2012 Hyundai Tour - Raglan - Day2 - WRAP UP

This is the official event round up clip from Raglan where we witnessed some of the best longboarders in NZ take to the waters of Manu Bay in near perfect conditions.

www.hyundai.co.nz

www.surfingnz.co.nz

Contains footage from the Open Mens, Open Womens and Stand Up Paddle events.

MUSIC: www.JaySoul.net - Jamaican Barbeque & Alleviate

The 2012 Hyundai Tour travels to Raglan, Piha, Sandy Bay and Mount Maunganui before the season concludes at Port Waikato in early March.

The remaining events for the 2012 Hyundai Tour follow:

Hyundai Tour Event 2, 15-21 January, Piha (5-star) -- National Championships
Hyundai Tour Event 3, 3-6 February, Sandy Bay (SNZ 6-star / ASP LQS 1-star)
Hyundai Tour Event 4, 18-19 February, Mount Maunganui (4-star)
Hyundai Tour Event 5, 2-3 March, Port Waikato (6-star)

Thomas Kibblewhite (Rodney) has made the best possible start to the 2012 Hyundai Tour convincingly winning the first event completed at Manu Bay, Raglan today (Sunday 8th January).

Kibblewhite posted 16.07 out of a possible 20 points in a wave starved final and claimed the edge over his opponents early on the five event tour.

The surf remained in perfect condition for the final day with the forecast gale force winds not eventuating leaving a groomed ocean and a 1.0m swell.

In today's final Kibblewhite posted his two best scores early on thanks to his trademark backhand vertical attack. His strategy of getting a quick start clearly paid dividends.

"I looked at it all day and it got consistent for a while but when the tide went out it slacked off so I knew the quick start was the key because you never know what could happen over 25 minutes with the tide going out even further and sure enough it went pretty dead toward the end there" Kibblewhite said.

Reflecting on the event as a whole Kibblewhite admitted to "saving his best until last" in the final to eclipse his opponents who all had at least one good wave but lacked the good second scoring rides.

Dylan Barnfield