Source / Instagram / ISA / Surfing NZ
Dune Kennings (Ngāti Maniapoto) and Kehu Butler (Ngāi Te Rangi) have had flying starts to the ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador, a primary qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, but have work to do if they are to progress further.
Kennings, 27, and Butler, 23, who are part of a six-member New Zealand team that includes Billy Stairmand, Paige Hareb, Saffi Vette and 16-year-old Pia Rogers, got the juices flowing with a team haka at the opening ceremony on Wednesday (NZ time).
Watch the New Zealand team's haka. Source / Instagram
Kennings, the current New Zealand national champion, won his first round matchup with a heat winning 4.90 wave and 9.73 heat total, ahead of Uruguay's Sebastian Olarte in second (7.46) and third-placed Yoni Kelin of Israel (5.03).
"Stoked" with his early win, the Piha local said it "felt good to get into it".
“I felt like I had plenty more to give so it’s a confidence booster and I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Kennings was not able to carry that winning form through to the second round, however, finishing in 3rd spot (9.10). Despite hoping to "bust out some airs”, he struggled to find the right waves.
The heat was won by Portugal's Frederico Morais (12.0) from Taichi Wakita of Japan in second (9.37). Nicaragua's Cesar Amador was fourth (8.14).
Kennings now has to compete in the repechage.
Butler, an Oceania junior champ, also won his opening matchup but could not quite grab the top spot in his second round heat despite going close.
He finished round one with an impressive 13.43 total in what one commentator described as a "beautiful, dominant performance", with Israel's Uri Uziel in second (9.06) and Noah Arkfeld of the Philippines third (8.50).
But Japan's Kanoa Igarashi (13.77) had just a bit extra on him in round two, grabbing first place in front of Mount Maunganui's Butler who secured second (11.83) ahead of Venezuela's Francisco Bellorin in third (10.84).
With his second-place finish, Butler did enough to move through to round 3.
Asked to tell fans a little bit about himself after the first heat, Butler said "I'm from NZ, a Māori boy - a proud Māori boy."
With "waves firing" at Surf City, Butler encouraged fans to keep watching.
"Thanks heaps for all the family, everyone watching and the next days are going to be sick, the waves are pumping."