COMPETITIONS
The Duke Festival celebrates our unique backyard by hosting two competitions that showcase our local talent and natural resources.
The New Brighton Pier offers spectators the opportunity to view the surfing action close up. The Duke Festival is the only Surfing Festival in Aotearoa to have this unique experience.
SURF
SHORTBOARD
The surf competition combines with the Connect Group South Island Surfing Association (SISA) Grom Comp No. 3. This Is part of a South Island competitive circuit formed by SISA to give South Island competitors equal opportunities to gain points as our North Island Surfing Whānau. The points contribute to overall NZ wide ratings and goes toward deciding Regional and National representative teams.
This competition pulls Aotearoa's best Grom Surfers. If you want to compete in this competition but are new to comps or are not boardrider affiliated, we still welcome you with Aloha/Aroha to compete.
The Grom comp Divisions are:
Under 18 Girls and Boys
Under 16 Girls and Boys
Under 14 Girls and Boys
The Duke Festival also adds an under 12 division. This year we have a local legend who will subsidise the entry cost – we’d love to tell you who they are but they want to remain anonymous!
LONGBOARD
New to comps (All ages, All Genders)
Under 20 Men and Women
Open Men and Women
Over 40 Men and Women
Over 50 Men
Over 60 Men
Over 70 Men
If you want to compete in this competition but are new to comps or are not boardrider affiliated, We still welcome you with Aloha/Aroha to compete.
Since the inception of the Duke Festival, we have offered competitors equal prize money.
SKATE
The Duke Festival Skateboard comp celebrates skating’s popular culture and roots in surfing. The invention of the skateboard brought surf moves to land on asphalt banks and hills, flat days in the ocean became sidewalk surfin’ days and skateboarding is now a massively popular activity and Olympic sport.
Our beachside amphitheatre venue becomes a skaters dream with street features and a festival competition ramp created by professional skatepark builders, . From free public skate sessions to our main competition for under 12’s to over 40’s Masters, The Duke showcases skateboarding’s progression from first time rollers to NZ’s top skaters.
The skateboarding competition is Skateboarding NZ endorsed and attracts competitors from all over New Zealand.