Rip Curl MP Classic Runs in Clean D’Bah Peaks

Saturday 25th June. 2022.

Snapper Rocks Surfrider Kai Tandler emerged victorious to take out the 2022 Men’s MP Classic Invitational from fellow Snapper Team rider Korbin Hutchings, with 14-year-old Isla Huppatz winning the women’s division.

Tandler and Hutchings were locked in a blow-for-blow encounter held in 3 – 4ft peaky punchy Duranbah Beach conditions, the lead constantly changed throughout the 25-minute final.

“This could have gone either way and I actually thought Korbin had me at the end, so I’m so stoked to take the win,” said Tandler who relied on his trademark power-driven turns to just get the nod from the judges. Hutchings mentioned the close final and was equally stoked on the day as a whole “It was really close and no-one was sure who actually won when I got out of the water. I didn’t get the win but I had an awesome day. The beach was cleared for us to surf and there were heaps of spectators to help celebrate a surfing legend. It was an epic community vibe the whole event”.

Reef Doig (Snapper Rocks Surfriders) excelled in the earlier rounds and then opted to surf up against the wall in the final, but the gamble didn’t pay off, and he settled for third position.  D’bah Boardrider Harry Martin put up a valiant show against his Snapper rivals but he just couldn’t complete his attempted aerial moves and finished fourth.

After not running in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid, the local surfing community was stoked that Kirra Surfriders Club returned this prestigious event back to MP’s favourite stomping ground of the waves around of Coolangatta. The event was run with a field of 32 invitees.

14-year-oldsuper grom Isla Huppatz from the Burleigh Boardriders charged in the second round to stay one place in front of Snappers’ Alyssa Lock and take out the MP Classic Invitational women’s title. North Stradbroke Island’s Stacey Holt was third, Snappers Charlotte Mulley was 4th and Kirra’s Carolina Rampa 5th.

The MP Classic was established in 2002 after Joan Peterson and her daughter Dot worked with the Kirra Surfriders to run a competition in memory of her son Michael Peterson, regarded as one of the greatest Australian surfers ever and especially revered in Coolangatta. MP passed away in 2012 and sadly Dot passed away in May this year.

The 2022 MP classic coincided with Joan Peterson’s 90th birthday ensuring that the great vibes on the beach were carried into the presentation at 4 Pines Café as the packed crowd celebrated in true Kirra style.

President of the Kirra Surfriders, affectionately known as Sheeny, was ecstatic the MP was back in the water “Apart from being Australia’s greatest surfer not to win a World title, MP was an excellent shaper and designer of progressive surfboards. So it’s been great to celebrate all aspects of his life at this event” said Sheeny. 

There are plans to petition the City of Gold Coast for the MP event to be granted an extended waiting period during the cyclone months in anticipation of scoring epic waves at Kirra Point - Michael Peterson’s spiritual surfing home. It was 50 years ago that the epic surf movie Morning of the Earth was released by Albert Falzon featuring MP dominating Kirra Point with his famous cutback immortalized as one of surfing’s most memorable images.

President of the Kirra Surfriders, affectionately known as Sheeny, was ecstatic the MP was back in the water “Apart from being Australia’s greatest surfer not to win a World title, MP was an excellent shaper and designer of progressive surfboards. So it’s been great to celebrate all aspects of his life at this event” said Sheeny. 

There are plans to petition the City of Gold Coast for the MP event to be granted an extended waiting period during the cyclone months in anticipation of scoring epic waves at Kirra Point - Michael Peterson’s spiritual surfing home. It was 50 years ago that the epic surf movie Morning of the Earth was released by Albert Falzon featuring MP dominating Kirra Point with his famous cutback immortalized as one of surfing’s most memorable images.

Results Rip Curl MP Classic Invitational 2022, hosted by the Kirra Surfriders Club.

Men’s Division
1. Kai Tandler
2. Korbin Hutchings
3. Reef Doig
4. Harry Martin.

Women Division
1. Isla Huppatz
2. Alyssa Lock.
3. Stacey Holt
4. Charlotte Mulley.
5 Carolina Rampa.

Spirit of MP specialty award – Barti.

List of previous MP Classic winners.
2002 - Shane Bevan
2003, 2004 & 2005 - Shaun Gossman
2006 - Dave Reardon-Smith
2007 - Luke Dorrington
2008 - Clint Kimmins
2009 - Adam Melling
2010 - Josh Kerr
2011 - Noah Lane
2012 - Lincoln Taylor
2013 - Mitch Parkinson
2014 - Mikey Wright
2015 & 2016 Mitchell James
2017 - Mitch Parkinson
2018 - Lincoln Taylor & Isabella Nichols
2019 - Callum Robson & Ren Hashimoto
2022 - Kai Tandler& Isla Huppatz

Bio on Michael Peterson 1952 – 2012. A legendary Coolangatta cult figure won two National title 72/74, three consecutive Bells Beach Easter Pro 73 – 75, Coke Classic 74, Pa Bendall 75, NZ Pro Phia 76, Stubbies Surf Classic 77Burleigh Point, and a 1992 inductee of Surfing Australia’s Hall of Fame. Michael was a proficient and progressive surfboard shaper with a sharp eye for detail, shaping his own boards under his own popular Michael Peterson Surfboards label. RIP ol mate.

Written by Andrew McKinnon