Defending New Zealand men’s surfing champion Dune Kennings (Ngāti Maniapoto) has missed winning back-to-back titles by the slimmest of possible margins, after a tie-breaker was needed to declare Taranaki’s Daniel Farr the 2024 champion at the National Surfing Championship in Dunedin on Saturday.
“The final was epic, To finish runner-up with a tie-break stings. I would of liked to get that title back-to-back,” Kennings told Te Ao News on Sunday.
Kennings, 27, tied the final at St Clair Beach with fellow professional surfer Farr, 24, with 16.05 points apiece but ultimately lost out through a tie-breaker in what RNZ reports as the closest margin in the history of the event. The New Plymouth Surfriders surfer claimed victory - and his second national men’s title - courtesy of having the highest single wave score of 9.0.
“What can I say, there wasn’t a point in it. I’m really proud of my performance. I feel like I brought the heat when it counted and threw down some airs in a critical moment making it a fun final to watch.”
Kennings, of Piha’s Keyhole Boardriders, who won his maiden New Zealand men’s title last year at Piha, contested the final alongside Farr and Raglan’s Point Boardriders nine-time national title holder Billy Stairmand, 34, (12.95) and Caleb Cutmore, 22 (12.25).
“This result to me shows I’m consistent and deadly in all conditions. I’m gonna keep working hard and I’ll be back!”
This article was updated on Sunday morning to include comment from Dune Kennings.