Nationals stepping stone for Stairmand in big year
BILLY Stairmand is a laidback character.
It is a trait that appears to serve the eighttime national surfing champion well, and keeping that attitude will be all the more important as he starts one of the biggest years of his career leading into the Paris Olympic Games.
Dunedin is the first pit stop in that busy year, where he is aiming for his ninth title at the national surfing championships at St Clair Beach this week.
Stairmand, who arrived in the city last Sunday, before the competition, to surf the Otago coastline, raved about Dunedin, and taking his first dip for the season.
He progressed to the final at the last minute, catching a small wave with less than 10 seconds remaining on Thursday.
‘‘I’m looking forward to putting the rash shirt on for the first time in 2024 and I’ve got big expectations in this competition,’’ Stairmand said.
‘‘Obviously I want to win another national title.’’
Stairmand acknowledged it was a ‘‘huge year’’ for him, but he always loved returning to compete at nationals, a good stepping stone for the rest of the season.
‘‘It’s a really small surf community in New Zealand, so you get to see all your friends, and family, and compete with some of the best in New Zealand.
‘‘Obviously the waves are going to be a bit different to Tahiti.
‘‘Nonetheless, it’s a competition, and I’ve got the same goals as I would have every other year.’’
After nationals, Stairmand heads to Australia for a qualifying series event in Melbourne, and then returns to his home in Raglan.
He then plans to either return to Australia for more competitions, or head to Puerto Rico for the world surfing games, followed by a few other competitions.
Finally he will land in Tahiti in July, where the surfing is being held for the Olympic Games — 15,000km away from host city Paris — taking on the notoriously dangerous Teahupo’o break.
The waves are intense starting from the deep ocean and slapping against the shallow reef — ‘‘it’s one of the most dangerous places in the world, I think’’ — with a big barrel and a narrow channel, he said.
‘‘It’s going to be definitely challenging.
‘‘It’s something I’m not used to. I’m looking forward to preparing the best I can and kind of putting my best foot forward, and kind of charging those big waves, and hopefully bringing home a medal for New Zealand.’’
Heis well prepared for the waves, though, having learnt a lot from a training camp in Tahiti last year, and hopes to make a couple other trips before July.
Surfing was first introduced at the Olympics in Tokyo three years ago, and while that campaign for most athletes was disrupted due to Covid, Stairmand relished his first taste of the Games.
‘‘My experience in Tokyo was amazing — so much fun competing against the best in the world and I felt like I left everything out there.
‘‘I had a really good campaign and I definitely learnt a lot from that . . . so I’m kind of trying to take that into this campaign.
‘‘It was a cool experience being amongst the team. The New Zealand Olympic team, you’re part of a team . . . surfing [is] quite an individual sport, so you felt that support, that love and everyone was backing you.
‘‘Hopefully it’s the same again this year.’’
He is looking forward to having Saffi Vette, who described Stairmand as a big brother and mentor, alongside him, and helping her enjoy her first Olympics.
But first Stairmand is focused on finishing off the national championships in style.
❛ It’s a really small surf community in New Zealand, so you get to see all your friends, and family, and compete with some of the best in New Zealand