The event will take place at St Clair Beach from January 7 to 13, with surfers from under-14 to over-70 competing.
Plenty of local names are in the mix, including Elliot Brown, Josh Thickpenny, Luke Murphy, Hayley Coakes and Jake Owen, while three-time national champion Alexis Owen leads a promising group of Otago youth.
Bookending the largest gathering of New Zealand’s surfing community will be the fast-paced action of the premier open men’s and women’s divisions. Piha surfer Dune Kennings is the defending champion, and good friend and fellow Piha surfer Elliot Paerata-Reid won the event when it was last held in Dunedin in 2020.
The event will also attract the likes of eight-time champion Billy Stairmand.
The championships are expected to attract over 350 entries across 27 divisions.
