s Rounds of 64. The event’s top seeds took charge with some massive scores going down at Cabarita Headland in pumping three-to-five foot surf.
The Round of 64 saw Paige Hareb looking sharp and nimble as she won her opening heat with some of the powerful turns that she has become renowned for. Flying under an Aussie flag in WSL contests, but we all know she’s a Kiwi, Tayla Green, made it through in second place in her opening heat of the event despite the waves leaving a lot to be desired. Gisborne’s Saffi Vette then found one good wave – a 5.50 – in her heat, which was luckily enough to get her through to the 32.
The men’s Round of 64 saw four of the five remaining New Zealanders take solid heat wins, including Korbin Hutchings, Kehu Butler, Billy Stairmand and former Championship Tour competitor Ricardo Christie. Daniel Farr needed a back up score to progress and bowed out of the contest in 33rd falling victim to an in-form Jordan Lawler.
All the Kiwis put on great performances, but it was the return to competition by Ricardo that caught everyone’s attention. It seems a few years in a real estate office can actually be good for your surfing career.
“I’m over here to do this run of Aussie events as a bit of a personal challenge.”
“I’m over here to do this run of Aussie events as a bit of a personal challenge,” Ricardo explains. “I’m stoked to be out there again – it’s been a while. I watched from the office last year, so it’s good to be back competing and back in Australia catching up with everyone.”
“For the last few years, I’ve honestly only been surfing when it’s barreling, so I’m only recently back in the competitive mindset,” he smiled. “I have done it my whole life, so it’s a little bit of second nature. I’m stoked to be back.”
Ricardo will next meet Billy Stairmand in Heat 4 of the Round of 32.
The 2023 Oakberry Tweed Coast Pro will run from February 10-16.
